Students are often encouraged to proofread their writing by reading it aloud. Presumably, this will allow writers to correct local errors. Yet even though this strategy may be effective for native speakers, there is little empirical evidence of its benefit among second language writers. Therefore, we wondered how many errors second language…

Foreign language teachers have long been frustrated by learners' written errors. Traditional approaches to the problem--grammar instruction and error feedback--when used alone are not effective. Explicit instruction in proofreading provides a missing link. When instruction in proofreading is embedded in grammar instruction and when learners use…

Five strategies to help students select and learn relevant spelling words include: proofreading and trying to spell misspelled words correctly; choosing words from their proofreading lists that might be useful for future writing; examining useful ways to learn how to spell words; learning related words that they can already spell; and getting…

Describes ways in which students can become better editors of their own writing by discovering their own error patterns. (RS)

Examines methods for improving developmental students' proofreading skills. Discusses several theories and analogies for understanding the activity of proofreading. Suggests that educators should utilize methods that encourage students to invest time and energy in the proofreading process as it provides a meaningful and complex educational…

Investigated the impact of integrated proofreading strategy training, which combined a computer-based spelling checker and student strategies, on the proofreading of three secondary students with learning disabilities. Students showed an increase in strategy use and percentage of spelling errors corrected on controlled proofreading materials and…

Middle school students with learning disabilities were successfully taught the COPS monitoring strategy to revise and correct writing mistakes. Steps in the strategy include capitalization of appropriate letters, overall appearance of paper, punctuation used correctly, and spelling accuracy. (JDD)