Formative Writing Tools

Kindergarten

Teacher Checklists, Student Guides,

and Writing Experiences

GRADE

K

Proficient
Thorough Understanding
Effectively and consistently:
 Prints all upper and
lowercase letters correctly
 Demonstrates mastery of
proper spacing between all
words and word placement
on lines
Conventions
Effectively and consistently:
 Capitalizes first word in a
sentence and the pronoun
“I”
 Uses end punctuation
 Writes letters for most
consonant and short-vowel
sounds
 Spells simple words
phonetically
Celebrations
Statement of
Purpose/Focus
Organization
Elaboration of
Evidence
Language and
Vocabulary
Conventions
(taught within the
context of writing)
*Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards
and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. (NVACS)
Working Copy 8/2014
Teacher Checklist
Grade K Opinion Writing (part 2)
Non-proficient
Adequate Understanding Partial Understanding Minimal Understanding
Usage and Sentence Formation
Adequately: Inconsistently: Rarely:
 Prints many upper and  Prints some upper and lower-  Prints few upper and lower-
lowercase letters correctly case letters correctly case letters correctly
 Demonstrates proficiency of  Demonstrates some  Demonstrates little to no
proper spacing between most proficiency of proper spacing proficiency of proper spacing
words and word placement on between words and word between words and word
lines placement on the lines placement on the lines
Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling
Adequately: Inconsistently: Rarely:
 Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a
sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I”
 Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation
 Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most
consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel
sounds sounds sounds
 Spells simple words  Spells simple words  Spells simple words
phonetically phonetically phonetically
Next Steps for Level of Adult
Instruction Support
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
Page 11 of 25
 Grade K

Student Guide for Opinion Writing

Mode of Communication

 I write. □ I draw. □ I dictate.

Statement of Purpose/Focus

 I name the topic or text.

 I state my opinion.

Organization

2. 3.
 I put my ideas in order.
1.
Elaboration of Evidence

 I add details about the topic or text.

Language and Vocabulary

 I use words or pictures to tell my opinion about the

topic or text.

Conventions

 I use capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and when using I.

 I use ending punctuation.
 I have spaces between my words.
 I use what I know to spell words.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 12 of 25


Grade K Informative/Explanatory Writing (part 2)
Proficient
Thorough Understanding
Effectively and consistently:
 Prints all upper and
lowercase letters correctly
 Demonstrates mastery of
proper spacing between all
words and word placement
on lines
Conventions
Effectively and consistently:
 Capitalizes first word in a
sentence and the pronoun
“I”
 Uses end punctuation
 Writes letters for most
consonant and short-vowel
sounds
 Spells simple words
phonetically
Celebrations
Statement of
Purpose/Focus
Organization
Elaboration of
Evidence
Language and
Vocabulary
Conventions
(taught within the
context of writing)
*Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards
and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. (NVACS)
Working Copy 8/2014
Teacher Checklist
Non-proficient
Adequate Understanding Partial Understanding Minimal Understanding
Usage and Sentence Formation
Adequately: Inconsistently: Rarely:
 Prints many upper and  Prints some upper and lower-  Prints few upper and lower-
lowercase letters correctly case letters correctly case letters correctly
 Demonstrates proficiency of  Demonstrates some  Demonstrates little to no
proper spacing between most proficiency of proper spacing proficiency of proper spacing
words and word placement on between words and word between words and word
lines placement on the lines placement on the lines
Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling
Adequately: Inconsistently: Rarely:
 Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a
sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I”
 Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation
 Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most
consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel
sounds sounds sounds
 Spells simple words  Spells simple words  Spells simple words
phonetically phonetically phonetically
Next Steps for Level of Adult
Instruction Support
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
 High
 Medium
 Low
Page 14 of 25
 Grade K

Student Guide for Informative/Explanatory Writing

Mode of Communication

 I write. □ I draw. □ I dictate.

Statement of Purpose/Focus

 I name my topic.

Organization

 I put my ideas in order.

1. 2. 3.
Elaboration of Evidence

 I add more information about my topic.

Language and Vocabulary

 I use words or pictures about my topic.

Conventions

 I use capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and when using “I”.
 I use ending punctuation.
 I have spaces between my words.
 I use what I know to spell words.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 15 of 25

 Teacher Checklist
Grade K Narrative Writing (part 2)

Proficient Non-Proficient
Thorough Understanding Adequate Understanding Partial Understanding Minimal Understanding

Usage and Sentence Formation

Effectively and consistently: Adequately: Inconsistently: Rarely:

 Prints upper and lowercase  Prints upper and lowercase  Prints upper and lowercase  Prints upper and lowercase
letters correctly letters correctly letters correctly letters correctly

 Demonstrates proficiency of  Demonstrates proficiency of  Demonstrates proficiency of  Demonstrates proficiency of

proper spacing between proper spacing between proper spacing between proper spacing between
words and word placement words and word placement words and word placement words and word placement
on lines on lines on the lines on the lines
Conventions

Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling

Effectively and consistently: Adequately: Inconsistently: Rarely:

 Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a  Capitalizes first word in a
sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I” sentence and the pronoun “I”

 Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation  Uses end punctuation
 Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most  Writes letters for most
consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel consonant and short-vowel
sounds sounds sounds sounds

 Spells simple words  Spells simple words  Spells simple words  Spells simple words
phonetically phonetically phonetically phonetically

Next Steps for Level of Adult

Celebrations
Instruction Support
 High
Narrative Focus  Medium
 Low

 High
Organization  Medium
 Low

 High
Elaboration of  Medium
Narrative  Low

 High
Language and  Medium
Vocabulary  Low

Conventions  High
(taught within the  Medium
context of  Low
writing)
*Students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-specific standards
and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades. (NVACS)

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 17 of 25

 Grade K

Student Guide Narrative Writing

Mode of Communication

 I write. □ I draw. □ I dictate.

Narrative Focus

 I stay on topic.

Organization

 I put my ideas in order.

1. 2. 3.
Elaboration of Narrative

 I describe how I feel about the event.

Language and Vocabulary

 I use words or pictures to tell my story.

Conventions

 I use capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and when using “I”.
 I use ending punctuation.
 I have spaces between my words.
 I use what I know to spell words.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 18 of 25