Have you ever finished grading a stack of student writing and thought…“Why am I spending all this time correcting… and nothing is changing?”
You circle everything. You comment on everything. You rewrite sentences.
And then the next assignment comes in… and the same errors are still there. It’s frustrating. And honestly, it’s exhausting. But what if the problem isn’t how much you’re correcting… it’s that you’re correcting too much?
Do you Correct Everything?
Most of us were trained to give comprehensive feedback. So we:
- mark every error
- point out every verb and agreement issue
- comment on word choice, spelling, accents, and syntax
And what happens?
Students:
- feel overwhelmed
- don’t know where to start
- ignore most of the feedback
- make the same errors again
I have handed back a writing assignment completely covered in red ink and a student looked at it and said:
“Can you just tell me what I actually need to fix?”
That moment stuck with me because they weren’t being lazy they were being honest.
Focused Error Correction & FOcused Correction Areas
These two effective approaches will completely change how you provide feedback on writing:
- Focused Error Correction (Gianfranco Conti)
- Focus Correction Areas (FCAs) (Collins Writing Program)
Both are built on a similar idea:
Students’ writing improves when we focus on a few key areas instead of everything at once.
Focused Error Correction – Conti
The idea behind Focused Error Correction is simple and effective:
Don’t correct everything. Correct only a small number of targeted error types.
Typically:
- 2–3 focus areas
- Aligned with your current instructional goals
- Repeated consistently over time
Why This Works
When students focus on fewer things:
- They actually notice the errors
- They understand the pattern
- They’re more likely to fix and retain it
Instead of scattered feedback, they get intentional practice.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Let’s say your current unit focuses on adjective agreement and articles. You decide that these are the only elements you’re focusing on this week.
So when you grade:
- You ignore other errors (yes, really)
- You only provide feedback adjective agreement and article use
Now your feedback is clear, consistent and actionable.
Classroom Tip: Build an Editing Routine
Before students submit writing, give them a simple checklist:
- Did I check every noun for gender?
- Do my adjectives agree?
- Did I use the correct article?
Now they’re doing part of the correction work themselves.
Focus Correction Areas (FCA’s) – Collins
The Collins Writing approach takes this one step further. You define 2–3 specific criteria for each writing assignment and only those are graded. These are your FCAs.
Example FCA’s for a Spanish Writing Task
Students write about their weekend.
Your FCAs might be:
- Use of past tense verbs
- Agreement between nouns and adjectives
- Use of transition words (y, pero, después)
That’s it.
Why FCA’s Are So Effective
Students know:
- exactly what matters
- exactly what to focus on
- exactly how they’ll be assessed
And teachers grade faster, give clearer feedback and avoid burnout
Classroom Tip: Make FCA’s Visible
Have students:
- Write the FCA’s at the top of their paper
- Highlight them in their writing
- Use them during peer editing
Now revision becomes intentional, not guesswork.
Using Both Together
Here’s where things really come together.
- Use Focused Error Correction to guide what you teach.
- Use FCA’s to guide what you assess.
Example Workflow
Step 1: Choose your focus (Conti)
- This unit: past tense + agreement
Step 2: Design your assignment (FCA’s)
- FCA 1: Correct past tense
- FCA 2: Adjective agreement
- FCA 3: Use of transitions
Step 3: Teach + practice
- Input
- Writing
- Speaking
Step 4: Feedback
- Only correct those areas
Step 5: Revision
- Students improve those specific skills
This creates a clear, repeatable system.
What You’ll Notice
When you shift to this approach:
✔ Students actually use your feedback
✔ Writing improves in targeted areas
✔ You spend less time grading
✔ Students feel more successful
And maybe most importantly…you won’t feel like you’re doing all the work.
Try This This Week
If you want to start small, here’s a simple plan:
Step 1: Pick ONE focus area (yes—just one)
Step 2: Tell students: “This is what I’m looking for in your writing.”
Step 3: Only correct that one thing
Step 4: Have students revise just that area
That’s it.
Final Thought
We often think that more feedback = better learning. But in reality more focused feedback = more effective learning.
