Enrichment · Wellbeing

Read it the way
they will read it.

An email to a teacher, a reply in a tense group chat, a text to a manager about a shift. Paste the draft, say who it is for and how you feel, and run eight quick checks. The guide counts words, capitals and exclamation marks and points out what will land badly before you send it.

Check a messageWhat you get

Messages checked

The worked example is made up: an email to a chemistry teacher, a group-chat reply and a text about a shift. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A record per message: channel, reader, planned send time, purpose, your mood, the draft, eight checks and what you did. Counts words, capitalized words and exclamation marks; flags a missing greeting or sign-off to a teacher or boss, a send after 9 pm or before 7 am to an adult at school or work, shouting, a long text, a message written while upset and an ask that is too short to be clear.
Who it is for
Middle school, high school and college students; teachers and families teaching how to write to adults at school and work.
Format
Browser guide with a saved record per message. Prints one check, all of them in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Write the draft somewhere you cannot send it by accident, then paste it here.
  2. Pick the channel, the reader and how you feel.
  3. Run the eight checks honestly.
  4. Fix what the flags point out, or wait.
  5. Mark what you did, so you can see your pattern later.

Check a message

Writing for the reader

Same channel, different readerReaderOpen withClose withSend byTeacher or professorHello and their nameThank you, your name, classSchool hoursCoach or bossHi and their nameThanks, your nameBefore 9 pmGroup chatThe pointNothing neededWhen calmFriendWhatever you usually sayWhatever fitsAny timeSame channel, different readerTeacher or professorOpen with: Hello and their nameClose with: Thank you, your name, classSend by: School hoursCoach or bossOpen with: Hi and their nameClose with: Thanks, your nameSend by: Before 9 pmGroup chatOpen with: The pointClose with: Nothing neededSend by: When calmFriendOpen with: Whatever you usually sayClose with: Whatever fitsSend by: Any time
The same words land differently depending on who reads them. The checks in the tool ask about the reader first, then the draft.

Tone does not travel

People overestimate how well their tone comes across in writing. In one set of studies, writers expected readers to catch sarcasm most of the time; readers caught it about half the time. Reading the draft aloud in the reader’s voice is the quickest fix.

Emails to adults at school

A clear email to a teacher has a greeting with their name, the ask in the first two lines, the reason in one sentence, a sign-off and your name with your class period. That is usually four or five lines.

When it is about a conflict

If a message is about something that upset you, a short “Can we talk tomorrow?” often works better than the full message. If someone online is threatening or harassing you, save screenshots and tell a trusted adult.

Sources

  1. Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., and Ng, Z.-W. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 925 to 936.
  2. Common Sense Education, Digital Citizenship Curriculum: communication and relationships lessons (commonsense.org/education).
  3. International Society for Technology in Education, ISTE Standards for Students, 2. Digital Citizen (iste.org).
  4. Purdue Online Writing Lab, Email etiquette (owl.purdue.edu).

The worked example is made up. Nothing you paste here is sent anywhere: the guide cannot send messages, and nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.