NORTH COLONIE CENTRAL SCHOOLS

LATHAM, NEW YORK

3rd Grade Narrative Writing Rubric

Student Name _________________________

Date____________________

Teacher_______________________________

School _____________________

4-Excelling

Meaning

writing clearly reflects the

authors purpose and is
sustained throughout the
narrative
writing is clearly focused and
on topic

Draft - September 2015

3-Proficient

writing reflects the

authors purpose
writing is focused and on
topic

2-Partially Proficient

writing inconsistently
reflects the authors
purpose
writing may be unfocused
and/or occasionally drift off
topic

1-Well Below Proficient

purpose is not evident

writing lacks focus and a
clear topic

Development

effectively uses relevant and

vivid details, dialogue, and
descriptions of actions,
thoughts, and feelings to
develop the narrative and/or
show the response of
characters to situations

Organization

skillfully organizes an event

sequence and provides
closure

*Appropriate
transition words
and phrases may
include, but are
not limited to, a
little later and
after that.

skillfully uses a variety of

transitional words and/or
phrases to signal event order
and/or connect ideas

4-Excelling

Language

skillfully chooses precise

words and punctuation to
convey experiences and
events

uses relevant details,

dialogue, and descriptions
of actions, thoughts, and
feelings to develop the
narrative and/or show the
response of characters to
situations

attempts to use details,

dialogue, and descriptions
of actions, thoughts, and
feelings to develop the
narrative and/or show the
response of characters to
situations

a few details may be

irrelevant but do not
detract from the meaning

details may be irrelevant

or insufficient

organizes an event
sequence that unfolds
naturally and provides
closure

limited organization that

uses transition words or

phrases to signal event
order and/or connect
ideas

3-Proficient

uses precise words and

punctuation to convey
experiences and events

detracts from the meaning

inconsistently uses
transition words or
phrases to signal event
order and/or connect
ideas

2-Partially Proficient

attempts to use precise

words and punctuation to
convey experiences and
events

does not use details,

dialogue, and descriptions
of actions, thoughts, and
feelings to develop the
narrative and/or show the
response of characters to
situations

exhibits no evidence of

organization
lacks the use of transition
words or phrases to link
ideas

-Well Below Proficient

does not use precise words

and punctuation to convey

experiences and events
does not use precise words

Draft - September 2015

 skillfully chooses precise

words that describe time and
location
skillfully varies sentence
structure for meaning and
reader/listener interest

Conventions

skillful use of correct

sentence formation,
punctuation, capitalization,
grammar usage, and spelling

uses precise words that

describe time and location
varies sentence structure
for meaning and
reader/listener interest

adequate use of correct

sentence formation,
punctuation,
capitalization, grammar
usage, and spelling

attempts to use precise

words that describe time
and location
attempts to vary sentence
structure for meaning and
reader/listener interest

inconsistent use of correct

sentence formation,
punctuation,
capitalization, grammar
usage, and spelling
errors may obscure the
meaning

Draft - September 2015

that describe time and

location
does not vary sentence

structure for meaning and

reader/listener interest

infrequent use of correct

sentence formation,
punctuation, capitalization,
grammar usage, and spelling
errors interfere with meaning