Readers are Leaders

Mr Andrew Stark – Head of Libraries and Information Services

Proofreading Tips

Students of any age understand the importance of proofreading work before it is submitted. In fact, good proofreading skills are of great importance in the business world as well as at school. People create an impression of you when they read what you have written and we all want what we write to be clear, consist and correct.

So here are a six easy proofreading tips to keep in mind …

1. When reviewing your work, try to relocate from your usual work space and take your assignment to, for example, an outside location. This will enable you to have a new focus. Go to this new space for the express purpose of proofreading and ensure you take your full criteria sheet and assignment question/outline with you for reference.
2. Pretend you are a newsreader and read your assignment aloud so you can ‘hear’ what you have written. If you find you are running out of breathe before the end of a sentence then check your punctuation. If you do not quite understand what you are saying, then your reader will not understand what you have written so review your content. Reading aloud always deserves an audience!
3. At the end of each paragraph, re-read your assignment question/task and make sure you are focusing on what is required.
4. Regularly review the criteria to ensure your work is on task. Perhaps colour-code sections of your assignment so you can see which parts directly address specific requirements.
5. Ensure you do not repeat phrases or terms in the same sentence or paragraph. Use a thesaurus to discover different words which convey similar meaning.
6. Ask someone to read your assignment and seek feedback. A fresh set of eyes on your work can reveal things you may have missed.

If boys would like further assistance or advice regarding assignment work, they are encouraged to seek out library staff who are more than happy to help.

Lastly, a reminder that the next TSS and St Hilda’s Philosophy and Reading Club meeting will be held at St Hilda’s on Monday 12 June from 3.45pm to 6.15pm. Boys are required to have read a book and be prepared to present an issue from that book for the group to discuss. All boys are welcome to attend. See library staff for more details.

The Library’s tri-weekly Study Gym is an excellent time to share your work and seek feedback!