Six Traits Writing Rubric
1
Beginning
 Does not address either of the
topics
 Development is minimal or
non-existent
2
Emerging
 Purpose and main idea may be
unclear and cluttered by irrelevant
details
 Not very well developed
3
Proficient
 Story elements reveal an emerging
theme.
 Theme is evident not only in the
topic, but also in the literary
devices and organization
4
Exemplary
 Skillfully combines all story
elements around a controlling idea
to reveal a thought provoking
theme
 Exceptionally clear, focused,
engaging with imaginative and
precise details
Organization
Story Structure
Beginning, middle,
and end
Paragraphs stay on
one topic
 Lack of coherence; confusing
 No identifiable beginning or
ending
 Lack of structure; disorganized and
hard to follow
 Appears to start or stop in the
middle of something
 Appears to be a list
 Organization is appropriate, but
conventional
 Beginning, middle, and end are
present.
 Effectively organized in logical
and creative manner
 Creative and engaging beginning
and ending
Voice
The character has a
distinct personality
Sense of audience
 Writing is lifeless
 No hint of the writer
 Writing tends to be flat or stiff
 Mechanical
 Appropriate to audience and
purpose
 Writer behind the words is starting
to come through
 Engaging & sincere
 Strong sense of audience
 Shows emotion: humor, honesty,
or suspense
Word Choice
Words are precise and
effective
Imagery
 Limited range of words
 Vocabulary often misused
 Inappropriate words chosen
 Monotonous, often repetitive
 Words may be correct but boring
 Language is functional and
appropriate
 Descriptions may be overdone at
times
 Precise, carefully chosen
 Strong, fresh, vivid images
Sentence Fluency
Sentences have natural
rhythm and flow
Sentences are varied:
Short, medium, long
 Difficult to follow or read
aloud
 Disjointed, confusing,
rambling
 Often choppy
 Awkward
 Run-on sentences
 Sentence fragments
 Generally in control
 Easy flow and rhythm
 Good variety in length and
structure
 High degree of craftsmanship
 Effective variation in sentence
patterns
Conventions
Spelling, capitals,
punctuation, grammar
used well
 Numerous errors distract the
reader and make the text
difficult to read
 Errors may be made more
than one way for the same
pattern or structure
 Images do not makes sense
with the story
 Images are not well done
 Frequent significant errors may
impede readability
 Errors frequent in common patterns
and structures
 Control of most writing
conventions
 Errors are few and minor
 Exceptionally strong control of
standard conventions of writing
 Complex conventions attempted
 Some images make sense
 Some images are well done
 Most images make sense
 Most images are well done
 Images are engaging and logical
 Images are a publishable quality
Ideas
Character hid
something about
themselves to fit in.
Character acted in a
shameful way.
Descriptive details
Presentation
Impeccable images are
linked to the story