Kids often struggle to complete projects: they often wait until the last-minute then come to mom or dad and say, “I just remembered I need to complete and turn in a project about “global cooling” tomorrow.  Can you help me?”  To avoid late nights and help your child complete projects on time, teach them the steps outlined in this post.

Step 1: Plan and Prioritize

• Read, re-read, and understand the assignment instructions.
• Set reasonable due dates for steps 1- 6.
• Using your planner or calendar, write down the date your project is due.
• Count the number of weeks or days between the current date and the due date.
• Divide this number by six: this is the number of weeks or days between each due date.
• Record the due dates for each step on your calendar.
• Consider the purpose for the project/paper(description, cause/effect, compare/contrast, persuasion, etc.)
• Identify Your Topic: Determine what you want your project to be about.
• Use your imagination to brainstorm ideas.Make a list of ideas you think about while you are brainstorming.
• From these ideas, narrow it down to the topic you are most interested in.

Step 2: Do Your Research!

• Research sources at the library/on-line.
• Identify two more resources than you think you will need.
• Organize thoughts and supporting details (use bibliography sheets or another form of organization).

Step 3: Prepare the First Draft

• Consider using a graphic organizer or software to make sure your ideas match the purpose for your project of paper(see examples from www.inspiration.com)
• Focus on organizing your thoughts and ideas into an appropriate sequence depending on the purpose.
• Use a word bank of transition words to make your written work more interesting and descriptive.
• Focus on getting your ideas on paper without being overly concerned with spelling, grammar, and punctuation during this step.

Step 4: Revise the Draft

• Read through your project or paper aloud at least one time to help clarify your ideas.
• Read and listen to ensure that the sequence is logical and that it says what you really want it to say.
• Rearrange, reword, and modify as needed.
• Add, cut, reorder, and replace sentences and paragraphs.

Step 5: Proofread and Edit

• Carefully proofread your revised draft, rereading for errors in grammar, sentence structure, and sentence meaning.
• Examine your revised draft for errors in spelling and correct errors.
• Check punctuation and capitalization.

Step 6: Finalize the Project or Paper

• Emphasize the appearance of the written product.
• Check margins to make sure it meets the criteria outlined by your teacher.
• Review your title, title page, and bibliography for accuracy.
• Plan for several drafts if required.
• Attend to grammar, semantics, syntax, and style.

Go for it!  Turn your project in to the teacher on time!

© 2009-2011, flexiture, monte w. davenport, ph.d