Lesson Plan Title : Proofreading Practice

Age Range: Grade 9 through grade 12 (High School Level)

Overview and Purpose : Using a spell check program is a great way to catch most mistakes, but there is one mistake that almost all programs will not catch - that is using a word that sounds the same, but is spelled differently. Students need to make sure when they are proofreading their papers that they are looking for these words.

Objective: The student will be able to find all the words that sound the same as the word that was meant, but are spelled differently.

Resources:

Teacher created story that has several words in it that homophones of the intended word

Activities:

Explain to students that it is important to proofread their work and not rely solely on a spell check program. Tell them that computer programs often overlook words that sound alike but are spelled differently (homophones). Ask the students to name several pairs or sets of homophones.

Pass out the sample page that you have created and give students time to find as many of the incorrect words as they can. Review the page as a group and discuss any of the more difficult words.

Closure:

For homework, have students research the most common words that are missed by spell check programs. Compile a list as a class and post it on the wall. Encourage students to use it as a reference when they are writing and proofreading.