Kindergarten Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric
Focus/Information
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2: Use combinations of
drawing, dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply
some information about topics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2: Use combinations of
drawing, dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply
some information about topics.
Development with Support/Evidence
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2: Use combinations of
drawing, dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply
some information about topics.
Language—Conventions of Grammar and
Usage
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.1: Demonstrate command
of conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.1a: Print many upper- and
lowercase letters.
Language—Conventions of Capitalization,
Punctuation, and Spelling
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2: Demonstrate command
of conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2a: Capitalize first word in
sentences and the pronoun “I.”
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2b: Recognize and name
end punctuation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2c: Write a letter or
letters for most consonant and short vowel
sounds (phonemes).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2d: Spell simple words
phonetically, drawing on knowledge of soundletter relationships.
Denver Public Schools/Adapted from EGUSD
0 (No Score): No response or copies directly from text(s).
Organization
Not Yet
Approaches
Meets
Advanced
1 (Not Meeting)
2 (Approaching)
3 (Effective)
4 (Distinguished)
Responds with few or no statements,
phrases, and/or drawings related to
prompt.
Responds with most statements,
phrases, and/or drawings related to
prompt.
Responds with all statements, phrases,
and/or drawings related to prompt.
Responds with all statements related to
prompt.
Identifies topic only in drawing(s) or not
at all.
Identifies topic about which he or she is
writing in student-dictated phrases or
sentences.
Identifies topic about which he or she is
writing.
Identifies topic in introductory
sentence.
Does not supply information about
topic.
Attempts to supply some information
but may be unrelated to topic.
Supplies some information about topic.
Supplies some facts about topic.
Prints few upper- and lowercase letters
correctly.
Prints some upper- and lowercase
letters correctly.
Prints many upper- and lowercase
letters correctly.
Prints all upper- and lowercase letters
correctly.
Demonstrates little to no proficiency of
proper spacing between words and
word placement on the lines.
Demonstrates some proficiency of
proper spacing between words and
word placement on the lines.
Demonstrates proficiency of proper
spacing between most words and word
placement on the lines.
Demonstrates mastery of proper
spacing between all words and word
placement on the lines.
Capitalizes incorrectly with many
errors.
Does not use end punctuation.
Capitalizes correctly and consistently
with some errors: first word in
sentences and the pronoun “I.”
Capitalizes correctly and consistently
with minor errors: first word in
sentences and the pronoun “I.”
Capitalizes correctly and consistently
with no errors: first word in sentences,
“I,” and proper nouns.
Writes letters with few to no
sound/spelling, correspondence of
consonants, and short vowels.
Uses end punctuation incorrectly.
Uses end punctuation.
Uses end punctuation correctly.
Inconsistently writes letters for
consonant and short vowel sounds.
Writes letters for most consonant and
short vowel sounds.
Uses conventional spelling for words
with common spelling patterns.
Spells some simple words phonetically.
Spells simple words phonetically.
Spells irregular and/or high-frequency
words correctly.
Spells few to no simple words
phonetically.
Provides some sense of closure.
CCSS—Common Core State Standards alignment (W—Writing strand, L—Language strand)