Upon completion of a rough draft, the writer should take on the first edit of his work. Editing is an on-going process, not a one time event. When an author edits his work, he is checking the piece for errors. These are typically errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and formatting (indenting of paragraphs, etc.). A writer should be encouraged to edit as much of his own paper as possible. Early writers should, with some prompting, be able to check a paper for correct capitalization and punctuation. As a child ages, he will be able to correct other errors on his own. Some students find it beneficial to read their work out loud while editing. This makes it easier to find mistakes. Editing should not be a negative process. This is a time to work on creating a polished piece of writing that will make the author proud. The author should be reminded that he will need to edit his work at least two more times. He will edit before composing a final copy and then use the same process to check over his final product.
