|
Writing
at St. Mary's
•
If students are to build a repertoire of
writing skills, they must by nature have massed practice
opportunities to do so. If
the instructional staff have planned and articulated a measured and
spiraled set of skills to master by grade level, students have a far
greater proclivity for success.
Rubrics
•
Engaging the student in understanding how to assess his/her
writing is the first step towards intrinsic ownership.
•Establishing
school-wide rubrics ensures consistency, continuity, and
uniformity in assessment.
•Precise,
prescriptive anecdotes for specific skill area improvement
is crucial to success.
•
The following chart reflects both
the content and mechanics of writing expectations.
|
WRITING AT ST. MARY’S |
|
Grade Level |
Skills focus |
|
K |
Sound symbol
recognition
Beginning
sounds
Ending sounds
Capitals /
periods
Introduce sight
/ high frequency words |
|
1st |
Capitals /
periods
Beginning /
middle / end
Complete
sentences
Use of graphic
organizers
Apply sight /
high frequency words
Nouns / verbs
Paragraphs |
|
2nd |
Capitals /
ending punctuation
Complete
sentences
Details…
- Details on
graphic organizers into sentences
- Abbrev
ideas on graphic organizers
Adjectives
Visualization
Poetry – Haiku
& Acrostic
Sequencing –
flow
Friendly
letters
Paragraphs |
|
3rd
|
Paragraphs
Good basics –
use of app. Sentence structure
Simple subject
/ predicate – to more complex
Expository…
-
structuring paragraphs
- sentence
structure
- details
- creative
flow
Poetry…
introduce couplets, cinquains,
diamantes, Haiku
Later in the
year…
Friendly letter |
|
4th
4th
|
Mechanics…
-
grammar, punctuation
-
complete sentences
Good paragraph development
-
topic sentences
-
use of graphic organizers
-
details
Language
-
descriptive
-
figurative / analogies
-
adjectives /adverbs
-
concluding sentences
-
use of thesaurus
Friendly letters
Poetry – cinquains, limericks |
|
5th
|
Descriptive,
sensory writing
Details
Simple
paragraphs at first
Organizing
ideas
Fact vs.
opinion
Factual
writing…
- eliciting facts from
research
- organizing sequence
- note taking / highlighting
Later in the
year…
-
transitional sentences
-
multi-paragraph essays & short stories
-
narrative,
persuasive, expressive writing
poetry
Elements of
Character, setting, plot
1st
& 3rd person
Letters –
friendly & business |
|
6th |
Imaginative /
Narrative
Descriptive
Practical /
Informative
Compare /
Contrast
Topic sentence
/ clincher
Sufficient
relevant details
Transitional
words
Varied sentence
beginnings
Varied sentence
types (.?!)
Adjectives
Figurative
language
Complete
sentences
All capitals
Commas separating words in a series, with transitional words and in
compound sentences
Quotations
Develop thesis
statements
Mini research
project |
|
7th |
Imaginative /
Narrative
Practical /
Informative
Analytical /
Expository
Complete
paragraph (topic sentence, details, clincher) i.e. open response
Four – six
paragraph essay (introduction, supporting paragraphs, strong
conclusion)
Transitional
words
Sentence
variety (varied beginnings, lengths and types)
Point of view
(first and
third person)
Vivid verbs
Research
project
Clear thesis
statement |
|
8th |
Practical /
Informative
Analytical /
Expository
Complete
paragraph (topic sentence, details, clincher)
Clear thesis
statement
Four to six
paragraph essay (introduction, supporting paragraphs, strong
conclusion)
Transitional
words
Interesting,
attention getting introductions
Sentence
variety (varied beginnings, lengths and types)
All punctuation
Research
project |
INSTRUCTIONAL TIMING:
Students should have some automaticity w/ paragraph components BEFORE
moving on to longer essays.
