COPS Editing Strategy | Class Posters for The Writing…

About this resource

What's inside this resource

This resource is a set of Class Posters for The Writing Process.

This follows the COPS strategy:

C - capitalization

O - organize sentences

P - punctuation

S - spelling

Printing these posters off to be displayed around your classroom would serve as a great reminder for students while they are writing.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Apply the four-step C.O.P.S. routine when self-editing a draft
Check capitalization of sentence beginnings, the word "I", and proper names
Identify and repair fragments and run-ons so every sentence is complete
Verify end punctuation, pause commas, apostrophes, and word spelling before finishing a piece

Teaching tips

Introduce the strategy with the overview chart, then post the four letter posters in sequence so students walk their draft through C, O, P, and S in order
The S poster's 'ask a friend to read your work' step builds in peer editing — pair students for that final pass
Keep the posters visible during independent writing as the contributor suggests, so the checklist works as an always-on reminder rather than a one-off lesson
The Dictionary.com reference on the S poster assumes device access; substitute classroom dictionaries if needed

Skills covered

Self-editing routine — students run every draft through the four C.O.P.S. checks before calling it done.
Capitalization conventions — sentence starts, the pronoun "I", and proper names are itemized on the C poster.
Sentence completeness — the O poster targets fragments and run-ons explicitly.
Punctuation and spelling checks — end marks, pause commas, apostrophes in contractions, and dictionary-checked spelling close the routine.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

What does each letter of C.O.P.S. stand for on the posters?

C is capitalization (sentence beginnings, the word "I", names of people and places), O is organize sentences (complete sentences, no fragments or run-ons), P is punctuation (end marks, pause commas, apostrophes in contractions), and S is spelling (check every word, with a dictionary backup and a friend's read-through).

Is the strategy explained anywhere, or are these reminder posters only?

Both — one page is a full overview chart titled "How to use C.O.P.S. in all your writing" that explains every check, and the four letter posters condense those checks into display-size reminders.