Curriculum Leaders/NRRC Summer Writing Institute
Rubric 2012-13
Grade: 4
Subject: Writing
Narrative
Associated Writing Prompt: “The First Time”
“The Unexpected Event”
STANDARDS:
Text Types and Purposes
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types
are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of disciplinespecific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Language Standards Pre-K-5
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
b. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
c. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
d. Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
e. Form and use prepositional phrases.
f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.*
g. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).*
MA.1.h. Write legibly by hand, using either printing or cursive handwriting.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use correct capitalization.
b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
Knowledge of Language
3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.*
b. Choose punctuation for effect.*
c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group
discussion).
NARRATIVE WRITING RUBRIC
Grade 4
Trait
(4) Strong/Exceeding
Effectively develops real or imagined
(3) Meeting/Developed
 Develops real or imagined experiences
(2) Developing/Emerging
Begins to develop real or imagined
(1) Beginning/Rudimentary
 Main idea not evident
Ideas
experiences or events with descriptive
detail
Situation and introduction of a narrator
and/or characters is clearly established
and unfolds naturally
Uses carefully chosen and effective
dialogue and description to develop
experiences and events to show the
response of characters to situations
or events (topic) with descriptive detail
Situation and introduction of a narrator
and/or characters is clearly established
Correctly uses dialogue and description
to develop experiences and events to
show the response of characters to
situations
experiences or events with descriptive
words (main idea underdeveloped or
too broad)
Situation and introduction of a
narrator and/or characters is unclear
Begins to use dialogue and
description to develop experiences and
events to show the response of
characters to situations but not
effectively
Writing is unfocused and topic is not
developed
Details do not support the
development of experiences and events
or show the response of characters to
situation
•Uses interesting/creative techniques to
draw the reader into the piece (ex.
opening/lead)
•Events are carefully sequenced to
unfold naturally and a wide variety of
transitional words and phrases are used
to manage the sequence of events
•Provides a thoughtful and interesting
conclusion that follows from the
narrated experiences or events
•Uses effective techniques to draw the
reader into the piece (ex. opening/lead)
•Events are sequenced to unfold
naturally and a variety of transitional
words and phrases are used to manage
the sequence of events
•Provides a thoughtful conclusion that
follows from the narrated experiences or
events
•Attempts to use techniques to draw
the reader into the piece (ex.
opening/lead)
•Some events are sequenced to unfold
naturally and a variety of transitional
words and phrases are used to manage
the sequence of events
•Provides a conclusion but is
ineffective, too familiar, or does not
follow from the narrated experiences
or events
•Does not effectively use techniques to
draw the reader into the piece (ex.
opening/lead)
• Events are not sequenced to unfold
naturally and a very few or repetitive
transitional words and phrases are used
to manage the sequence of events
•Does not provide a conclusion
•Includes evidence of writer’s
personality and style and begs to be
read aloud
•Writer thoughtfully creates a personal
connection with the reader
•Voice is consistently appropriate for
the purpose, audience, topic, and/or
genre
•Consistently includes carefully chosen
precise words and phrases and sensory
details to convey meaning precisely
including similes and/or metaphors
•Words are consistent with audience
and purpose
•Writer avoids overused words and
includes a variety of words to convey
meaning
•Includes evidence of writer’s personality
and style
•Reader feels a personal connection with
the writer
•Voice is mostly appropriate for the
purpose, audience, topic, and/or genre
•Begins to show evidence of writer’s
personality and style
•Reader occasionally feels a
connection with the writer
•Voice is somewhat appropriate for
the purpose, audience, topic, and/or
genre
•No evidence of writer’s personality
•Reader feels no connection with the
writer
•Voice is not appropriate for the
purpose and audience
•Uses some concrete words and phrases
and sensory details to convey meaning
including similes and metaphors
•Words are mostly appropriate for
audience and purpose
•Mostly avoids overused words
•Begins to use some concrete words
and phrases and sensory details to
convey meaning including similes and
metaphors
•Some words may not be appropriate
for audience and purpose
•Includes some overused words
•Includes a limited range of words often
used incorrectly
• Words are not appropriate for
audience and purpose
•Includes many overused words
Organization
Voice
Word Choice
Fluency
Conventions
•Creatively uses variety of simple,
compound, & complex sentences
•Creatively uses a variety of sentence
types (exclamatory, interrogative,
imperative, declarative)
•Includes all complete sentences
relative to the length of the piece
•Includes many varied sentence
beginnings purposefully for effect
•Has no errors in grade level
appropriate grammar
•Has no errors in grade level
appropriate punctuation and
capitalization
•Has no errors in grade level
conventional spelling See Language 1&2
•Includes a variety of simple, compound,
& complex sentences
•Includes a variety of sentence types
(exclamatory, interrogative, imperative,
declarative)
•Includes a few incomplete sentences
relative to the length of the piece
•Includes many varied sentence
beginnings
•Has few errors in grade level
appropriate grammar
•Has few errors in grade level
appropriate punctuation and
capitalization
•Has few errors in grade level
conventional spelling See Language 1&2
•Includes some variety of simple,
compound, & complex sentences
•Includes some variety of sentence
types (exclamatory, interrogative,
imperative, declarative)
•Includes some incomplete sentences
relative to the length of the piece
•Includes some varied sentence
beginnings
•Has some errors in grade level
appropriate grammar
•Has some errors in grade level
appropriate punctuation and
capitalization
•Has some errors in grade level
conventional spelling See Language
1&2
•Includes limited use of simple,
compound, & complex sentences
•Includes limited use of sentence types
(exclamatory, interrogative, imperative,
declarative)
•Includes many incomplete sentences
relative to the length of the piece
•Includes few or no varied sentence
beginnings
•Has multiple errors in grade level
appropriate grammar
•Has multiple errors in grade level
appropriate punctuation and
capitalization
•Has multiple errors in grade level
conventional spelling See Language 1&2