Issaquah 4-Point Rubric for Six Traits of Effective Writers (abridged)

	Organization	Ideas and Content	Sentence Fluency	Word Choice	Voice	Conventions
4	- My beginning hooks the reader and informs about what is to come - All of my details are in the right places within each paragraph - Everything fits in a logical order - I end at a good spot. I leave my reader with something to think about	- The paper has a clear sense of wholeness - I know a lot about this topic, and the reader finds out some new or little-known information. - I explain how every detail connects to the main idea or story. - I filled my paper with interesting tidbits that make reading fun and lively. - I wrote enough to cover the topic well, but not so much that the reader became weary.	- Some sentences are long, while others are short and snappy. - Reading the paper back to my self, the sentences flow together smoothly. - Sentence beginnings vary; they really help show how ideas connect.	- All the words in my paper fit. Each one seems just right. - I use vivid, precise, natural, colorful words and phrases that linger or draw pictures in the reader’s mind. - You won’t find overdone, vague, or flowery language. - I use strong verbs.	- You can tell who wrote this. No one else sounds like this! - How I write is a fine fit to the topic, purpose and audeience. - Readers can tell I am talking right to them. - I write with confidence and sincerity. - I show the reader what I think and feel.	- I use capital letters correctly. - Periods, commas, exclamation marks, and quotations marks are in the right places. - My spelling is accurate. -All paragraphs are indented to show where a new idea begins. - My grammar is consistent and shows control.
3	- My beginning gets the reader’s attentions and gives clues about what is coming. - Most of my details connect with the rest of the paper and are generally in the right spot. - I use adequate transitions in an attempt to connect ideas. - My ending generally sums up what the paper is about	- The paper generally has a sense of wholeness. - I share with the reader what I know about this topic. - I’ve expanded on most of my ideas in order to show what is happening. - Most of my paper is interesting and fun to read. - Most of the time it is clear what I mean.	- Most sentences are smooth and natural - The length of the sentences varies. - Sentences begin in various ways.	- The words are appropriate for the audience and purpose - My words help create a picture in the reader’s mind - I have used some out-of-the-ordinary words. - The reader is able to figure out what I mean and understand my ideas.	- I really try to show the reader what I think or feel. - How I write is a good fit to the topic, purpose and audience. - My writing is pleasant, but a little cautious. - My writing is usually funny, exciting, scary and/or hones. - There are some details in my writing that could have only come from me.	- Most sentences and proper nouns begin with capital letters. - If there are a few problems with grammar and punctuation, they are difficult to catch and don’t cause interruption for the reader. - Spelling is mostly correct. - I indent my paragraphs to show where my new ideas begin. - You can tell that I’ve gone through my paper to make corrections.
2	- If you look real hard you can find my beginning, but it’s not complete and doesn’t stand out. - I’m missing details that help connect the main ideas with the rest of the paper. - Some of the details are where they need to be and others are missing or in the wrong spot. - If you look hard you can find my conclusion	- I’ve written about common ideas and thoughts. Nothing is really new or exciting. - Most of the details I have used are pretty general and not well developed. - I chose a topic that was too big. - I’ve babbled and haven’t gotten to the point. - I wasn’t very clear about telling what I meant. - My paper is still pretty fuzzy.	- Some of my sentences go on too long, while others stop too quickly. - Sentence beginnings are more alike than different. They say the same thing or use the same words over and over again.	- I use ordinary, common words such as : like, fun, nice, stuff, pretty. - Some of my words are misused. - My words aren’t real specific.	- I do a lot of telling and not enough showing. - How I write doesn’t always fit the topic, purpose and audience. - My personality pokes through here and there, but then it gets covered up again. - My writing is right on the edge of being funny, exciting, scary and hones, but it’s not there yet. - It’s hard to tell who wrote this paper.	- I’ve forgotten to use capital letters to start sentences and with some proper nouns - Problems with grammar and punctuation make my paper difficult to read without stumbling or having to pause to figure it out. - Spelling is correct on simple words, but most difficult words are spelled incorrectly. - I indent my paragraphs, but not all at the right spot.
1	- There isn’t really a beginning or end to my paper. It just kind of “takes off”. - I’m confused about how the details fit with the main idea or story. - The parts seem scrambled, jumbled, and disconnected. It’s confusing. - Conclusion? Oops, I forgot one.	- I haven’t shared much information. I guess I don’t know enough yet about this topic to write about it. - My details are so vague it is hared to picture anything - I’m still thinking aloud on paper. I’m looking for good ideas. - Maybe I’ll write about this, but then, maybe I’ll write about that.	- As I read my paper, I have to go back, stop and read over, just to figure out the sentences. - I’m having a hard time telling where one sentence ends and another begins. - The sentence patterns in my paper are so repetitive they might put the reader to sleep! - I have to do quite a bit of oral editing,	- Many of my words and phrases are vague - My words don’t make pictures. - At times, the reader can’t figure out what I mean because my words are goofed up. - I used the same words over and over again.	- I’m not comfortable taking a risk by telling you what I really think. - How I write does not fit the topic, purpose and audience. - My paper is all telling and no showing at all. - I hold myself back by using general statements like ‘it was fun”, “she was nice”, “I like him a lot”.	- I’m missing capital letters or else I have used them when I am not supposed to. - My paper has so many errors in the punctuation and grammar that the reader has to go back to the beginning of a sentence in order to figure out what is being said. - Spelling errors are common, even on simple words.