teaching resource

ARMS and COPS - Editing Posters and Checklists (Landscape)

Updated: 16 Feb 2023

Encourage your students to proofread and edit their writing using the C.O.P.S. and A.R.M.S acronyms with a pair of printable writing posters.

Non-Editable: PDF
Years: 1 - 4

Curriculum

ACELY1662

Re-read studentâs own texts and discuss possible changes to improve meaning, spelling and punctuationElaborationsadding or deleting words on page or screen to improve meaning, for example adding an adjective to a noun (Skills: Literacy, Critical...
ACELY1672

Re-read and edit text for spelling, sentence-boundary punctuation and text structureElaborationsreading their work and adding, deleting or changing words, prepositional phrases or sentences to improve meaning, for example replacing an everyday noun w...
ACELY1683

Re-read and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuationElaborationsusing glossaries, print and digital dictionaries and spell check to edit spelling, realising that spell check accuracy depends on understanding ...
ACELY1695

Re-read and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structureElaborationsrevising written texts: editing for grammatical and spelling accuracy and clarity of the text, to improve the connection betwe...

VCELY161

Participate in shared editing of studentsâ€™ own texts for meaning, spelling, capital letters and full stops
VCELA190

Recognise that different types of punctuation, including full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, signal sentences that make statements, ask questions, express emotion or give commands
VCELY231

Reread and edit text for spelling, sentence-boundary punctuation and text structure
VCELY267

Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation
VCELY299

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features
VCELY300

Reread and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure
VCELY329

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience
VCELY330

Reread and edit own and othersâ€™ work using agreed criteria for text structures and language features
VCELY358

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience
VCELY359

Reread and edit own and othersâ€™ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choices

AC9E1LA10

Understand that written language uses punctuation such as full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, and uses capital letters for familiar proper nouns
AC9E1LY06

Create and re-read to edit short written and/or multimodal texts to report on a topic, express an opinion or recount a real or imagined event, using grammatically correct simple sentences, some topic-specific vocabulary, sentence boundary punctuation and correct spelling of some one- and two-syllab
AC9E4LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation
AC9E5LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, developing ideas using visual features, text structure appropriate to the topic and purpose, text connectives, expanded noun groups, specialist and technical vocabulary, and pu
AC9E6LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features

teaching resource

ARMS and COPS - Editing Posters and Checklists (Landscape)

Updated: 16 Feb 2023

Encourage your students to proofread and edit their writing using the C.O.P.S. and A.R.M.S acronyms with a pair of printable writing posters.

Non-Editable: PDF
Years: 1 - 4

Encourage your students to proofread and edit their writing using the C.O.P.S. and A.R.M.S acronyms with a pair of printable writing posters.

Looking for a New Editing Strategy? Try C.O.P.S. and A.R.M.S.

Proofreading is an important component of the writing process that is often a major struggle for young writers. Proofreading is an element of editing focused on the concrete skills of spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, and sentence structure. As teachers, we know how hard it is to get students to review their own writing, and we’ve found an easier way using the C.O.P.S. and A.R.M.S editing strategy.

Acronyms cue students to proofread and edit elements of their writing. “COPS” and “ARMS” are examples of proofreading acronyms. We’ve put together a pair of writing anchor charts dedicated to these acronyms and printable mini-checklists for student use.

What Does COPS Stand For?

The COPS acronym stands for:

C: Capitalise the first letter of each sentence.

O: Organise your writing to make it easy to read.

P: Use correct punctuation.

S: Spell words correctly.

What Does ARMS Stand For?

The ARMS acronym stands for:

A: Add sentences to your writing.

R: Remove unnecessary words and sentences.

M: Move sentences and words around to make them sound better.

S: Substitute overused and boring words and sentences with better ones.

Download and Print Your Editing Posters

This resource downloads as two separate printable PDF files. Use the dropdown arrow on the download button to download the A.R.M.S. or C.O.P.S file, or both!

Curriculum

ACELY1662

Re-read studentâs own texts and discuss possible changes to improve meaning, spelling and punctuationElaborationsadding or deleting words on page or screen to improve meaning, for example adding an adjective to a noun (Skills: Literacy, Critical...
ACELY1672

Re-read and edit text for spelling, sentence-boundary punctuation and text structureElaborationsreading their work and adding, deleting or changing words, prepositional phrases or sentences to improve meaning, for example replacing an everyday noun w...
ACELY1683

Re-read and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuationElaborationsusing glossaries, print and digital dictionaries and spell check to edit spelling, realising that spell check accuracy depends on understanding ...
ACELY1695

Re-read and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structureElaborationsrevising written texts: editing for grammatical and spelling accuracy and clarity of the text, to improve the connection betwe...

VCELY161

Participate in shared editing of studentsâ€™ own texts for meaning, spelling, capital letters and full stops
VCELA190

Recognise that different types of punctuation, including full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, signal sentences that make statements, ask questions, express emotion or give commands
VCELY231

Reread and edit text for spelling, sentence-boundary punctuation and text structure
VCELY267

Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation
VCELY299

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts containing key information and supporting details for a widening range of audiences, demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features
VCELY300

Reread and edit for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure
VCELY329

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience
VCELY330

Reread and edit own and othersâ€™ work using agreed criteria for text structures and language features
VCELY358

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience
VCELY359

Reread and edit own and othersâ€™ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choices

AC9E1LA10

Understand that written language uses punctuation such as full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, and uses capital letters for familiar proper nouns
AC9E1LY06

Create and re-read to edit short written and/or multimodal texts to report on a topic, express an opinion or recount a real or imagined event, using grammatically correct simple sentences, some topic-specific vocabulary, sentence boundary punctuation and correct spelling of some one- and two-syllab
AC9E4LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation
AC9E5LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, developing ideas using visual features, text structure appropriate to the topic and purpose, text connectives, expanded noun groups, specialist and technical vocabulary, and pu
AC9E6LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features

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