These are rigorous rubrics for writing, K-5, to guide and evaluate grammar and mechanics instruction.
Most teachers are very good at coming up with creative writing ideas and using the 6 Traits of Writing, but consistently teaching grammar and mechanics is sometimes a struggle.
Some have even – gulp! – completely ignored implementing consistent lessons for these areas of writing.
Quite frankly, I think a great deal of the lack of focus on basic essentials of good writing was due to state standards.
For too long standardized writing tests have given priority to the content (text) of student writing, so we have all been “taught” that proper mechanics don’t matter as much.
It was hard to justify allocating precious time to correct grammar when our test scores barely registered a negative blip for obviously poor writing, as long as the content was good.
Personally, I am relieved we are finally putting a lot more emphasis on these skills! But now some of us are scrambling for rigorous rubrics to keep our students (and ourselves) on track! Teachers need writing rubrics that:
- Consistently and explicitly focusing on the grammar and mechanics of writing
- Making those expectations known to students in an easy-to-follow format
- Being very sure we teach everything we are supposed to, particularly if we teach multiple grade levels
Rigorous Writing Rubrics
Rubrics allow students to know and understand expectations during the process of learning or during a performance task.
They also aid teachers with designing writing lesson plans. We are better at teaching writing strategies and holding students to expectations when we use a rubric to guide our teaching.
Using assessment rubrics are good for both teachers and students.
Remember though, that no rubric is any good without a solid foundation in how to teach writing. Don’t expect them to tell you HOW to teach – they merely guide your teaching and the student’s learning.
These ebooks are stuffed with writing rubrics for grammar and mechanics that follow the Common Core. However, they are not writing lessons – that is up to your expertise.
Good teachers know that we design lessons to meet final objectives, objectives aren’t kept a secret from the students, and that’s how we can conquer the new standards.
Check out the images below – that is exactly what is included – all of the guesswork of grading writing using the Common Core standards is done for you!
There are 2 books, each sold separately: Kindergarten-Grade 2 and Grade 3-5.
The format is the same for both of them, but they address each grade level’s unique (yet scaffolded) standards for the mechanics of writing.
There are three specific sections in each book:
- Progress Monitoring Rubrics
- Final Evaluation Rubrics
- Writing Prompts for each final evaluation that follow the Common Core
What isn’t included? Daily writing prompts, a step-by-step guide for how to teach writing…those are available elsewhere.
This is a tool – a great one! – that will supplement and enhance your existing teaching and give you a structure to help cover the Common Core Curriculum for each grade level in writing.
Conventions of English Rubrics for Progress Monitoring
These rubrics are used during the teaching process of writing.
Goals are written explicitly and as you observe students achieving their goals, you reward their progress with stickers, smiley faces or check marks. However you wish to do it.
I keep these rubrics in their journals and the students review my marks on the previous writing assignment before tackling the next one. It gives them a very clear picture on what they are mastering and still need to work on.
I also add notes in the blank space below. Sometimes it is just a word of encouragement, but often it is a spelling word I will be holding them accountable for or an issue I see them consistently missing (why oh why won’t some kids use a capital letter?)
The writing rubrics should be used for 3-4 weeks while students work on mastering their skills (there are 5 for each grade level).
Use a daily writing prompt for your grade level, keep their papers with the rubric in a folder, and upon meeting the skills multiple times, give the corresponding performance assessment.
Final Evaluation Rubrics to Assess Mastery of Conventions
The assessment writing rubrics are the same as the Progress Monitoring rubrics. We assess students explicitly, not implicitly.
The students self-assess along with the teacher, points are given (3,2,1,0) and a final grade is assigned. My parents love this as they have seen what their child has been working on and it is the same thing they are assessed on.
If I had added anything to the Progress Monitoring Rubric, I include that on the back and make a note on the front for parents. The kids know that if a goal was added to their working rubric, then they will be held responsible for it in the end.
There is no mystery to success!
Grade and Standard Specific Writing Prompts to Assess Mastery
We all have tons of prompts, books, etc that we can use to evaluate writing. My shelves (and the internet) are full of them.
But these prompts were written with the Common Core requirements in mind for the types of writing pieces our students must be able to do.
The writing pieces focus on text types, purposes and research skills are specifically stated for each grade level.