Proofreading is one of those must have skills in order to be optimally successful in school. Word study lessons involving proofreading help students learn to develop an eye for how a written word should look.
They learn to know if a word looks right when spelled out.
Using word study lessons to round out a balanced literacy program promises a much greater chance of retaining word meanings and making sense of spelling rules.
Thank goodness, literacy has moved beyond writing a list of words five times each to learn to spell. Or decoding words by simply sounding them out. Now word study makes exploring the various aspects of the English language much more meaningful and enjoyable.