This paper describes how one university professor discovered a gap between her explanation of a class assignment (analyzing a content textbook) and students' comprehension of the assignment. After attending a workshop, she revised all assignments for the content reading course and designed a grading rubric for each assignment. The assignment objectives were stated in terms directly relevant to information presented in class. Assignment procedures were enumerated and clearly stated. Each product required for the assignment was described, and a rubric that delineated each product was attached. To develop the rubric, the professor examined several models from the literature, then listed the criteria for each assignment and determined the quality levels for each part of the assignment. Students were much more comfortable with the revised version and wrote positive comments about the rubric. The professor noted an increase in student understanding of the assignment and learning from the assignment. (SM)