Six Traits Paragraph Writing Rubric
1
Beginning
Idea
• main theme
• supporting
details
• Lacks central
idea
• Development is
minimal or nonexistent
Organization • Lack of
• structure
• introduction
• conclusion
coherence;
confusing
• No identifiable
beginning or
ending
Voice
• Writing is lifeless
• No hint of the
writer
• personality
• sense of
audience
Word
Choice
• precision
• effectiveness
• imagery
Sentence
Fluency
• rhythm, flow
• variety
Conventions
• age
appropriate
for spelling,
caps,
punctuation,
grammar
2
Emerging
• Purpose and
main idea may
be unclear and
cluttered by
irrelevant detail
• May be unclear
because
paragraph has
competing
ideas for thesis
• Lack of
structure;
disorganized
and hard to
follow
• Appears to
start or stop in
the middle of
something
• Writing tends
to be flat or
stiff
• Stereotypic,
copied tone
and voice
3
Developing
4
Proficient
• Main idea may
be cloudy
because
supporting
detail is too
general or even
off-topic
• Evident main
idea with some
support which
may be general
or limited
• A main idea
or topic is
clear
• Clear,
focused,
interesting
idea with
appropriate
detail
• Paragraph centred
around a
significant idea or
topic
• Exceptionally
clear, focused,
engaging with
relevant, strong
supporting detail
• Attempts at
organization;
may be a “list”
of items
• Beginning and
ending not clear
• Organization is
appropriate, but
conventional
• Attempt at
introduction
and conclusion
• Strong order
and structure
• Inviting intro
and satisfying
closure
• Effectively
organized in
logical and
creative manner
• Creative and
engaging intro
and conclusion
• Voice may be
inappropriate or
non-existent
• Writing may
seem
mechanical
• Evident
commitment to
topic
• Inconsistent or
formulaic
personality
• Appropriate
to audience
and purpose
• Writer behind
the words
comes
through
• Descriptive,
broad range of
words
• Word choice
energizes
writing
• Expressive,
engaging, sincere
• Strong sense of
audience
• Shows emotion:
humour, honesty,
suspense or life
• Precise, carefully
chosen
• Strong, fresh,
vivid images
• Easy flow and
rhythm
• Good variety
in length and
structure
• High degree of
craftsmanship
• Effective variation
in sentence
patterns
• Words may be
• Language is
correct but
functional and
mundane
appropriate
• Common words • Descriptions
chosen
may be
overdone at
times
• Difficult to
• Often choppy
• Some awkward • Generally in
follow or read
constructions
control
• Monotonous
aloud
sentence
• Common
• Lacks variety in
• Disjointed,
patterns
simple pattern
length and
confusing,
used
structure
• Frequent runrambling
on sentences
• Several
sentences begin
• Some sentence
the same way
fragments
• Numerous errors • Frequent
• Limited control • Control of most
distract the
significant
of conventions
writing
conventions
reader and make
errors may
• Some errors in
the text difficult
impede
common
• Errors reflect
to read
readability
patterns or
risks with
• Errors may be
• Errors frequent
structures do
unusual or
made more than
in common
not unduly
sophisticated
one way for the
patterns and
interfere with
structures
same pattern or
structures
understanding
structure
• Limited range of
words
• Some vocabulary
misused
• Monotonous,
often
repetitious,
sometimes
inappropriate
5
Strong
6
Exemplary
• Strong control • Exceptionally
of
strong control of
conventions
standard
conventions of
• Errors are few
writing
and minor
• Complex
conventions
attempted
Adapted for Regina Public Schools from Vicki Spandel, Creating Writers
Regina, SK Canada