Whyshould i proofred? Look quickly at the two items on this slide. What did you notice about the “Keep Calm and Proofread” sign at left? Be honest … did you notice that it said “Keep Clam” … and NOT “Keep Calm”? Your mind auto-corrects for what it EXPECTS to see! And did you notice the missing word in the T-shirt? When you say it aloud, you realize that the word “LEFT” was left out! That is why it so important that we learn to proofread for mistakes.

Whyshould i proofred? The following photos are examples of why it is important that all need to learn how to proofread our work, both in school and in the real world. Not knowing how to proofread: * Can earn you bad grades * Can get you laughed at * AND can get you fired. See if you can catch what is wrong with each of these real items, some collected from around the nation and world by Mr. Braam, and many collected by Mr. Braam's students right here in Fairfield and Greater Cincinnati.

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred?

Whyshould i proofred? Your teacher reads your essay. Finding several careless errors, he marks you down one full grade. A potential client reads the business letter you've sent, notices several errors, and decides that you don't sound very professional. He takes his business elsewhere. An employment interviewer reads the note you sent to thank her for the job interview. She is impressed with your manners. But she notices several mistakes in the note and wonders if she should hire someone else.

Whyshould i proofred? Let’s review how we learn:  Tamika learns best when she can read the information she's studying over and over. She remembers things she sees better than information she hears.   Tamika is a visual learner.  Jeff learns best by hearing information. Reading aloud or listening to others talk helps him learn.    Jeff is an auditory learner.  Juan learns best by doing something active. Writing things down is helpful to him. Following the words he's reading with his finger helps him concentrate.   Juan is a tactile or kinesthetic learner.  Which style of learner are you?

Whyshould i proofred? No matter which style of learning suits you best, you can use it to help you be a better proofreader! Here's how: If you are primarily a visual learner, make it a practice to scan slowly everything you've written, to avoid autocorrecting text in your brain (remember the “Keep Clam” slide). If it's a very important piece of work, such as a job application, read it over at least twice. Look at each word and be sure it's right! To check spelling, try reading the entire text BACKWARD, from the bottom up … that forces you to focus on the text one word at a time!

If you are an auditory learner, try reading your written work aloud as you proofread. Your ear will catch mistakes that your eyes will never see! Reading aloud – even if you just whisper – will help you focus your attention on your writing. Mistakes or overused words will jump into focus when you hear your work.

If you are a tactile learner, try moving your finger under the words as you read them. Again, this will help you focus your attention on each word … … particularly if you are the kind of reader who just skims a text while proofreading, no matter how hard you are trying to NOT jump from one part of the text to the next.