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Expert Q & A

Top : School and Academics : How can I get my 11-year-old to slow down and start proofreading her work?

Preteenagers Today's Health Advisory Panel Answers:
How can I get my 11-year-old to slow down and start proofreading her work?
By Chris Crutcher
Author
Licensed Child and Family Therapist
 		Chris Crutcher

Question:


My 11-year-old daughter has a bad work habit. She has a lot to say and write, but she does not proofread any of her work and makes silly mistakes. She rushes everything, including talking and eating. How can I get her to slow down and to start proofreading her work? She will be starting junior high school next year and needs this corrected.

Answer:


Actually, that's what grades are for. Probably she needs to hurry through, get the grades that come with that and then correct it. It's a job for the teacher as much as it is a job for you. If the teacher leads with it, tells her what is wrong and how to fix it, you can then come in and help.

I'll get a lot of heat for this, but I'll say it anyway. I'd proofread her stuff for her at first and then gradually turn the job over to her. We look at it and think it's easy, but when they're learning how to do it, it's tougher than we remember. She may be a kid with a short attention span that needs to be lengthened, and the best way to do that is gradually.

Don't get into power struggles with her over it. Always be there to help, and be willing for her to get the grades she gets when she doesn't do it. Learning how to do things like proofread is best in a non-hostile, non-judgmental climate. You'll need as much patience for this one as she will.

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