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Early Learning & Child Care

Resources for students in the Early Learning and Child Care certificate and diploma program.

running start

  • Read your assignment carefully to understand the requirements
  • Highlight the topic guidelines given, required length, and types of information sources allowed
  • Check out FIRST STEPS in the Learn to Research Guide
  • Remember, at any time during the research process you are welcome to ask for help!  Please visit the library desk with your questions, or click on the HELP tab to contact us online.

concept map

  • Remember that your paper must answer the research question that you ask.mapping
  • Examine your topic in detail, ask yourself "who?" "what?" "where?" "when?" "why?"
  • Is your question too broad, too narrow, or just right?
  • Learn the steps for turning your topic into a research question by visiting QUESTION in the Learn to Research Guide

searching using computer

checklist

  • Once you have gathered sources of information, it's important to evaluate their quality.
  • Is the information you want to use credible? Is it relevant to your assignment?
  • Check out USE in the Learn to Research guide

 

 If you want to check your writing for errors, keep these tips in mind:

Plan ahead

  • Plan to spend about 20% of your time revising and 20% of your time proofreading.

Print it out

  • Having a written copy of your writing is easier to read through, and you can keep track of your revisions.

Rest your eyes

  • Take a break from your writing for at least 30 minutes. Looking at your writing with "fresh eyes" can help you relax and catch more of your own errors.

Read more than once

  • Read through your paper several times, focusing on only a few issues at a time. You will be more thorough and will catch more errors than if you tried to check everything at once.

  • If you know that you struggle with something—paragraph transitions, for example—read through your paper once paying attention to only that issue.

Relax

  • Remember that making changes in your paper is a totally normal part of the writing process.

  • No one writes a perfect first draft!

 

Revision and Proofreading Step-by-Step

Check the content of your writing

Did I follow the assignment instructions?

Are all of my claims accurate?

Do I have a clear argument?

Check the structure of your writing

Are my introduction and conclusion clear and appropriate for my assignment?

Do I have a clear, defendable, and relevant thesis statement?

Are my sections in a logical order?

Check your paragraph structure

Are my paragraphs in a logical order?

Does each paragraph relate to my thesis statement?

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence?

Do I use transitions effectively to create a sense of flow?

Check the clarity and style of your writing

Have I used an appropriate tone?

Have I used gender-neutral language?

Have I avoided passive voice?

Do I have any unnecessary or repetitive phrases?

Have I used any technical or unusual terms I should define for my reader?

Do my word choices make sense?

Check your citations

Have I cited all of the sources I used?

Are my paraphrases and summaries in my own words and not copied from the author?

Have I provided correct in-text citations in APA or MLA style every time I use another person's ideas or words?

Is my Reference or Works Cited page formatted properly?

Proofread your writing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors

Do I have the proper prepositions for my verbs?

Have I used "a," "an," and "the" correctly?

Do my subjects and verbs agree?

Is it clear what each pronoun refers to?

Do I have parallel structure in my sentences?

Are all of my verbs in the appropriate tense?

Do all of my sentences have a subject and a verb?

Do any of my sentences contain more than one independent clause?

Have I used punctuation correctly?

 

Many people find that when they read their own writing, they miss their errors. Read and Write is a program that can help you spot your own errors and develop your writing skills at the same time.

Read and Write can read your writing aloud to you, which helps many people find errors in their writing. It can also help you identify correctly spelled but misused words and help you develop a vocabulary list, among other things.

The best part is that all computers on NorQuest College's downtown Edmonton campus have Read & Write installed, and all NorQuest students can get a copy to use on their own computer for free!

If you'd like more information, or would like to access your free copy of Read & Write, log in to Moodle for instructions!

Other Online and Desktop Grammar Checkers

Hemingway makes your writing bold and clear. It's like a spellchecker, but for style. It makes sure that your reader will focus on your message, not your prose. There is an online-only version and a paid version for your personal computer.

ProWriting Aid includes a grammar checker but also goes way beyond grammar checking to help you improve the style and clarity of your writing. The editing tool analyzes your text and highlights a variety of key writing issues, such as overused words, sentence structure, punctuation issues, repeated phrases, consistency, dialogue, pacing and readability. It helps you learn as you edit, making you a stronger writer.

WhiteSmoke is a paid software suite for your personal computer. It will check your papers for grammar, spelling, style, and punctuation. Additionally, it includes templates (email and document), an internal translator, and English writing tutorials. This software comes with either a yearly or 3 year subscription and works on a wide variety of platforms and programs.

Slick Write is a free online-only application that makes it easy to check your writing for grammar errors, potential stylistic mistakes, and other features of interest.

Ginger Software Grammar Check will help you correct common mistakes in your paper such as subject-verb agreement, use of singular and plural nouns, misused words, and spelling.  Type in a sentence, click "Ginger it!" and see what recommended changes come up.  Also available as a Google Chrome extension.

1Checker is an ideal writing enhancement tool set with spelling check, grammar check, style review, vocabulary enrichment, dictionary, translation and more this-is-exactly-what-I-want benefits are all packed in one. Powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies, 1Checker helps you write better English.

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