Content

• very clear, focused and interesting
• content and details are well suited to purpose and audience
• uses rich and varied vocabulary

Content

• very clear, focused and interesting
• presents topic with an understanding of the purpose and audience
• uses a wide variety of words effectively

Content

• clear, sticks to the topic
• shows awareness of purpose and audience
• uses a variety of words that are appropriate to the topic

Content

• content somewhat understandable with some confusion
• understanding of the purpose and audience not clear
• uses limited variety of word choice

Content

• unclear; has few appropriate details
• some sense of audience and purpose inferred
• uses simple, nonspecific vocabulary

Content

• unclear and seems to have no purpose
• seems unaware of purpose and audience
• uses simple, repetitive vocabulary

Organization

• multiple paragraph text with coherent organization
• details are thoughtfully placed to strengthen message
• writes an engaging, well-developed multiple paragraph composition with introductory, supporting and concluding paragraphs

Organization

• multiple paragraph text presented in a well organized traditional structure
• details fit and build on each other
• writes an engaging, well-developed multiple paragraph composition with introductory, supporting and concluding paragraphs

Organization

• multiple paragraph text using a traditional structure to convey information such as: 1) chronological order; 2) cause and effect; 3) similarity and difference; and 4) posing and answering a question.
• details fit where they are placed
• writes a multiple paragraph composition with introductory, supporting and concluding paragraphs

Organization

• text shows limited traditional structure to convey information such as: 1) chronological order; 2) cause and effect; 3) similarity and difference; and 4) posing and answering a question.
• some details don't fit
• writes a multiple paragraph composition that lacks an introductory, supporting, or concluding paragraph

Organization

• text very weakly organized with no underlying structure
• details are confusing
• writes a composition that is a single paragraph

Organization

• text with no structural organization evident
• little or no detail
• writes a composition that lacks paragraph structure

Mechanics

• generally free from minor errors in conventions characteristic of first draft writing
• spells grade level appropriate words and many difficult words correctly
• uses a variety of simple and compound sentences that are grammatically correct

Mechanics

• clear control of conventions (may have a few errors but they do not distract)
• spells grade level appropriate words and a few difficult words correctly
• uses simple and compound sentences that are generally grammatically correct

Mechanics

• good control of convention (grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation)
• spells grade level appropriate words correctly and uses phonics to appropriate difficult words
• spells correctly roots, inflections, suffixes, and prefixes, and syllable constructions
• uses simple and compound sentences with few fragments or run-on sentences

Mechanics

• frequent errors interfere with the flow of the writing and may cause confusion
• spells some grade level appropriate words correctly, but makes some spelling errors that interfere with understanding
• uses simple sentences generally free of grammatical errors

Mechanics

• many serious problems in conventions (grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation)
• spells many grade level appropriate words incorrectly
• uses simple sentences with many grammatical errors

Mechanics

• serious and persistent errors in almost every sentence
• unreadable
• does not make sentence
• frequent spelling errors interfere with understanding
• lacks sentence structure