1st Grade CCSS Opinion Writing Rubric
Focus:
Score Explanatory/Informative
CCSS W.2
Responds skillfully with all
statements related to the
prompt
Demonstrates a strong
understanding of topic/text
Organization and
Support
CCSS W.2
Conventions of
Grammar and Usage
CCSS: L.1b,c and j
Organizes ideas and
information into
paragraph structure
using a clear topic
sentence, facts, and
definitions, and
concluding sentence
Uses common, proper,
possessive, and collective
nouns correctly
Uses inking words to
connect ideas
Produces, expands and
rearranges simple and
compound sentences
Uses verb tenses and
plural nouns correctly,
including irregular forms
4
Develops the topic
skillfully with facts and
definitions
Conventions of
Punctuation,
Capitalization, and
Spelling CCSS: L.2a-e
Capitalize first word in a
sentence, “I”, proper nouns,
and titles correctly; no
misuse of capitalization
Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
correctly all the time
Applies conventional
spelling for words with
common spelling patterns
and irregular sight words
Spells with learned spelling
patterns untaught words.
Responds with all
statement related to the
prompt
3
Demonstrates an
understanding of the
topic/text
Organizes ideas and
information into
paragraph structure
using a clear topic
sentence, facts, and a
sense of closure
Develops the topic with
facts
Uses common, proper,
and possessive, nouns
correctly
Uses singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching
verbs.
Produces correct
simple and compound
sentences
Capitalize first word in a
sentence, “I”, proper nouns
correctly; no misuse of
capitalization
Uses commas in a series and
with a conjunction correctly;
uses end punctuation
correctly
Applies conventional
spelling for words with
common spelling patterns
and frequently occurring
irregular verbs
Spells untaught words
phonetically
Focus:
Score Explanatory/Informative
CCSS W.1
Responds with most
statements, related to the
prompt
2
Demonstrates a basic
understanding of the
topic/text
Responds with some
statements related to the
prompt
Demonstrates little
understanding of the
topic/text
1
0
Organization and
Support
CCSS W.1
Conventions of
Grammar and Usage
CCSS: L.1b,c and j
Organizes ideas and
information into an
incomplete paragraph
structure using a clear
topic sentence, facts, and
a sense of closure
Uses common, proper,
and possessive, nouns
correctly
Develops the topic with
limited facts
Produces mostly correct
simple and compound
sentences
Organizes ideas and
information into an
incomplete paragraph
structure (e.g. missing
sense of closure
Develops the topic with
few limited facts
Responds with no
statements related to the
prompt
Organizes with no
evidence of paragraph
structure
Demonstrates no
understanding of the
topic/text
Uses few to no facts
Uses some singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching verbs.
Uses few common,
proper, and possessive,
nouns correctly
Uses few singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching verbs.
Produces mostly
incorrect simple and
compound sentences
Does not use common,
proper, and possessive,
nouns correctly
Uses no singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching verbs.
Produces incorrect
simple and compound
sentences
Conventions of
Punctuation,
Capitalization, and
Spelling CCSS: L.2a-e
Capitalizes first word in a
sentence, “I”, and some
proper nouns correctly; some
misuse of capitalization
Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
correctly some of the time
Applies conventional spelling
for most consonant and
short vowel sounds
Spells simple words
phonetically
Does not capitalize first word
in a sentence, “I”, and some
misuses proper nouns
correctly; misuse of
capitalization
Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
correctly infrequently
Infrequently applies
conventional spelling for
most consonant and short
vowel sounds
Misspells simple words
phonetically
Does not capitalize first word
in a sentence, “I”, and
frequently misuses proper
nouns correctly; misuse of
capitalization
Does not use commas,
apostrophes, and end
punctuation correctly
Does not apply conventional
spelling for most consonant
and short vowel sounds
Does not spell simple words
phonetically
1st Grade CCSS Opinion Writing Rubric
Score
Focus: Opinion
CCSS W.1
Organization and
Support
CCSS W.1
Conventions of
Grammar and Usage
CCSS: L.1b,c and j
Responds skillfully with
all statements related to
the prompt
Introduces the title of the
text and states a strong
opinion
Uses common, proper,
possessive, and collective
nouns correctly
States an opinion that
demonstrates a deep
understanding of a
literary work
Supplies multiple reasons
to support the opinion
Uses verb tenses and
plural nouns correctly,
including irregular forms
4
Provides a concluding
statement.
