Sentence Fluency Rubric
Grade 1
1
- writer
composes one or
two sentences
2
- reader can read
the paper aloud
with effort, but it
is choppy with
lack of whole
sentences and
repetition
3
- piece is not
difficult to read
aloud
- a few sentences
begin in different
ways
- some sentences
are longer than
others
- text is long
enough to gain
some fluency
- writer uses
complete
sentences in most
cases
4
- at least 2
elements of a 5
paper, but could
still use revision
to strengthen the
fluency
5
- piece is very
easy to read
aloud; it has a
natural flow
- many sentences
begin in different
ways
- long and short
sentences blend,
giving the text
variety
- piece is long
enough to allow
fluency to build
- writer uses
complete
sentences
6
- all the elements
of a 5 paper
- plus, the length
provides true
fluency
- piece varies
greatly in
sentence length
with almost
every sentence
beginning
differently,
clearly
connecting ideas
Sentence Fluency Rubric
1
- piece is
difficult to read
aloud
- all sentences
begin the same
way and are
about the same
length
OR
- writer
composed just
one or two
sentences
- sentences run
together or are
not complete
2
- reader can read
the paper aloud
with effort, but it
is choppy with
lack of whole
sentences
- may include
repetition
3
4
5
- piece is not
difficult to read
aloud
- a few sentences
begin in different
ways
- some sentences
are longer than
others
- text is long
enough to gain
some fluency
- writer uses
complete
sentences in
most cases
- paper has at
least 2 elements
of a 5 paper, but
could still use
revision to
strengthen the
fluency
- piece is very
easy to read
aloud; it has a
natural flow
- many sentences
begin in different
ways
- long and short
sentences blend,
giving the text
variety
- piece is long
enough to allow
fluency to build
- writer uses
complete
sentences
Grade 2
6
- piece has all
the elements of a
5 paper, plus the
length provides
true fluency
- piece varies
greatly in
sentence length
with almost
every sentence
beginning
differently,
clearly
connecting ideas
Sentence Fluency Rubric
1
2
3
4
5
- writing is
consistently
difficult to
follow
- choppiness,
run-ons
- sentences
consistently
begin with the
same word or
phrase
- it may be hard
to tell where
sentences begin
- dialogue, if
used, is difficult
to follow
- piece is very
difficult to read
aloud, even with
rehearsal
- writing is often
difficult to
follow
- choppy
sentences, runons
- many sentences
begin the same
way
- dialogue, if
used, does not
sound natural or
like conversation
- piece is hard to
read aloud, even
with rehearsal
- writing is
sometimes easy
to read
- choppy
sentences, runons
- sentence
beginnings tend
to be alike
- dialogue, if
used, does not
flow naturally
- rehearsal is
needed before
reading this piece
aloud
- writing is easy
to read in most
places
- may have a few
choppy sentences
- some sentences
begin differently
- little repetition
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
reasonably
natural, though it
is stiff in some
places
- easy to read this
piece aloud with
some rehearsal
- writing is
smooth and easy
to read
- many sentences
begin differently
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural
- piece is a
pleasure to read
aloud
Grade 3
6
- writing is
smooth, natural,
and easy to read
- virtually every
sentence begins
differently,
adding interest to
the text
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural and like
conversation
- piece invites
expressive oral
reading that
brings out the
voice
Sentence Fluency Rubric
1
2
3
4
5
- writing is
consistently
difficult to
follow
- choppiness,
run-ons
- sentences
consistently
begin with the
same word or
phrase
- it is hard to tell
where they begin
- dialogue, if
used, is hard to
follow
- piece is
difficult to read
aloud, even with
rehearsal
- writing is often
difficult to
follow
- choppy
sentences or runons require
continual reading
- many sentences
begin the same
way
- dialogue, if
used, does not
sound natural or
like conversation
- piece is hard to
read aloud, even
with rehearsal
- writing is
sometimes easy
to read
- choppy
sentences, runons may
necessitate some
rereading
- sentence
beginnings tend
to be alike
- dialogue, if
used, does not
sound like actual
speech
