Students can benefit in several ways from rewriting and correcting their own work. Students learn to work more independently and to take more responsibility for their work, just like they will need to do in high school and college. They can also learn important coping skills such as persistence, learning from mistakes, and dealing with setbacks. They also can correct the academic weak areas and make sure they are solidly grounded in the basic skills they will need to build on in high school.
The middle school years are an important transition between elementary school and high school. In elementary school, parents and teachers take most of the responsibility for making sure children are doing their homework, understanding new concepts and mastering new skills. In high school, students must increasingly take responsibility for and keep track of their own work. During the middle school years, students need to make this transition by gradually taking on more responsibility for understanding and keeping track of their own assignments, turning them in on time, and asking for help or clarification when they don't understand something. When middle school students are expected to redo their own work until it meets the required standard, they build a bridge between elementary school, where not doing something correctly the first time often means a parent or teacher will help "fix" it, and high school, where not doing something correctly the first time often means a failing grade.
Students who don't know how to handle failure, overcome setbacks and stick with something they can't master quickly might have trouble adapting successfully in high school, college and the workplace. Sticking with something difficult until it's done correctly can prove to be a vital skill in both school and life. By rewriting their assignments, middle school students can learn that not succeeding the first time you try is normal, and that persistence and patience pay off. Students build confidence and resilience not by developing an inflated opinion of their own abilities, but by learning coping skills and persistence.
Students who enter high school without having grasped the concepts they should have learned in previous grades face a disadvantage and are set up to struggle with the faster pace of higher level classes. Having middle school students rewrite and correct their work can prevent many of these struggles. In rewriting their assignments as needed, students review and practice the skills they are weak in. They also learn that going on to new material without mastering the old is usually a mistake, and that paying attention the first time, asking questions, getting help, practicing and reviewing independently will be important.