ELD Rubric: Beginning CELDT Level
Domain
ELD Standard
L/S
1. Respond to simple directions and
questions by using physical actions and
other means of nonverbal communication
(e.g., matching objects, pointing to an
answer, drawing pictures).
No response; no movement
Nods and points
Matching objects, pointing to an answer;
drawing pictures with few errors
Matching objects, pointing to an answer;
drawing pictures with no errors
2. Begin to speak with a few words or
sentences by using a few standard
English grammatical forms and sounds
(e.g., single words or phrases).
No response
One or two word response
Simple phrases
Speaks in complete and detailed sentences
with correct use of grammatical forms and
sounds
3. Use common social greetings and
simple repetitive phrases independently
(e.g., “Thank you,” “You’re
welcome”).
Responds with nodding and/or gestures
Uses one or two word responses
appropriately
Uses a variety of simple repetitive phrases
independently
Engages and initiates in appropriate social
conversations
4. Ask and answer questions by using
phrases or simple sentences.
No response
Asks questions in broken English
Asks and answers questions using simple
sentences
Asks and answers questions using complex
sentences
5. Retell stories by using appropriate
gestures, expressions, and illustrative
objects.
No response
Retells stories by using one or two word
responses with few gestures and
expressions
Retells stories by using appropriate
gestures expressions, and illustrative
objects
Retells stories by using very detailed and
elaborate gestures, expressions, and
illustrative objects
6. Begin to be understood when
speaking, but usage of standard English
grammatical forms and sounds (e.g.,
plurals, simple past tense, pronouns [he
or she]) may be inconsistent.
No response or speaks in native language
Communicates using one or two words
inconsistently
Uses standard English and grammatical
forms with some inconsistency
Consistently uses standard English
grammatical forms
No response or speaks in native language
Communicates using one or two words
inconsistently
Communicates using simple sentences
Communicates using complex sentences
7. Orally communicate basic personal
needs and desires (e.g., “May I go to the
bathroom?”).
Below Standard
Approaching Standard
Meets Standard
Exceeds Standard
R
1. Recognize and produce the English
phonemes that are like the phonemes
students hear and produce in their primary
language.
2. Recognize and produce English
phonemes that are unlike the phonemes
students hear and produce in their primary
language.
3. Produce most English phonemes while
beginning to read aloud.
Cannot recognize and produce English
phonemes. Also, may not have had formal
schooling in reading in their native
language.
Cannot recognize and produce English
phonemes that are unlike their primary
language.
Able to recognize English phonemes.
Recognize and correctly pronounce most
English phonemes.
Ability to recognize and correctly
pronounce most English phonemes while
reading aloud.
Able to recognize English phonemes that
are unlike their primary language.
Recognize and correctly pronounce most
English phonemes that are unlike their
primary language.
Ability to recognize and correctly
pronounce most English that are unlike
their primary language while reading aloud.
Unable to produce English phonemes while
reading aloud.
Unable to produce simple vocabulary for
basic needs.
Able to recognize and correctly pronounce
initial, medial, and final sounds, along with
long and short vowels while reading aloud.
Able to produce short phrases to
communicate for basic needs and in
academic settings.
Pronounce most English phonemes
correctly while reading aloud.
4. Produce simple vocabulary (e.g., single
words or very short phrases) to
communicate basic needs in social and
academic settings (e.g., locations,
greetings, classroom objects).
5. Demonstrate comprehension of simple
vocabulary with an appropriate action.
Able to recognize and pronounce initial
consonant sounds when given the
corresponding letter or picture.
Able to produce single words to
communicate basic needs.
Unable to demonstrate comprehension of
simple vocabulary with an appropriate
action.
Unable to retell stories by using simple
words, phrases, and sentences.
Unable to recognize simple affixes,
prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms.
Able to demonstrate comprehension of
simple vocabulary with appropriate action
with 50% accuracy.
Able to retell stories by using simple
words.
Recognize simple affixes, prefixes,
synonyms, and antonyms with 50%
accuracy.
Able to demonstrate comprehension of
simple vocabulary with appropriate action
with 100% accuracy.
Able to retell stories by using simple
phrases and/or sentences.
Recognize simple affixes, prefixes,
synonyms, and antonyms with 100%
accuracy.
Able to demonstrate comprehension of
complex vocabulary.
Unable to interpret the meaning of
unknown words using simple affixes,
prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms.
Begin to use knowledge of simple affixes,
prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms to
interpret the meaning of unknown words
with 50% accuracy.
Begin to use knowledge of simple affixes,
prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms to
interpret the meaning of unknown words
with 100% accuracy.