Types of
writing:
1-8 –
instructional / structured – EXPOSITORY
3-8 –
NARRATIVE
4-8
INFORMATIVE / PERSUASIVE
K-8 SENTENCE
STRUCTURE
2-3 –
PARAGRAPHS ONLY
4-5 MULTI
PARAGRAPH (moving toward essays)
4-8 -
OUTLINING / NOTE TAKING
RUBRICS
The rubrics used at St. Mary's are below.
KINDERGARTEN
WRITING RUBRIC
|
|
MECHANICS |
CONTENT |
|
1 |
Scribble writing |
Uses
pictures or symbols to express ideas
|
|
2 |
An
awareness of letter formation increases |
Attaches labels to their pictures using random letters
|
|
3 |
Experimenting with beginning and ending sounds
Experimenting with punctuation
Letter
formation improves |
Statement is expressed in a word or phrase attached to a picture |
|
4 |
Writes
sight words
Uses
spacing,
inventive spelling
and
some punctuation |
Makes
a statement w/ some description and length
i.e.
This is a cat. |
1st
GRADE WRITING RUBRIC
|
|
MECHANICS |
CONTENT |
|
1 |
No
spacing
Not
written on the line
Initial & final sounds |
Thought is expressed in a word or phrase
May
include a picture
(i.e.)
A car. |
|
2 |
Spacing inadequate
Lacks
capitals or periods
Words
include vowels w/ beginning and ending sounds |
Sample
is expressed in complete sentences
May
include a picture (i.e.) This is a car. |
|
3 |
Capitalization & periods
Spacing between words
Use of
lower case
Appropriate spelling |
Sample
is expressed w/ details
(in a
sentence)
May
include a picture
(i.e.)
This is a red car that drives fast. |
|
4 |
Capitals, periods, question marks
Appropriate spacing
Complete thoughts
|
Thought is expressed in a group of sentences.
Sentences include many details. |
2ND
GRADE WRITING RUBRIC
|
|
MECHANICS |
CONTENT |
|
1 |
Incorrect capitals & punctuation
Phrases difficult to understand |
Story
contains:
No
clear ending
Minimal details
Inappropriate sequencing |
|
2 |
Some
capitals & punctuation
Some
correct spelling |
Story
contains:
A
beginning and end
Some
sequencing
Who,
what, when |
|
3 |
Mostly
correct spelling & punctuation
Complete sentences |
Story
contains:
A
clear beginning, middle & end
Sequencing
Who,
what when where & (some) why |
|
4 |
Correct spelling & punctuation
Complete sentences
|
Story
contains:
Clear
beginning, middle & end
Sequencing
Details & descriptive vocabulary
Story
may contain a problem that is resolved |
3rd - 8th
GRADE RUBRIC
IDEA / TOPIC DEVELOPMENT
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Little
development |
Limited development |
Some
development |
Moderate development |
Well
developed |
Rich
development |
|
List
of ideas |
Very
few details |
Has a
beginning, middle end |
Good
details |
Logical organization |
Careful organization |
|
No
details |
Not
well organized |
Basic
supporting details |
Variety of language |
Strong
details |
Effective language |
|
Not
aware of reader |
Not
aware of audience |
Simple
vocabulary |
Personality |
Takes
a risk |
Rich
language |
|
Not
organized |
|
A
little boring |
|
Varied
language |
Wonderful |
|
|
|
|
|
Some
metaphors etc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Very
enjoyable |
|
STANDARD ENGLISH CONVENTIONS
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Serious errors |
Too
many errors |
Easy
to understand |
Excellent sentences |
|
Not
sentences |
Hard
to understand |
Few
errors |
Few
grammatical errors |
|
Poor
grammar |
Poor
spelling |
Good
sentence structure |
Varied
punctuation |
|
Poor
punctuation |
Poor
grammar |
Good
spelling |
Appropriate spelling |
|
Poor
spelling |
|
Good
punctuation |
|
|
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