Narrative Reading Self-Assessment Rubric

Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Inferring □□ I wrote about the big □□ I wrote an idea about the □□ I wrote about how the
about things the main character kind of person a character character is complicated.
Characters does, says, and thinks. is, telling a trait (and not a He/she is more than one
and Other □□ I wrote about what these feeling). way (has multiple traits).
Story big things show about the □□ When a character makes □□ I also wrote about what’s
Elements character’s feelings. a big decision, I could use going on inside the
Character □□ If the main character faces what happened earlier character (motivations
a problem and solves it, and the character’s traits and wants).
Traits
I wrote about how the to tell why the character □□ When I thought and
character does that. made that choice. wrote about a character,
I showed that I knew that
small actions can signal
something big.

Supporting □□ When asked, I could point □□ I supported my ideas with □□ I used details from
Thinking to the part of the text that details from the text. different parts of the text
with Text gave me my ideas. to support my ideas and
Evidence discussed how those
details supported my
ideas.

(continues)

May be photocopied for classroom use. © 2015 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).
 Narrative Reading Self-Assessment Rubric (continued)
Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Character □□ I wrote about a way that □□ I wrote about a way or two □□ I continue to discuss how
Response/ the character changed. that a character changed and why the character
Change This might be the way (maybe the character’s changed across the story.
the character’s feelings feelings changed, or a way □□ To discuss reasons for the
changed in one part of s/he acted changed, or a change, I referred to earlier
the story, or the way character’s trait changed.) moments in the story.
the character’s actions □□ I discussed why the □□ I also wrote about how
changed. character changed. other story elements
□□ I wrote about why the □□ I referred to an earlier part (other characters, the
character changed. of the text to tell about a setting, a problem) played
key moment that caused a part in the change.
the character to change. □□ If the character learns a
life lesson, I thought about
whether this tied to a
theme of the story.

May be photocopied for classroom use. © 2015 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).
 Narrative Reading Self-Assessment Rubric (continued)
Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Analyzing □□ When asked to talk about □□ When asked to talk about □□ When asked to talk about
Parts of the importance of a part the importance of a part the importance of a part
a Story in in a story, I thought about of the story to the whole of the story to the whole
Relation to how that part fits into story, I named the part story, I named one part
the Whole the sequence of events. or story element (the or aspect of a story—an
I could talk about what problem, the setting). event, setting, minor
came before and what □□ I wrote to explain how character.
came after. this part is important □□ I wrote about the
□□ When asked, I could note if to the whole story. importance of the part
a problem was introduced If it is the setting, for to the whole story. If it is
in the beginning of the example, I thought “How the setting, for example,
story and then I could is this particular setting I thought “How does this
check to see whether that important to the story?” particular setting create
problem was solved near a mood or explain the
the end of the story. tension in the story?”

Determining □□ If I was asked to talk about □□ I wrote about a life lesson □□ I wrote about a theme
Themes/ a life lesson the character that the character learned. that comes through across
Cohesion learned, I either retold a □□ I wrote about how a part most of the story.
part of the story or I said of the story showed this □□ I provided details from
my own ideas about what lesson. across the text that
I learned from the story or support that theme.
felt about it. □□ I explained how those
parts from across the story
show this theme.

May be photocopied for classroom use. © 2015 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).