St. Simons Elementary School

Rubric for the 3rd-5^th Writer’s Wave Challenge

Grades 3–5 | 8 Points Total (3 Traits)

How well did you answer the question and use evidence?

Score	Description
3 – Strong!	Clear focus, lots of great details, and text evidence that supports your ideas.
2 – Getting There	Mostly clear, but missing a few details or not enough evidence.
1 – Needs Work	Hard to follow or doesn’t answer the question completely.
0 – Off Topic	Doesn’t address the prompt at all or is left blank.

🗝 Tip: Always restate the question and use text clues!

How well did you structure your writing?

Score	Description
3 – Strong!	Has a beginning, middle, and end. Ideas flow smoothly with transitions.
2 – Getting There	Some organization, but ideas jump around or transitions are missing.
1 – Needs Work	Hard to follow or mixed-up order of ideas.
0 – Off Topic	Doesn’t show a clear plan or structure.

🗝 Tip: Use transition words — first, next, finally, because, for example, etc.

How well did you use grammar, spelling, and punctuation?

Score	Description
2 – Strong!	Few or no errors. Sentences are complete and make sense.
1 – Getting There	Some mistakes, but reader can still understand.
0 – Needs Work	Lots of errors that make it hard to read.

🗝 Tip: Reread before you click Submit!

3 + 3 + 2 = 8
🏅 6–8 points = Strong Writer
⭐ 3–5 points = Developing Writer
🌱 0–2 points = Needs More Practice

Rubric for the K-2 Writer’s Wave Challenge

Grades K–2 | 6 Points Total (3 Traits)

What did you write about and did your ideas make sense?

Score	Description
2 – Strong!	I stayed on topic, gave good details, and shared my own thoughts or facts.
1 – Getting There	I started to tell about the topic but left out some details or mixed ideas.
0 – Needs Practice	My writing doesn’t match the picture or prompt.

🗝 Tip: Think about your topic before you write!

Did your writing have a beginning, middle, and end?

Score	Description
2 – Strong!	My ideas go in order and are easy to follow.
1 – Getting There	Some order, but ideas jump around or stop too soon.
0 – Needs Practice	No clear order — it’s hard to tell what happens first or next.

🗝 Tip: Use “First, Next, Then, Last” to plan your story.

Did you use your best writing skills?

Score	Description
2 – Strong!	I used spaces, capital letters, and punctuation. My words are spelled the best I can.
1 – Getting There	I used some punctuation or capitals, but I forgot others.
0 – Needs Practice	I didn’t use punctuation, spacing, or capitals yet.

🗝 Tip: Reread your writing out loud before turning it in!

🏅 5–6 = Super Dolphin Writer!
⭐ 3–4 = Growing Writer!
🌱 0–2 = Keep Swimming — You’re Learning!

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