AP Style isn’t everyone’s favorite way to write, and if you’ve ever flipped through the stylebook, you know it contains a few controversial guidelines.
I went from writing in MLA to AP Style journalism writing at Mizzou. Being told to not use Oxford commas anymore was quite the adjustment, but thankfully I had a high school journalism teacher who introduced me to the AP Stylebook and its quirks. My slight familiarity with AP Style led me to apply for a copy-editing position at Mizzou’s student newspaper.
After getting the role, I began to really enjoy editing and I developed an eye for AP Style. I learned everything from the difference between an em dash and an en dash to how to let go of the Oxford comma. By the following semester, I took over as head copy chief and served on our editorial board for a year and a half. In that time, I edited hundreds, if not thousands, of stories and learned more than I ever expected about this side of journalism.
As head copy chief, I had a goal of making AP Style feel less intimidating to those who were unfamiliar with it coming in. I wanted to teach the most essential rules in a way that stuck. After some trial and error, here are the tips I coined as most helpful:
1. Create a Style Guide
Every school is different. You may have unique phrases, hometown terminology or traditions that you are not going to be able to find in the stylebook. There may even be instances where you make exceptions to small AP Style rules because of personal preference for your yearbook. This is where a staff style guide comes in.
Whether it’s a digital document, printed flyer or a laminated reference sheet placed by the computers, a quick reference guide can help everyone stay consistent.
Be sure to include common AP Style rules, school-specific terms and definitions as well as any agreed-upon exceptions. This can help your yearbook sound more cohesive while making the editing process just a bit easier for everyone involved. As a bonus, passing this guide down year after year can also help build a style legacy, giving your yearbook a unique, clear voice that is easily recognizable and memorable.
2. Practice Stories
Creating mock stories filled with grammar and AP style mistakes is an easy, fun way to engage your students with learning how to spot mistakes in their own writing, which in turn helps them spot mistakes in their peers’ writing. Having a hands-on way to demonstrate AP Style skills is essential to learning the ins-and-outs of the stylebook. This also allows you to do so without singling out students for their mistakes.
In my first semester as a copy editor, this was my favorite way to learn new AP Style rules that I hadn’t encountered before. Because I was finding errors in the wild, the lessons stuck. After all the copy editors read through the terribly written mock story, our head copy chiefs presented the edited version on the screen. Seeing what I missed and why it mattered made the rules solidify in my head and assisted in many of the bigger concepts clicking for me.
When I took over as head copy chief, I used AI to write a practice story full of intentional mistakes for us to edit as a group. I highly suggest utilizing this tool if you are like me and label yourself as the grammar police from time to time. This technique helped my staff understand why certain rules function the way they do and how to spot them better. It also made for a fun group activity!
Want to Practice AP Style Yourself?
Download our Yearbook Copy Editing Exercise and test your skills with a ready-to-use practice story.
3. Keep a Physical Copy of the Style Guide
After already looking at a document on a screen for hours, opening a new tab and finding the right rule on the online AP Stylebook for an AP Style question can seem like a lot of work. Having a physical copy of your style guide close by for reference makes it easier to recognize your past style guide precedent so you don’t lose your place or momentum.
Physical copies are also great for training. You can tab the most important sections and show the reasoning behind why the rules are what they are. When editing stories, it can also come in help your credibility. Instead of just making an edit in front of the writer and moving on, you can show them the style guide book and explain.
Sure, typing in a couple of words on the web version to find the rule you’re looking for may take less time, but being able to navigate the different sections of the physical book all while having the most common rules you personally look up bookmarked and ready for any editing emergency helps personalize the learning process. Figuring out how to navigate the AP Stylebook in a way that works for you makes it much easier to grasp the concepts presented.
4. Encourage Peer Editing
If you’re not already having your students edit each other’s work, it’s a great way to take a load off of your shoulders while giving them the opportunity to put their editing skills into action!
Chances are, you have some students that don’t learn by listening to lectures or watching videos. Having students use AP Style rules in their peer editing process is a great way to ensure they grasp the content. Another bonus to this is that if your students catch mistakes in peer stories, it is likely they will catch mistakes in their own writing, making for a yearbook that is better written overall. An adviser should still give stories a final look, but ideally, you should only have to make small edits!
5. Weekly AP Style Lessons
If your staff keeps missing the same kinds of edits or seems to be struggling with a specific section of the stylebook, try implementing a weekly AP Style lesson. You can even take this a step further by letting your students take the lead. Have them sign up for topics and take a couple of minutes to teach the class and give them a practice exercise.
I remember doing a presentation on the right and wrong time to use capital letters in AP Style, and I’ve remembered those rules for years now! It’s a simple, collaborative way to make the learning process a bit more fun.
6. AP Style Tips of the Day
You can try this in a few different ways: find a unique AP Style rule to send out to your students every day via email, write it on the board, pick a new student every day to find a rule they want to present or anything else that floats your boat. No matter which method you choose, introducing daily AP Style Guide tips gives everyone a chance to apply what they’re learning and clear up confusion if you notice your students making the same editing mistakes.
You can make this more interactive by asking your staff to write an example sentence using the rule, then having a couple students read their examples out loud. As usual, this can be an individual or group activity, either way it’s a great way to get students some more practice, making AP Style more natural to them.
Offering a variety of ways for your students to learn and engage with AP Style, whether that’s through editing, practicing or teaching, is essential for grasping the rules. I find in many of my college classes that when I first learn about a topic, then demonstrate what I’ve learned in an assignment of some sorts and finally teach someone else about said topic, those lessons stick with me longer. So, if your goal is to get your students to confidently use AP Style in your classroom and beyond their yearbook days, these tips may help you out!
