Description

Level

Organization & Focus

Mechanics & Structure

Vocabulary Word Choice

Penmanship

6

Expands an idea in logical sequence. May use more than one sentence.

Beginning to utilize conventional spelling. (blends, digraphs). Attempting punctuation and capitalization. Writing more complex sentences.

Uses descriptive vocabulary.

Beginning to use upper and lower case letters. Consistently utilizes conventional letter formation.

5

Beginning to expand an idea in a logical sequence.

Consistently utilizes beginning, ending and medial sounds. May write a more complex sentence.

Beginning to use descriptive vocabulary.

Demonstrates standard letter formation. Beginning to utilize spacing between words. Writing left to right, top to bottom.

4

Picture and writing related to teacher and self-selected topic. Picture and writing are clearly separated.

Makes letter strings with phonemic awareness (beginning, ending). May write a simple sentence.

May utilize classroom print resources. One to one cor-respondence.

Demonstrates standard letter formation. Beginning to write left to right, top to bottom.

3

Picture and writing relate to teacher or self-selected topic. Beginning to utilize more than one color.

Makes letter strings without phonemic awareness. Utilizes environmental print or familiar words.

Reads own writing. Writing relates to picture. Beginning to use one to one correspondence

Beginning to approximate standard letter formation. Letters written in left to right progression.

2

Picture beginning to relate to teacher of self-selected topic.

Makes meaningful marks to tell their picture story. May label or name pictures.

Narration (or "reading" of marks) is specific to the picture.

Meaningful marks may begin anywhere on the page.

1

Picture is self-selected . Draws pictures. Utilizes one color.

Uses verbal narration to relate story with a beginning, middle, end. (no text)

Narration is on-going, often resembling a stream of consciousness.

Pictures may resemble recognizable shapes and objects.