6-Traits for Beginning Writers

Experimenting Emerging Developing Capable Experienced

Idea

s

1. Uses scribbles for writing

2. Dictates labels or a story

3. Shapes that look like letters

4. Line forms that imitate text

5. Writes letters randomly

1. Some recognizable words

present

2. Labels pictures

3. Uses drawings that show

detail

4. Pictures are supported by

some words

1. Attempts a story or to make

a point

2. Illustration supports the

writing

3. Meaning of the general idea

is recognizable/

understandable

4. Some ideas clear but some

are still fuzzy

1. Writing tells a story or

makes a point

2. Illustration (if present)

enhances the writing

3. Idea is generally on topic

4. Details are present but not

developed (lists)

1. Presents a fresh/original

idea

2. Topic is narrowed and

focused

3. Develops one clear, main

idea

4. Uses interesting, important

details for support

5. Writer understands topic

well

Org

an

izati

on

1. Ability to order or group not

yet present

2. No sense of beginning or

end

3. Connections between ideas

are confusing

1. No title (if requested)

2. Experiments with

beginnings

3. Begins to group like-

words/pictures

4. Transitions or evidence of

sequencing are haphazard

1. A title is present (if

requested)

2. Limited transitions present

3. Beginning but no ending

except “The End”

4. Attempts at sequencing and

transitions

1. An appropriate title is

present (if requested)

2. Attempts transitions from

sentence to sentence

3. Beginning works well and

attempts an ending

4. Logical sequencing

5. Key ideas begin to surface

1. An original title is present (if

requested)

2. Transitions connect main

ideas

3. The opening attracts

4. An effective ending is tried

5. Easy to follow

6. Important ideas stand out

Voic

e

1. Communicates feeling with

size, color, shape, line in

drawing or letter imitation

2. Work is similar to everyone

else’s

3. Unclear response to task

4. Awareness of audience not

present

1. Hints of voice present in

words and phrases

2. Looks different from most

others

3. Energy/mood is present

4. Treatment of topic

predictable

5. Audience is fuzzy-could be

anybody, anywhere

1. Expresses some predictable

feelings

2. Moments of individual

sparkle, but then hides

3. Repetition of familiar ideas

reduces energy

4. Awareness that the writing

will be read by someone else

5. Reader has limited

connection to writer

1. Writing is individual and

expressive

2. Individual perspective

becomes evident

3. Personal treatment of a

standard topic

4. Writes to convey a story or

idea to the reader

5. Attempts non-standard point

of view

1. Uses text to elicit a variety

of emotions

2. Takes some risks to say

more than what is expected

3. Point of view is evident

4. Writes with a clear sense of

audience

5. Cares deeply about the topic

6-Traits for Beginning Writers

Experimenting Emerging Developing Capable Experienced

Word

Ch

oic

e

1. Writes letters in strings

2. Imitates word patterns

3. Pictures stand for words

and phrases

4. Copies environmental

print

1. Recognizable words

2. Environmental words used

correctly

3. Attempts at phrases

4. Functional language

1. General or ordinary words

2. Attempts new words but

they don’t always fit

3. Settles for the word or

phrase that “will do”

4. Big words used only to

impress reader

5. Relies on slang, clichés, or

repetition

1. Uses favorite words

correctly

2. Experiments with new and

different words with some

success

3. Tries to choose words for

specificity

4. Attempts to use descriptive

words to create images

1. Everyday words used well

2. Precise, accurate, fresh original

words

3. Creates vivid images in a natural

way

4. Avoids repetition, clichés or vague

language

5. Attempts at figurative language

Sen

ten

ce F

luen

cy

1. Mimics letters and words

across the page

2. Words stand alone

3. Patterns for sentences not

in evidence

4. Sentence sense not yet

present

1. Strings words together

into phrases

2. Attempts simple sentences

3. Short. Repetitive sentence

patterns

4. Dialogue present but not

understandable

1. Uses simple sentences

2. Sentences tend to begin

the same

3. Experiments with other

sentence patterns

4. Reader may have to reread

to follow the meaning

5. Dialogue present but needs

interpretation

1. Simple and compound

sentences present and

effective

2. Attempts complex

sentences

3. Not all sentences begin the

same

4. Sections of writing have

rhythm and flow

1. Consistently uses sentence variety

2. Sentence structure is correct and

creative

3. Variety of sentence beginnings

4. Natural rhythm, cadence and flow

5. Sentences have texture which

clarify the important idea

Con

ven

tion

s

1. Writes letter strings (pre-

phonetic: dmRxzz)

2. Attempts to create

standard letters

3. Attempts spacing of

words, letters, symbols or

picture

4. Attempts to write left to

right

5. Attempts to write

top/down

6. Punctuation, capitalization

etc. not making sense, yet

7. Student interpretation

needed to understand

text/pictures

1. Attempts semi-phonetic

spelling (MTR, UM, KD,

etc.)

2. Uses mixed upper and

lower case letters

3. Uses spaces between

letters and words

4. Consistently writes left to

right

5. Consistently makes

effective use of top to

bottom spacing

6. Random punctuation

7. Nonstandard grammar is

common

1. Uses phonetic spelling

(MOSTR, HUMN,

KLOSD, etc) on personal

words

2. Spelling of high frequency

words still spotty

3. Uses capitals at the

beginning of sentences

4. Usually uses end

punctuation correctly (.!?)

5. Experiments with other

punctuation

6. Long paper may be written

as one paragraph

7. Attempts standard

grammar

1. Transitional spelling on

less frequent words

(MONSTUR, HUMAN,

CLOSSED, etc)

2. Spelling of high frequency

words usually correct

3. Capitals at the beginning

of sentences and variable

use on proper nouns

4. End punctuation is correct

(.!?) and other punctuation

is attempted (such as

commas)

5. Paragraphing variable but

present

6. Noun/pronoun agreement,

verb tenses, subject/verb

agreement

1. High frequency words are spelled

correctly and very close on other

words

2. Capitals used for obvious proper

nouns as well as sentence

beginnings

3. Basic punctuation is used correctly

and/or creatively

4. Indents consistently to show

paragraphs

5. Shows control over standard

grammar

6-Traits for Beginning Writers