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Blog Post Rubric Template

A ready-to-use, analytic blog post rubric for Student blog post (a single post or a series on a class or personal blog) (Grades 6–12 and college). Score the post as writing made for someone reading on a screen: a reader decides in seconds whether to stay, so grade the pull of the opening, one focused point, a direct voice, structure you can scan, and credit for what was borrowed. Edit it for your own assignment, print it, download it as a Word file, or share a link with your students.

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The blog post rubric

CriterionExcellent (4)Proficient (3)Developing (2)Beginning (1)
Headline & openingThe headline tells the reader something specific they will get from the post, and the first two sentences raise a question, scene, or claim that makes the reader want the next paragraph.The headline is clear but general (for example, 'My Thoughts on Recycling'), and the opening is relevant but starts with background instead of something that pulls the reader in.The headline is a label only (a topic name), and the opening announces what the post will do ('In this blog post I will talk about...') instead of starting to do it.The post has no headline, or the opening is unrelated to what follows or only repeats the assignment prompt.
One focused pointThe whole post serves one main point that can be stated in a sentence, and every section either supports it or is cut, including tempting side topics.There is a clear main point, but one section drifts to a related topic that does not help the point.The post covers a topic rather than making a point: several loosely related paragraphs, and the reader could not say what the main idea is.There is no identifiable point, or the post jumps between unrelated subjects.
Voice for an online readerSpeaks directly to a specific reader with a consistent tone, uses 'you' or a personal example where it helps, and keeps sentences short enough to read aloud without running out of breath; spelling and grammar are still clean.The tone is readable and mostly personal, but a few paragraphs slip back into formal essay language or one section loses the reader by running long.The tone is uneven: stiff essay phrasing in most paragraphs, or casual slang that makes the point hard to follow, with no clear sense of who the reader is.The writing has no consistent voice, or it is copied text or notes that were never turned into sentences for a reader.
Scannable structureParagraphs are 2 to 4 sentences, subheadings say what each section actually claims (not just 'Introduction'), and any list or image is placed where it helps the point.Paragraphs are mostly short and there are subheadings, but they are generic labels or one long paragraph remains.The post is a few very long paragraphs with no subheadings, or it is broken into one-sentence paragraphs that do not build on each other.One block of text, or elements (images, lists, headings) added at random with no link to the content.
Sources, links & original takeFacts, quotes, and images are credited with a working link or a named source, at least two sources are used, and the student adds an original angle, example, or opinion that is not in the sources.Sources are credited and links work, but the post mostly restates the sources with only a sentence or two of the student's own view.Some facts or images have no credit, or links are broken, and the post reads as a summary of the sources with no view of the student's own.No sources are named for facts or quotes, images are used without credit, or large parts are copied from another page.

Four levels — Excellent (4) to Beginning (1). Print this page, or open it in the editor to change the wording, levels, or points.

How to use this rubric

A blog post is not a five-paragraph essay pasted onto a website. It is short, written for someone reading on a screen who can leave at any moment, and it usually makes one point rather than covering a topic. A standard essay rubric misses most of that. This rubric grades what makes a blog post work: a specific headline and an opening that earns the next paragraph, one focused point, a voice aimed at a real reader, a layout that can be scanned, and credit for whatever was borrowed, with room for the student's own view.

Why these criteria

Each row targets something the assignment is really teaching, with descriptors written to be observable rather than vague:

Headline & opening
Online, most readers leave within a few lines. A specific headline and a strong first two sentences are what decide whether the rest of the post gets read.
One focused point
A blog post is short, so it can carry one idea well. Posts that try to cover a whole topic end up with nothing the reader remembers.
Voice for an online reader
Blog writing sits between a school essay and a conversation. This row checks that the student writes to a reader instead of at a teacher, without slipping into careless text-message style.
Scannable structure
People scan posts before they read them. Subheadings, short paragraphs, and lists let a reader find the part they need, and they show whether the student planned the order of ideas.
Sources, links & original take
Blogging is public, so borrowed facts, quotes, and images need credit. Rewarding a student's own angle also keeps the post from becoming a summary of other people's pages.

How to adapt it

Frequently asked questions

How is a blog post rubric different from an essay rubric?
An essay is written for a teacher who will read every line, so a thesis and five paragraphs are enough. A blog post is written for a reader who may stop after the headline, so this rubric adds rows for the opening, voice, and scannable structure, and it shrinks the emphasis on formal thesis structure. For an argument with a formal thesis, use the Essay Rubric instead.
How is this different from the op-ed rubric?
An op-ed is a persuasive piece tied to a news hook and expected to answer the other side. A blog post can be personal, explanatory, or opinion, and it is graded on how it reads on a screen. If the assignment is specifically an opinion piece for publication, the Op-Ed Rubric fits better.
How long should a student blog post be?
Set a range in the assignment, commonly 300 to 600 words for grades 6–9 and 500 to 800 for older students. Length is not one of the five rows, because a 400-word post with one clear point should outscore a 900-word post that wanders.
Should I grade the design of the blog itself?
Not in this rubric. The rows grade the post's writing and structure, not the theme or platform. If you also want the site graded, pair this with the Website Project Rubric and score them separately.

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