Writing Tip: Emphasize Content Rather Than Mechanics

The empahsis placed on grading a student’s paper directly reflects on how much writing they will do and on the quality of the writing they produce.  If what is being said in the paper becomes more important than the mechanics, the student will be much more willing to write and the key is to get the them to write.  Take the empahsis off of the mechanics and spend more time working on elaboration, and content.  Help by providing a good dictionary and thesaurus and discussing how the student can make their writing more interesting and understandable.  The student will feel more comfortable about writing and want to write more, which translates into a better writer.  Practice really does make a difference.