This strategy can serve as both a checklist and mnemonic device that students can use to write persuasive or argumentative essays.

Individuals with learning disabilities tend to have difficulty with the revising stage of writing. When students are asked to look over their work, they do not necessarily know what they are even looking for. Six Steps for Revising (including SCAN) will serve as an outline that students can use to help them analyze their writing. In particular, students may use this tool to adjust punctuation, sentence structure, word choice, organization, and much more. This strategy will help students write a persuasive or argumentative essay that expresses a strong point and provides reasons that clearly support their opinion.

To help students generalize this skill across persuasive writing assignments, educators can include the Six Steps for Revising (including SCAN) strategy within students’ center work folders and homework folders. Within the students’ folders, the five stages of the writing process can be placed in order (i.e., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing). Along with the stages, educators can include two strategies per section. This will serve as a guide and visual aid that students can refer to while completing writing assignments. As motivation, educators can propose a project where students’ writing will be typed, printed, illustrated, and published in the classroom journal.