What Makes Good Writing?

What Makes Good Writing?

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Before giving out the first writing assignment in a composition class, brainstorm with students on the board the elements of “good writing,” what makes something well-written. Students are likely to come up with ideas like “clear,” “stays on topic,” “gives enough examples,” “good spelling,” and so forth. After the topic has been discussed, the teacher can then hand out the rubric or grading standards for the class writing assignments as well as the first writing assignment. It is likely that many of the elements students identified as “good writing” will appear on the rubric. This is an effective activity because it helps students not only understand the rubric but also in some ways internalize it. They are more prepared to understand the standards they are writing to, having themselves identified many of the elements on the rubric, and are prepared for their first writing assignment.