Reading Power Assessment Rubric
Not Meeting
Making
Connections
I don’t have any
connections to
the story.
Minimally
Meeting
I am only able to
make a quick
connection to the
story: "That reminds
me of my dog. I
have a dog too."
These connections
are often to
illustrations and are
often not connected
to the theme of the
story story. My
connections do little
to help me
understand the story
better
Meeting
Fully Meeting
Exceeding
My connections are
not all “quick” and
I’m beginning to find
connections that will
help me with the
meaning of the
story. My
connections are
detailed, but are
often re-counts of
events and do not
include feelings or
emotion.
I can make deeper
connections to my
personal experience
and use my
experience to make
the story more
meaningful. My
connections are
closely tied to the
story (BIBB) The
connections are
often attached to an
emotion: "That
reminds me of the
time I felt
embarrassed
because…"
OR - I may not be
able to identify a
direct connection but
am able to explain
an indirect
connection: "I can't
make a connection
to this book exactly
because I'm an only
child, but sometimes
my cousin and I can
get into arguments
like the brothers in
this book do."
My experiences help me
connect to the story and
make the story more
meaningful. I may even
connect to other
people's experiences or
other things I've seen or
read. (T-S, T-T, T-W). I
am also able to
articulate how the
connection I made has
helped me to
understand the story
better. ("B.I.B." - Bring
It Back to the story):
“My connection is the
feeling of being super
nervous about doing
something for the first
time. I remember when
I was pitching my first
little league game and I
was so afraid that I was
going to mess up. This
connection really helps
me understand how
nervous the character in
this book must have
been feeling when he
was performing his
dance routine for the
first time."
Reading Power GEAR For Classroom Use Only
Reading Power Assessment Rubric
Not Meeting
Questioning
I am not able to
formulate
questions
before, during
or after I’m
reading the
story.
Minimally
Meeting
I am able to
formulate some
questions while I
read, but the
questions are “quick
questions” (literal)
and often are not
related to the
context of the story:
“I wonder if dogs
like to eat pizza?”
Meeting
I am able to ask
questions before,
during and after
reading. I am
asking both “quick”
(literal) and “deep
thinking”
(inferential)
questions. Most of
my questions relate
to predictions and
content, but some
are helping me go
deeper into the
meaning of the
story. I am able to
answer a literal
question with a
statement and a
deeper thinking
question with an “I
think….”
Fully Meeting
Exceeding
I know the
difference between a
quick (literal) and a
deep thinking
(inferential) question
and am able to ask
both before, during
and after reading.
The questions I ask
are relevant to the
story and help me
learn a lot more
about the meaning.
When I answer
these deeper
questions, I am able
to clearly show my
thinking in my
answers. I am able
to explain why the
questions will help
me with my
understanding.
The questions I ask
before, during and after
reading a story help me
to think beyond the
literal interpretation and
evaluate the deeper
meaning and/or the
author’s intent. My
questions are relevant
to the story and
encourage debate and
discussion. I am able to
explain how my
questions have helped
me with my
understanding of the
story.
Reading Power GEAR For Classroom Use Only
Reading Power Assessment Rubric
Not Meeting
Visualizing
I can't tell you
what I see when
I read.
Minimally
Meeting
I am able to record
or describe one or
two images from the
text but they do little
to help me with the
meaning of the
story. My images
come from the exact
words or pictures in
the book.
Meeting
Fully Meeting
Exceeding
The words from the
text help me to
create images in
my mind. I am
able to identify
some of the
“picture words” or
phrases in the text
that helped to
develop my images.
I am beginning to
include my other
senses into my
visual images, such
as sound words or
feelings.
My images go
beyond what I see.
I am now using my
other senses to
interpret text. They
might be about
what I hear, feel,
taste and smell too.
I can tell why they
are important. I
am also able to
identify “picture
words” that helped
to develop my
images. I’m also
aware that my
personal
experiences support
my visualizing.
I understand that
visualizing helps me to
understand the story
better. I am able to
describe or sketch
images from the story
and identify those
words which helped me
develop the images. I
am using all my senses
when I visualize. I am
able to identify which
particular passages in a
text evoke images
because of the words
the author used.
Reading Power GEAR For Classroom Use Only
Reading Power Assessment Rubric
Not Meeting
Inferring
I am unable to
make inferences.
I have difficulty
understanding
anything beyond
what is included
directly in the
text.
Minimally
Meeting
I am able to think
beyond the story
by making a
prediction. “I’m
inferring that this
is what is going to
happen next.” I
have difficulty
using the clues in
the text to infer
anything other
than a prediction.
Meeting
Fully Meeting
I am able to
recognize in books
provided that
sometimes an
author does not
include everything
in the story and
that inferring is
“adding my
maybes” to the
book. Sometimes
my inferences
(“maybes”) are
connected to the
story and
sometimes they
aren’t.
I understand that
not all authors tell
you everything. I
am able to use
clues in the book
(illustrations and/or
text) PLUS my own
experiences to “fill
in” what the author
didn’t say. My
“maybes” are
relevant to the
story and show
that I am thinking
beyond the text to
find meaning. I am
also beginning to
use the word
“infer” in situations
other than reading.
Reading Power GEAR For Classroom Use Only
Exceeding
See Fully Meeting
PLUS:
I demonstrate a
strong understanding
of the concept of
inferring. I am able
to infer not only in
selected texts, but
am able to apply this
strategy to other
texts. My inferences
are strongly related
to the text, use
evidence from the
text and demonstrate
that I am thinking
beyond the story and
looking for deeper
meaning. I am also
able to infer author’s
intent. “I’m inferring
that the author
probably wanted me
to know that...”
Reading Power Assessment Rubric
Minimally
Meeting
Not Meeting
Transforming
I am not able to
include any new
thinking that I
have gained from
the story. I am
retelling the story
rather than rethinking the story.
I am able to re-tell
parts of the story
and include some
quick questions
and connections
about the story.
Meeting
Fully Meeting
I am able to use
some of my
Reading Power
strategies while I
read. I understand
the idea of a
“change in
thinking” but my
new thoughts are
not always
connected to the
story. They might
be a “new fact” as
opposed to a new
way of thinking
about something.
I am able to think
through the story
by applying the
Reading Power
strategies. I may
make a connection,
ask a question, or
make an inference.
I am also able to
identify the
strategy I’m using
by a code or by
talking about it. At
the end of the
story, I am able to
write a “thought
that is sticking.” I
understand that
this Transformed
thought is not
anything that the
author wrote
directly in the text,
but it is now
something that I’m
thinking about.
Reading Power GEAR For Classroom Use Only
Exceeding
See Fully Meeting
PLUS:
I am able to
distinguish between
the author’s story
and my own
thinking. I use my
own experiences and
the author’s story to
come up with a new
perspective or new
way of thinking
about something.
This “new thought” is
connected to the
meaning of the story
and often answers
the question: “Why
do I think the author
wrote this book?
What thought will
stay with me after I
finished reading this
book?”
I understand fully the
difference between a
“re-telling” and a “rethinking” of the
story.