Proofreading is the simple task of re-reading a final work to ensure that it is free of misspellings, typos, and small, often careless, grammatical errors. This is largely an individual process, made more effective by your becoming familiar with your particular strengths and weaknesses and looking specifically for those types of errors as you proofread. Start early so you can set the paper aside for a while. Trying to proofread immediately after finishing a paper is not as effective as coming to it after a day or more.
Students often read what they think they wrote instead of what is actually on the page.
Start with the assignment sheet. While this won't catch all errors, it does catch the most obvious. Read the essay from the bottom up , sentence by sentence. Reading each word starting from the bottom also helps find spelling errors. Use a sheet of paper to cover up words and sentences you haven't gotten to yet.