GPS WRITING CONCEPTS & SKILLS CHECKLISTS
Kindergarten
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Understands print and pictures have different purposes
Understand print represents language
Reading directionality—left to right, top to bottom
Differentiates between letters, words, sentences
Knows that sentences are made up of separate words
Knows all sentences include punctuation
Knows all sentences include capitalization
Writes/dictates to describe
Creates meaning through drawings
Creates meaning through letters
Uses phonics to create meaning
Prints name
Uses upper & lowercase letters
Writes left to right
Uses punctuation in writing
Uses capitalization in writing
First Grade
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Understands words have correct spellings
Identifies beginning and end of paragraphs
Knows sentences include punctuation
Knows sentences include capitalization
Writes text of multiple sentences
Uses writing process
Writes in first person
Addresses a topic
Tells a story
Describes an experience
Adds details to writing
Edits to make corrections
Exhibits appropriate spacing in printing
Writes in complete sentences
Uses correct subject-verb agreement
Uses singular and plural nouns
Uses personal pronouns (I, me, we, us)
Uses singular possessive pronouns
Uses different types of sentences (simple/compound and declarative/interrogative)
Uses common rules of spelling
Uses a variety of sources to gather information to write about a topic
Uses end punctuation (period, question mark)
Capitalizes initial words and proper nouns
Uses commas in a series
Second Grade
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Writes appropriate length of text
Uses organizational patterns (chronological order, similarity and difference, question/answer)
Uses transition words and phrases
Creates graphic features (charts, tables, graphs)
Uses letter writing format (date, salutation, body, closing)
Literature responses shows comprehension
Literature responses express and support an opinion
States and supports opinion in persuasive writing
Prewrites to generate ideas
Produces a draft based on prewriting
Revises
Edits
Writes legibly
Uses complete sentences
Uses nouns correctly (singular, plural, possessive)
Uses singular possessive pronouns
Uses personal pronouns
Uses complex sentence structures
Employs common spelling rules
Capitalizes appropriately
Punctuates appropriately (period, question mark, exclamation point)
Uses commas
Uses periods after abbreviations
Uses a variety of resources in research
Recognizes correct use of quotation marks
Uses a dictionary
Uses a thesaurus
Third Grade
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Sets a purpose for writing
Develops a point of view
Selects a focus for writing
Selects an appropriate organizations pattern for writing
Writes text of appropriate length
Uses organizational patterns to convey information (chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and
difference, questions and answers)
Uses structure to ensure coherence (transition words and phrases, bullets, subheadings, numbering)
Uses sensory details (strong verbs, adjectives)
Develops characters through action
Develops characters through dialogue
Uses descriptive adjectives and verbs
Communicates setting
Communicates character
Communicates plot
Includes relevant examples
Includes relevant facts
Includes relevant anecdotes
Includes relevant details
Uses a variety of resources for research
Shares information on a topic
Writes responses that demonstrate comprehension of a text
Writes responses that formulate opinions
Supports opinions
Writes a persuasive piece with a clear position
Generates ideas by prewriting
Develops a rough draft
Revises
Edits
Publishes
Identifies and uses subject/verb agreement
Identifies and uses adjectives
Identifies and uses nouns (singular, plural, possessive)
Identifies and uses contractions
Identifies and uses personal and possessive pronouns
Writes in complete and coherent sentences
Uses complex sentence structure
Distinguishes between complete and incomplete sentences
Knows when to use formal or informal language (slang, colloquialisms, idioms)
Determines the meaning of a word based on how it is used in a sentence
Uses resources (encyclopedias, Internet, books) to research a topic
Uses the dictionary
Uses a thesaurus
Uses common rules of spelling
Corrects spelling using dictionaries and other resources
Uses capitalization
Uses punctuation (end marks, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks)
Writes legibly in cursive
Spaces writing appropriately
Fourth Grade
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Selects a focus for writing
Selects an organizational structure for writing
Selects a point of view
Writes a text of appropriate length to tell a story or address a topic
Uses conventional structures (chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and difference, posing and
