Level	Organization & Focus	Mechanics & Structure	Vocabulary & Word Choice	Penmanship
6	Writes fluently and independently. Demonstrates originality. Supplies relevant, supportive details. Organizes ideas coherently and logically	Uses a variety of techniques to engage a reader (leads, ending, dialogue). Revises by adding and taking out parts. Uses many conventions of print in spelling, punctuation and grammar.	Uses patterns from literature. Begins using dialogue.	Prints legibly and spaces letters, words and sentences.
5	Conveys a clear message. Uses a logical sequence of events (beginning, middle, end) Begins to use titles.	Demonstrates sentence structure. Begins to use conventions of writing in spelling, punctuation and grammar.	Writes descriptions of people, objects, places, events using sensory details.	Prints legibly and spaces letters, words and sentences.
4	Developing fluency. Conveys a complete thought in a logical sequence.	May write simple repetitive sentences. Uses invented spelling that others can read. Spells several words correctly.	Uses more descriptive words.	Prints legibly. Uses spaces between words.
3	Text conveys meaning. Child can read it, but others may not.	Uses some beginning, middle and ending letters.	May write some familiar words. May copy words, sentences that are displayed in the classroom.	Begins to use space to separate words.
2	Conveys message through a drawing	Limited sentence structure. Uses inventive spelling.	May write some familiar words. May copy words, sentences that are displayed in the classroom.	Demonstrates letter formation. Irregular spacing.
1	Communicates central ideas using pictures.	Random letters and symbols that do not convey meaning.		Irregular letter formation. Lack of spacing.