Ideas
6 --The main idea is clear; it is easy to
understand.
--I know and share a lot about this
topic.
--My paper is full of interesting,
unusual details that are important
and will keep readers reading.
5 --This paper makes sense. The
reader will know what my main
idea is.
--I know and share quite a bit about
this topic.
--My paper contains many
interesting details.
4 --The reader can identify my main
idea.
--I know some things about this
topic, but I’d like to know and be
able to share more.
--My paper has some interesting
detail, but it could use more.
3 --Some parts of the paper are not
clear. The reader can probably
guess what my main idea is.
--I need more information.
Sometimes I guessed or made
things up.
--There is not much detail about
the general ideas.
2 --My main idea is hard to figure
out. The reader may wonder what
I am trying to say.
--I do not know much at all about
this topic.
--I need a lot more detail. This
paper doesn’t tell much about
anything.
1 --I do not have a main idea. I wrote
whatever came into my head.
--I ‘m not sure about this topic or
what I want to write about it.
Organization Voice
--My paper is easy to follow. It is like
following a road map!
--I stuck with one good topic and didn’t
wander from it.
--I chose an organizational pattern that
fits my topic, purpose and audience very
well.
--Every detail is in the right spot.
--My lead grabs the reader’s attention
and my conclusion sounds just right.
--My paper is easy to follow. The reader
won’t get lost.
--I stick with one topic most of the time.
--My organizational pattern fits my topic,
purpose and audience.
--Almost every detail is in the right place.
I might move one or two?
--My lead and conclusion are good.
--My paper is pretty easy to follow. I
don’t think the reader will get lost.
--I might have wandered a little from my
main topic.
--Most of the details are in the right
place.
--I have an organizational pattern. I think
it fits my purpose.
--My lead and conclusion work.
--My paper is a little hard to follow. The
reader will have to read slowly.
--I wandered from my main topic now
and then.
--I tried to follow an organizational
pattern. It might not go with my purpose.
--I have a lead and conclusion, but they
might not be very effective.
--My paper is hard to follow; I may have
written about too many things with little
focus.
--I do not think I have an organizational
pattern; details are out of order.
--I forgot to write a specific lead and
conclusion; my paper just starts and then
stops.
--My paper is a bunch of ideas with little
connection.
--It doesn’t make a lot of sense; what IS
my main topic?
--Pattern? What pattern?
--I don’t have a lead or conclusion.
Word Choice
--This is written as me. The reader can
‘hear’ my voice!
--I think the reader will definitely want
to share this paper aloud with someone.
--I love my topic, and my enthusiasm
and emotion shows.
--The voice of this piece is perfect for
my purpose and audience.
--The paper sounds mostly like me.
--The reader might want to share this
paper aloud.
--I like this topic, and I’ve written about
it with energy.
--The voice fits my purpose and
audience.
--This paper sounds like me in some
parts.
--The reader might share moments of
this paper.
--I like this topic pretty well. The writing
has some energy.
--The voice seems okay for my
purpose/audience.
--I am not sure that this paper sounds
like me.
--I don’t think it’s quite ready to share
aloud yet.
--This topic is okay, but I couldn’t get
very excited about it.
--I do not know whether this voice fits
my purpose and audience.
--I do not think this paper sounds much
like me.
--This paper is NOT ready to share
aloud.
--I did not like this topic, and I couldn’t
get excited about it.
--I don’t have a voice in this writing
and/or what is there doesn’t fit my
purpose and/or audience.
--I do not hear any voice in this writing.
--I would not share this paper aloud.
--I think this topic is boring.
--I do not know my purpose or audience
for this pi.
Sentence Fluency
--Every word helps make my meaning clear.
--My words are powerful and lively! They
give my writing energy.
--My words paint a clear picture in the
reader’s mind.
--My paper doesn’t have any word clutter
(unnecessary words).
--My words are clear most of the time.
--I used a lot of strong verbs.
--My words paint a picture. The reader can
easily tell what I’m trying to say.
--Clutter is not a problem.
--My words are clear most of the time, but
the reader might need to figure out some
parts.
--I used some strong verbs, but I could use
more.
--Some of my words paint a clear picture;
some are vague.
--My writing does have some clutter.
--My words are often unclear. The reader
has questions about my word use/choice.
--I think I have some strong verbs.
--The reader might be able to picture what
I am talking about if he or she works at it.
--My writing is cluttered; I used too many
unnecessary words.
--My words are unclear. It is hard to tell
what I am saying.
--I do not know for sure whether I used any
strong verbs.
--It is hard to picture what I’m talking
about.
--I do not know for sure if I used too many
words (clutter) or not enough.
--My words are very hard to understand.
--I do not know whether I used verbs.
What is a verb?
--I don’t think the reader can picture what
I’m talking about.
--Maybe I used too many words. Maybe I
used the wrong words. I don’t know.
Conventions
--My writing is clear, smooth, and easy
to read.
--Sentences begin in many different
ways and range from long to short.
--If I used dialogue, it sounds like real
conversation.
--The reader will love reading this paper
aloud.
--My writing is clear and smooth most
of the time. It’s pretty easy to read
aloud.
--Many sentences begin in different
ways and are of different lengths.
--If I used dialogue, I did a good job. It
sounds real.
--The reader will like reading this paper
aloud.
--The writing is easy to read in most
places.
--Some sentences begin in different
ways, but there is some repetition. I
have some long or short sentences.
--If I used dialogue, it is fine. It sounds
like real people.
--Reading this paper aloud will take a
little work.
--Some of the writing needs smoothing
out; I have some choppy sentences and
some run-ons.
--A few sentences begin in different
ways; many of my sentences are the
same length.
--If I used dialogue, it needs some work.
It doesn’t sound like real people.
--It is not easy to read this paper aloud.
--This writing is bumpy! I have choppy
sentences, run-ons, or other problems.
--Too many of my sentences begin the
same way and are the same length.
--I do not think my dialogue sounds like
real people.
--It is hard to read this aloud—even for
me!
--This writing is very hard to read. I
can’t tell one sentence from another.
--It is hard to tell where my sentences
are or how long they are.
--I am not sure whether this writing has
dialogue or not?
--This is very hard to read aloud; I can’t
even do it myself.
--My paper has no errors that I can see or
hear!
--I used conventions to help make my
message clear.
--I checked my spelling, punctuation, and
grammar. They are super!
--This paper is ready to publish.
--The reader might find a few errors.
--I think my conventions help make my
message clear.
--I checked my spelling, punctuation, and
grammar, and corrected what I knew how to
do.
--I think there are a few mistakes. This paper
is almost ready to publish.
--The reader will notice a few errors. I need
to edit more carefully.
--My message is still clear.
--My spelling, punctuation, and grammar are
mostly correct.
--This paper needs more careful editing
before publishing.
--I have too many errors. The reader will
need to slow down to read it.
--I did some things correctly, but I’m not sure
my message is always clear.
--When I read this, I see a lot of errors in my
spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
--This paper could use a lot of editing.
--I have a lot of errors. This is very hard to
read.
--I did a few things correctly, but mistakes
make it hard to understand.
--I made way too many errors in my spelling,
punctuation, and grammar.
--I need to edit this line by line before I
publish it.
--I made so many mistakes, I can hardly read
this myself.
--It is hard to find things done correctly. It is
hard to tell what my message is.
--I need to read this aloud, go over it more
than once, and get help from a partner.
--I need to edit this word by word before I
publish it.