Add, Remove, Move, Substitute (ARMS) Revision Strategy

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Add, Remove, Move, Substitute (ARMS) Revision Strategy

Strategy Parameters

Genres: Narrative, Informative, Persuasive

Grade Levels: 3-8

Writing Process Stage: Revising

At-A-Glance

The ARMS revision strategy provides students with a purposeful and concrete method for improving their writing by focusing on four distinct actions: Add, Remove, Move, and Substitute, which enhances organization, clarity, and precision.

More about the ARMS Strategy

Infographic titled "ARMS," a revision strategy. A stands for Add (Did I include enough detail, examples, or support?). R stands for Remove (Are there any unnecessary or off-topic words/sentences?). M stands for Move (Would this sentence or detail make more sense somewhere else?). S stands for Substitute (Can I replace weak words with stronger ones?).

Overview

ARMS transforms the often-vague task of revision into four manageable, actionable steps that students can apply systematically to their drafts. This structure gives students a clear lens to evaluate their work and encourages them to look beyond simple errors to consider the meaningful contribution of every sentence to the overall message. By consistently practicing the steps of Add, Remove, Move, and Substitute, students develop stronger habits and learn to revise with greater intention and purpose, leading to more refined written products.

Purpose and Benefits

This strategy helps students:

Transform revision from a vague requirement into a structured, four-part process (Add, Remove, Move, Substitute).
Develop a critical lens for evaluating their text, focusing on how well their sentences contribute to the main message.
Make substantive, meaningful changes to their drafts, moving beyond only surface-level grammatical edits.
Improve the overall flow and logical organization of their paragraphs and arguments.
Build intentional and consistent habits for refining and elevating the precision and clarity of their writing.

Why It's Effective

Actionable Framework: It breaks the daunting task of revision into four concrete, easily understood actions, making the process accessible and less intimidating.
Focus on Substance: The actions (Add, Remove, Move) explicitly encourage students to consider the structure, content depth, and organization, rather than just spelling or punctuation.
Clarity of Purpose: Each step gives students a specific goal (e.g., Add more detail, Remove redundancy), promoting intentionality in their edits.
Transferable Skill: The four-step framework is universally applicable across different writing tasks and genres, establishing a reliable routine for refinement.
Precision Encouraged: The Substitute action prompts students to choose more precise and powerful vocabulary to strengthen their message and clarity.