Writing Score_______, Language Score______
Narrative Rubric Grade ___4___
1
(Below Grade Level)
Focus/
Setting
CCSS*:
 W – 3a
Organization
/Plot
CCSS:
 W – 3a,c,
and e
Narrative
Techniques
CCSS:
 W – 3b,d
Writing
Score
LanguageConventions
of Grammar
and Usage
CCSS:
 L – 1f
Language –
Conventions
of
Capitalization,
Punctuation,
and
Spelling

CCSS:
L – 2 a-d
2
(Approaching Grade Level)
3
(At Grade Level)
 Fails to establish a situation (real or
imagined)
 Fails to introduce a narrator and/or
characters
 Does not stay on topic

 Does not organize a clear event sequence
that unfolds naturally

Attempts to organize a clear event
sequence that unfolds naturally
 No use of transitional words and phrases to
manage the sequence of events


Uses a variety of transitional words and
phrases to manage the sequence of events
 Does not provide a conclusion that follows
from the narrated experience or events

Limited use of transitional words and
phrases to manage the sequence of
events
Attempts a conclusion that may or may
not follow the narrated experience or
events

Provides a conclusion that follows from
the narrated experience or events
 Does not use details to describe actions,
thoughts, and feelings to develop
experiences and events
 Does not use dialogue to show the
response of characters to situations

Includes few or irrelevant details to
describe actions, thoughts, and feelings
to develop experiences and events
Attempts to use dialogue to show the
response of characters to situations
 Uses descriptions of actions, thoughts, and
feelings to develop experiences and events
 Does not use concrete words and sensory
details to convey experiences and events

Attempts to use concrete words and
sensory details to convey experiences
and events
 Uses concrete words and sensory details to
convey experiences and events precisely
3 or 4
Attempts to establish a situation (real or
imagined)
 Attempts to introduce a narrator and/or
characters
 Strays from topic

5, 6, 7, 8

Orients the reader by establishing a
situation (real or imagined)

Introduces a narrator and/or characters


Stays focused on the topic
Organizes a clear event sequence that
unfolds naturally
 Uses dialogue to show the response of
characters to situations
9, 10, 11
4
(Advanced)
 Purposefully orients the reader
by establishing a vivid situation
(real or imagined)
 Introduces a narrator and/or
characters
 Skillfully stays on topic
 Coherently organizes a clear
event sequence that unfolds
naturally
 Skillfully connects a variety of
transitional words and phrases to
manage the sequence of events
 Provides a conclusion that
clearly follows from the narrated
experiences or events.
 Uses creative descriptions of
actions, thoughts, and feelings to
develop experiences and events
 Uses vivid dialogue to show the
response of characters to
situations
 Uses concrete words and sensory
details to make experiences and
events come to life
12
 Does not produce a variety of correct and
varied sentence structures
 Produces a variety of correct and varied
sentence structures some of the time
 Produces a variety of correct and varied
sentence structures
 Produces a variety of correct and
varied sentence structures
strategically to enhance meaning
 Capitalizes incorrectly with many errors
 Capitalizes correctly and consistently
with some errors
 Uses commas and quotation marks in
dialogue some of the time
 Uses commas before a coordinating
conjunction in a compound sentence
some of the time
 Spells grade-appropriate words correctly
some of the time
 Capitalizes correctly and consistently most
of the time.
 Uses commas and quotation marks in
dialogue most of the time
 Uses commas before a coordinating
conjunction in a compound sentence most
of the time
 Spells grade-appropriate words correctly
most of the time
 Capitalizes correctly and
consistently all of the time.
 Uses commas and quotation
marks in dialogue all of the time
 Uses commas before a
coordinating conjunction in a
compound sentence all the time
 Spells grade-appropriate words
correctly all of the time.
 Does not use commas and quotation marks
in dialogue
 Does not use commas before a
coordinating conjunction in a compound
sentence
 Does not spell grade-appropriate words
correctly
Writing Score_______, Language Score______
1
(Below Grade Level)

L-3
Language –
Vocabulary
Acquistion
and Use
CCSS:
L-6
Language
Score
2
(Approaching Grade Level)
3
(At Grade Level)
 Does not utilize grade-level words and
phrases for effect
 Utilizes grade-level words and phrases
for effect some of the time

 Uses no to few accurately gradeappropriate general academic and domainspecific words and phrases, including those
that signal precise actions, emotions, or
states of being and that are basic to a
particular topic.
 Acquires and uses some accurately
grade-appropriate general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases,
including those that signal precise
actions, emotions, or states of being and
that are basic to a particular topic..
 Acquires and uses accurately gradeappropriate general academic and domainspecific words and phrases, including those
that signal precise actions, emotions, or
states of being and that are basic to a
particular topic.
3 or 4
5, 6, 7, 8
Utilizes grade-level words and phrases
for effect
9, 10, 11
*CCSS – Common Core State Standards alignment (“W” = Writing strand; “L”= Language strand)
4
(Advanced)
 Utilizes precise and sophisticated
words and phrases for effect
 Acquires and uses many
accurately grade-appropriate
general academic and domainspecific words and phrases,
including those that signal
precise actions, emotions, or
states of being and that are basic
to a particular topic.
12