On days when students have writing due, such as a paragraph or an essay, have them exchange work with a peer. They are then asked to read and respond to their peers’ writing. The distinction between responding and editing is important: students should not be required to correct a peer’s work, which they rightly don’t feel comfortable doing. However, they can respond as readers: ask them to first read and then talk to their partner about how clear and organized the writing seemed to them, as a reader, as well as discuss with their peers one thing they really liked about their writing and one area where improvement seems needed.
This activity works because it gets students used to writing for an audience who reads for meaning, not necessarily correctness, and gets them used to being clear for that audience. It also helps students in reading analytically and thinking about what works and doesn’t work in their essays.