Begin to use knowledge of more complex
affixes, prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms
to interpret the meaning of unknown words.
Unable to recognize the difference between
first-person and third-person points of view
in phrases or simple sentences.
Unable to respond orally to stories read
aloud and use physical actions and other
means of nonverbal communication.
Able to recognize the use of first-person
point of view in simple phrases and
sentences.
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud
and use physical actions and other means of
nonverbal communication with 50%
accuracy.
Able to recognize of the differences
between the first- and third-person points of
view in simple phrases or sentences.
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud
and use physical actions and other means of
nonverbal communication with 100%
accuracy.
Able to recognize the differences between
the first- and third-person points of view in
short passages and/or stories.
Able to respond orally to stories read
independently and use physical actions and
other means of nonverbal communication.
Unable to respond orally to stories read
aloud, giving one- to two-word responses
in answer to factual comprehension
questions (who, what, when, where, and
how).
Unable to understand and follow simple
one-step directions for classroom-related
activities.
Unable to identify the basic sequence of
events in stories read aloud, using
important words or visual representations,
such as pictures and story frames.
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud,
giving one- to two-word responses in
answer to factual comprehension questions
with 50% accuracy.
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud,
giving one- to two-word responses in
answer to factual comprehension questions
with 100% accuracy.
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud,
giving multiple sentence responses in
answer to factual comprehension questions.
Able to understand and follow simple onestep directions for classroom-related
activities with 50% accuracy.
Able to identify the basic sequence of
events in stories read aloud, using only
visual representations, such as pictures and
story frames.
Able to understand and follow simple onestep directions for classroom-related
activities with 100% accuracy.
Able to identify the basic sequence of
events in stories read aloud, using
important words or visual representations,
such as pictures and story frames.
Able to understand and follow multiplestep directions for classroom-related
activities.
Identify the basic sequence of events in
stories read independently, using important
words or visual representations, such as
pictures and story frames.
6. Retell stories by using simple words,
phrases, and sentences.
7. Recognize simple affixes (e.g.,
educate, education), prefixes (e.g., dislike,
preheat), synonyms (e.g., big, large), and
antonyms (e.g., hot, cold).
8. Begin to use knowledge of simple
affixes, prefixes, synonyms, and
antonyms to interpret the meaning of
unknown words.
9. Recognize the difference between the
use of the first- and third-person points of
view in phrases or simple sentences.
10. Respond orally to stories read aloud
and use physical actions and other means of
nonverbal communication (e.g., matching
objects, pointing to an answer, drawing
pictures).
11. Respond orally to stories read aloud,
giving one- to two-word responses in
answer to factual comprehension questions
(who, what, when, where, and how).
12. Understand and follow simple one-step
directions for classroom-related activities.
13.Identify the basic sequence of events in
stories read aloud, using important words
or visual representations, such as pictures
and story frames.
Able to produce complete sentences to
communicate in academic/social settings.
Able to retell stories by using more
complex sentences and adding main ideas.
Able to recognize more complex affixes,
prefixes, synonyms, and antonyms.
W
14. Respond orally to stories read aloud,
using phrases or simple sentences to
answer factual comprehension questions.
1. Copy the alphabet legibly.
Unable to respond orally to stories read
aloud, using phrases or simple sentences to
answer factual comprehension questions.
Unable to recognize and write any letters of
the alphabet
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud,
using only short phrases to answer factual
comprehension questions.
Able to recognize and write some letters of
the alphabet.
Able to respond orally to stories read aloud,
using phrases or simple sentences to answer
factual comprehension questions.
Able to recognize and copy all letters of the
alphabet.
Able to respond orally to stories read
independently using complete sentences to
answer factual comprehension questions.
Able to recognize and copy all letters of the
alphabet with knowledge of sound symbol
relationship.
2. Copy words posted and commonly used
in the classroom (e.g., labels, number
names, days of the week).
3. Write simple sentences by using key
words commonly used in the classroom
(e.g., labels, number names, days of the
week, and months).
4. Write phrases and simple sentences that
follow English syntactical order.
Unable to copy posted & commonly used
words in the classroom.
Able to copy some words posted &
commonly used in the classroom.
Able to copy all the words posted and
commonly used in the classroom.
Able to copy words legibly and have
understanding of the meaning of commonly
used words in the classroom.
Unable to write simple, complete
sentences.
Able to sometimes write simple sentences
with key words.
Able to consistently write simple, complete
sentences with key words.
Unable to write phrases or recognize simple
sentences.
Able to write phrases and simple sentences
with some errors.
Able to write phrases & simple sentences
accurately with few errors.