ADHD glossary · Family perspectives
Proofreading: check the details of a nearly finished piece
Proofreading is a check of the surface details in a nearly finished piece of writing, such as spelling, punctuation, and consistency. In this practical example, we also give the reader a place to note names, dates, and links that need checking against the intended information.
General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.
It is different from deciding whether the argument or explanation works. That broader reconsideration belongs to revision. A document can have tidy punctuation and still contain an inaccurate statement, missing instruction, or unclear purpose. “Proofread” should not mean “all possible problems have been ruled out.”
Check the captions in an invented comic
A child has written a short comic about an imaginary explorer named Miro. Before making a copy for a grandparent, they ask a parent to check the captions, but not redraw the pictures or change the story. They agree to look at character names, punctuation, and the page references in a small contents list.
One caption says “Milo.” The parent asks whether this is another character; the child says it is a typing mistake and changes it to “Miro.” They also find that the contents list still points to page four after a picture moved to page five. They inspect the actual pages rather than assuming the earlier list is current.
The child's unusual invented place names remain unchanged. A helper's unfamiliarity with a word is not enough to decide that the author made an error. This ordinary creative-writing check is not a checklist for legal documents, medical instructions, or other material that needs specialized review.
Use a short final-pass card
Which version am I checking?
Names and labels checked against:
Dates, times, and places checked against:
Spelling or punctuation changes:
Links or contact details I actually tested:
Something I could not verify:
Has the draft changed since this pass?
Do not mark a link tested because it looks plausible. If checking it is outside what you can do, keep that uncertainty visible for the person responsible for sending the piece.
Agree what the helper is doing
A child can ask an adult to check spelling without giving permission to replace the child's wording. A teen can choose whether to read aloud, read silently, or use another available method. An adult writer can ask a partner to inspect dates while retaining responsibility for the message itself.
If a helper notices a larger problem, describe it separately: “I cannot tell why the explorer leaves” is a content question, not merely a punctuation correction. The author can decide whether to reopen revision before continuing the surface check.
Avoid a false all-clear
This optional pass does not guarantee that every error will be found, and it does not test a person's attention or ability. If the text is edited afterward, affected details may need checking again. Keep the completed version recognizable so an older attachment is not accidentally used instead.
The goal is to state what was actually checked, not attach an unlimited promise to the word “proofread.”
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Updates and corrections
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