Uses linking word(s) to
connect opinion and
reasons
Produces, expands and
rearranges simple and
compound sentences
Supports opinion(s) with
facts and details about the
text
Responds with all
statements related to
the prompt
3
States an opinion that
demonstrates an
understanding of a
literary work
Introduces the title of the
text and states a clear
opinion
Supplies a reason to
support the opinion
Provides some sense of
closure
Supports opinion with a
reason from the text
Conventions of
Punctuation,
Capitalization, and
Spelling CCSS: L.2a-e
Capitalize first word in a
sentence, “I”, proper nouns,
and titles correctly; no
misuse of capitalization
Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
correctly all the time
Applies conventional
spelling for words with
common spelling patterns
and irregular sight words
Spells with learned spelling
patterns untaught words.
Uses common, proper,
and possessive, nouns
correctly
Uses singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching
verbs.
Produces correct
simple and compound
sentences
Capitalize first word in a
sentence, “I”, proper nouns
correctly; no misuse of
capitalization
Uses commas in a series and
with a conjunction correctly;
uses end punctuation
correctly
Applies conventional
spelling for words with
common spelling patterns
and frequently occurring
irregular verbs
Spells untaught words
phonetically
Score
2
Focus: Opinion
CCSS W.1
Organization and
Support
CCSS W.1
Conventions of
Grammar and Usage
CCSS: L.1b,c and j
Responds with most
statements related to
the prompt
Introduces the title of the
text and states an unclear
opinion
Uses common, proper,
and possessive, nouns
correctly
States an opinion that
demonstrates limited
understanding of
literary work
Supplies a reason that does
not support the opinion
Uses some singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching verbs.
Attempts some sense of
closure
Supports opinion with
inaccurate or irrelevant
reason
Produces mostly correct
simple and compound
sentences
Responds with few
statements related to
the prompt
Does not introduce the title
of the book and opinion is
limited
Uses few common,
proper, and possessive,
nouns correctly
Demonstrates little
understanding of the
literary work
Supplies a limited reason
that does not support the
opinion
Uses few singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching verbs.
A limited attempt to
provide some sense of
closure
Produces mostly
incorrect simple and
compound sentences
1
Supports opinion
inaccurately
0
Responds with no
statements related to
the prompt
Does not introduce the title
of the book and opinion is
missing
Demonstrates no
understanding of the
literary work
Does not support an
opinion
Does not use common,
proper, and possessive,
nouns correctly
Uses no singular and
plural nouns with
correctly matching verbs.
Does not provide a sense of Produces incorrect
closure
simple and compound
sentences
Conventions of
Punctuation,
Capitalization, and
Spelling CCSS: L.2a-e
Capitalizes first word in a
sentence, “I”, and some
proper nouns correctly; some
misuse of capitalization
Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
correctly some of the time
Applies conventional spelling
for most consonant and
short vowel sounds
Spells simple words
phonetically
Does not capitalize first word
in a sentence, “I”, and some
misuses proper nouns
correctly; misuse of
capitalization
Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
correctly infrequently
Infrequently applies
conventional spelling for
most consonant and short
vowel sounds
Misspells simple words
phonetically
Does not capitalize first word
in a sentence, “I”, and
frequently misuses proper
nouns correctly; misuse of
capitalization
Does not use commas,
apostrophes, and end
punctuation correctly
Does not apply conventional
spelling for most consonant
and short vowel sounds
Does not spell simple words
phonetically