- rehearsal is
needed before
reading this piece
aloud
- writing is easy
to read in most
places
- may have a few
choppy sentences
- some sentences
begin differently
- little repetition
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
reasonably
natural, though a
little stiff in spots
- with some
rehearsal, this
piece can be read
aloud easily
- writing is
smooth and easy
to read
- many sentences
begin differently
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural
- piece is a
pleasure to read
aloud
Grade 4
6
- writing is
smooth, natural,
and easy to read
- virtually every
sentence begins
differently,
adding interest to
the text
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural and like
conversation
- piece invites
expressive oral
reading that
brings out the
voice
Sentence Fluency Rubric
1
2
3
4
5
- writing is
consistently
difficult to
follow
- choppiness,
run-ons
- sentences
consistently
begin with the
same word or
phrase
- hard to tell
where sentences
begin
- sentence length
may show little
or no variation
- dialogue, if
used, is forced
- piece is very
difficult to read
aloud
- choppy
sentences, runons make the
writing difficult
to follow
- many sentences
begin the same
way
- most sentences
are of equal
length
- dialogue, if
used, does not
sound like
conversation
- piece is hard to
read aloud, even
with rehearsal
- writing is
sometimes easy
to read
- choppy
sentences, runons may
necessitate some
rereading
- sentence
beginnings tend
to be alike
- sentences tend
to be of equal
length
- dialogue, if
used, rarely
sounds like
conversation
- rehearsal is
needed before
reading this piece
aloud
- writing is easy
to read in most
places
- a few sentences
are choppy
- some sentences
begin differently
- there is some
variety in
sentence length
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
reasonably
natural, though a
little stiff in
places
- piece could be
read aloud with
some rehearsal
- writing is
smooth and easy
to read
- many sentences
begin differently
- variety in
sentence length
is noticeable
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural
- piece is a good
one for reading
aloud
Grade 5
6
- writing is
smooth, natural,
and easy to read
- virtually every
sentence begins
differently
- sentences vary
in length
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural and like
conversation
- piece invites
expressive oral
reading that
brings out the
voice
Sentence Fluency Rubric
1
2
3
4
5
- writing is
consistently
difficult to
follow or read
aloud
- sentence length
shows little or no
variation
- piece is very
difficult to read
aloud, even with
rehearsal
- run-ons impair
fluency
- dialogue, if
used, is hard to
follow or to
separate from
other text
- choppy
sentences, runons, or other
problems slow
the reader down
- writer uses little
or no sentence
variety to add
interest to the
text
- piece is hard to
read aloud, even
with rehearsal
- run-ons are
likely to be a
problem
- dialogue, if
used, does not
quite echo the
way people
actually speak
- writing is
sometimes easy
to read
- choppy
sentences or
other problems
may necessitate
rereading
- sentence
beginnings tend
to be alike
- sentences tend
to be similar in
length
- rehearsal is
definitely needed
before reading
this piece aloud
- run-ons may be
a problem
- dialogue, if
used, does not
quite echo the
way people
actually speak
- writing is not
difficult to read,
despite an
awkward
moment or two
- some sentences
begin differently
- some variety in
sentence length
- easy to read this
piece aloud with
some rehearsal
- run-ons may
appear but do not
seriously impair
fluency
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
reasonably
natural, though a
little forced in
spots
- writing is
smooth and quite
easy to read
- variety in
sentence length
is noticeable
- piece is a
pleasure to read
aloud
- run-ons in the
text are rare, if
existent at all
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural
Grade 6
6
- writing is
smooth, natural,
and easy to read
- variety in
sentence length
and structure is
striking
- piece invites
expressive oral
reading that
brings out the
voice
- writer avoids
run-ons and
repetition
- dialogue, if
used, sounds
natural and like
conversation