answering questions
Uses transition elements to ensure coherence
Develops reader interest
Establishes a plot, setting, and conflict, and/or the significance of events
Creates organizing structure
Includes sensory details
Eliminates unnecessary details and inconsistencies
Develops complex characters (actions, motivations, conversations)
Uses narrative strategies (dialogue, tension, suspense)
Provides closure
Frames a central question or issue
Includes appropriate facts
Uses a variety of resources for information (speakers, books, newspapers, online materials)
Supports judgments through references to text, other works, authors or non-print media, personal
knowledge)
Demonstrates an understanding of literary works (summarizes main idea and most significant details)
Supports facts through evidence
Acknowledges information from sources
Uses prefaces and appendices to locate information
Uses dictionary
Uses thesaurus
Uses encyclopedias
Demonstrates keyboarding skills
Demonstrates computer terminology (software, memory, disk drive, hard drive)
Plans writing independently
Drafts writing independently
Revises by adding, deleting, consolidating, and rearranging
Edits or correct spelling and punctuation errors
Recognizes subject-predicate relationships in sentences
Identifies four basic parts of speech (adjective, noun, verb, adverb)
Uses correct mechanics (end marks, comas for series, capitalization)
Uses correct usage (subject-verb agreement in simple sentences)
Uses correct sentence structure (elimination of sentence fragments)
Uses words or word parts from other language that have been adopted into English
Writes legibly in cursive
Spaces letters and words correctly
Monitors and corrects spelling using knowledge of letter sounds, word parts, word segmentation, and
syllabication
Spells most commonly used homophones correctly (there, they’re, their; two, too, to)
Uses a variety of sentence structures (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory, functional
fragments)
Uses a variety in sentence order
Uses simple and compound sentences
Fifth Grade
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Selects a focus for writing
Organizes structure
Selects a point of view
Writes text of appropriate length
Writes in chronological order
Uses cause and effect
Uses similarity and differences
Poses and answers questions
Writes coherently
Produces narrative text
Establishes a context
Develops reader interest
Establishes setting
Establishes conflict
Establishes significance of events
Includes sensory details
Includes concrete language
Excludes extraneous details and inconsistencies
Develops complex characters
Uses appropriate narrative strategies
Provides closure
Uses higher level language
Produces information writing
Creates a persona
Conveys a perspective on a subject
Includes appropriate facts and details
Uses more than on source of information
Produces response to literature
Produces an interpretative judgment
Produces an evaluative judgment
Produces a reflective judgment
Supports judgments through references
Exhibits comprehension
Produces a persuasive essay
States a clear position
Supports disposition with evidence
Addresses reader concerns
Acknowledges information from sources
Uses organizational features of printed texts to locate information (citations, end notes, bibliographic
references)
Uses reference materials to aid writing (dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, electronic information)
Uses features of texts to obtain and organize information (index, table of contents, guide words,
alphabetical/numerical order)
Demonstrates basic keyboarding skills
Demonstrates familiarity with computer terminology (software, memory, disk drive, hard drive)
Creates simple documents by using electronic media (passwords, entry and pull-down menus, word
searches, spell check, thesaurus)
Uses thesaurus to identify alternative word choices and meanings
Prewrites independently
Drafts independently
Revises to improve meaning and focus
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Revises by adding deleting, consolidating, clarifying, and rearranging words and sentences
Edits for spelling errors
Edits for punctuation errors
Identifies and uses eight basic parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction,
preposition, interjection)
Expands or reduces sentences (adding or deleting modifiers, combining sentences, revising sentences)
Identifies and uses verb phrases and verb tenses
Varies sentence structure (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory, functional fragments)
Varies sentence order
Varies sentence complexity (simple, compound, complex, and compound complex)
Identifies and uses correct mechanics (apostrophes, quotation marks, comma use in compound sentences,
paragraph indentions)
Uses correct sentence structure (elimination of sentence fragments and run-ons)
Uses correct standard English spelling (commonly used homophones)