WRITING CONTINUUM

G1 G1/G2 G2 G2/G3 G3
PRECONVENTIONA EMERGING DEVELOPING BEGINNING EXPANDING
L
 Relies primarily on pictures to convey  Uses pictures and print to convey meaning.  Writes 1 – 2 sentences about topic  Writes several sentences about a topic.  Writes short fiction and poetry with guidance
meaning.  Writes words to describe or support pictures.  Write names and familiar words.  Writes observations and experiences.  Writes a variety of short non fiction pieces (facts
 Begins to label and add “words” to  Copies signs, labels, names and words  Generates own ideas for writing  Writes short non fiction pieces (simple facts about a topic) about a topic, letter, lists) with guidance.
pictures. (environmental print).  Writes from top to bottom, left to right and front to with guidance.  Writes with a central idea
 Write first name.  Demonstrates understanding of letter/sound back.  Chooses own writing topics.  Write using complete sentences
 Demonstrates awareness that print relationship.  Intermixes upper and lower case letters.  Reads own writing and notices mistakes with guidance.  Organizes ideas in a logical sequence in fiction and
conveys meaning.  Prints with upper case letters.  Experiments with capitals.  Revises by adding details with guidance nonfiction writing with guidance
 Makes marks other than drawing on paper  Matches letters to sounds.  Experiments with punctuation  Uses spacing between words consistently  Begins to recognize and use interesting language
(scribbles)  Uses beginning consonants to make words.  Begins to use spacing between words.  Forms most letters legibly  Uses several pre writing strategies (wed, brainstorm)
 Write random recognizable letters to  Uses beginning and ending consonants to make  Uses growing awareness of sound segments  Writes pieces that self and others can read with guidance.
represent words. words (phonemes, syllables, rhymes) to write words.  Uses phonetic spelling to write independently  Listesn to others writing and offers feedback.
 Tells about own pictures and writing.  Pretends to read own writing  Spells words on basis of sounds without regard for  Spells simple words and some high frequency words  Begins to consider suggestions from others about
 Sees self as writer conventional spelling patterns. correctly. own writing
 Takes risks with writing  Uses beginning, middle and ending sounds to  Begins to use periods and capital letters correctly.  Adds description and details with guidance.
make words.  Shares own writing with others.  Publishes own writing with guidance
 Begin to read own writing  Writes legibly
 Spells most high frequency words correctly and
moves toward conventional spelling
 Identifies own writing strategies and sets goals with
guidance.

G3/G4 G4 G4/G5 G5 G5/MYP

BRIDGING FLUENT PROFICIENT CONNECTING INDEPENDENT
 Writes about feelings and opinions  Begins to write organized fictions and non fiction  Writes persuasively about ideas, feelings and  Writes in a variety of genres and forms for different  Writes organized, fluent, accurate and in depth
 Write fiction with clear beginning, middle (reports, letters, biographies and autobiographies) opinions audiences and purposes independently nonfiction, including references with correct
and end  Develops stories with plots that include problems  Creates plots with problems and solutions  Creates plots with climax bibliographic format
 Writes poetry using carefully chosen and solutions with guidance  Begins to develop the main characters an describe  Creates detailed, believable settings and characters in  Writes cohesive, fluent and effective poetry and
language with guidance  Creates characters in stories with guidance detailed settings stories fiction
 Writes organized non fiction pieces (reports,  Writes poetry using carefully chosen language  Begins to write organized and fluent nonfiction,  Write organizes, fluent, and detailed non fiction  Uses a clear sequence of paragraphs with effective
letters, and lists) with guidance.  Begins to experiment with sentence length and including simple bibliographies independently, including bibliographies with correct transitions
 Begins to use paragraphs to organize ideas. complex sentence structure  Writes cohesive paragraphs including reasons and format.  Begins to incorporate literary devices ( imagery,
 Uses strong verbs, interesting language, and  Varies leads and endings with guidance examples with guidance  Writes cohesive paragraphs including supportive reasons metaphors, personification and foreshadowing
dialogue with guidance.  Uses description, details, and similes with  Uses transitional sentences to connect paragraphs and examples.  Weaves dialogue effectively into stories
 Seeks feedback on writing guidance.  Varies sentence structure, leads and endings.  Uses descriptive language, details, similies, and imagery  Develops plots, characters, setting and mood
 Revises for clarity with guidance  Uses dialogue with guidance  Begins to use descriptive language, details and to enhance ideas independently effectively
 Revises to enhance ideas by adding  Uses a range of strategies for planning writing similies  Begins to use dialogue to enhance character development  Begins to develop personal voice and style of writing
description and detail.  Adapts writing for purpose and audience with  Uses voice to evoke emotional response from  Incorporates personal voice in writing with increasing  Revises through multiple drafts independently
 Uses resources (thesaurus and word lists) to guidance readers frequency  Seeks feedback from others and incorporates
make writing more effective in guidance.  Begins to revise for specific, writing traits Iideas,  Begins to integrate information on a topic from a  Integrates information on a topic from a variety of suggestions in order to strengthen own writing
 Edits for punctuation, spelling and organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice variety of sources. sources independently  Publishes writing for different audiences and
grammar. and conventions) with guidance.  Revises for specific, writing traits, (ideas,  Constructs charts, graphs, and tables to convey purposes in polished format independently
 Publishes writing in polished format with  Incorporates suggestions from others about own organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice information when appropriate  Internalizes writing process
guidance. writing with guidance and conventions) with guidance.  Uses pre writing strategies effectively to organize and  Uses correct grammar (subject/verb agreement and
 Increases use of visual strategies, spelling  Edits for punctuation, spelling and grammar with  Uses tools (dictionaries, word lists, spell checkers) strengthen writing verb tense) consistently.
rules, and knowledge of word parts to spell greater precision. to edit independently.  Revises for specific writing traits (ideas, organization,  Writes with confidence and competence on a range a
correctly.  Uses tools (dictionaries, word lists, and spell  Selects and publishes writing in polished format word choice, sentence fluency, voice and conventions) topic independently
 Uses commas and apostrophes correctly checkers) to edit with guidance. independently. with guidance  Perseveres through complex or challenging writing
with guidance  Develops criteria for effective writing in different  Begins to use complex punctuation (e.g., commas,  Includes deletion in revision strategies projects independently
 Uses criteria for effective writing to set own genres with guidance colons, semicolons, quotation marks)  Incorporates suggestions from others on own writing  Sets writing goals independently by analyzing and
writing goals with guidance. appropriately. independently evaluating own writing.
 Begins to set goals and identify strategies to  Uses complex punctuation (eg commas, colons,
improve writing in different genres. semicolns, quotation marks) with increasing accuracy.

Key:
types of texts and oral reading
Attitude
Reading Strategies
Comprehension and Response
Self-evaluation