Third Grade Narrative Rubric
Writing Content and Production
Language Conventions
Writes to the prompt/task and
develops a real or imagined
experience.
Establishes the context within which
an event or experience takes place.
Organizes a clear event sequence that
unfolds naturally.
Uses temporal words or phrases to
signal event order.
Includes well-chosen supporting
details such as dialogue, descriptions,
thoughts, and feelings to develop an
experience or event or to show the
response of the characters.
Includes effective technique such as a
hook, use of voice, etc.
Provides a sense of closure.
With guidance and support from
adults/peers, develops and
strengthens writing as needed by
planning, revising, and editing.
Sentence Structure
 Uses complete and correct declarative, interrogative,
imperative and exclamatory sentences.
 Uses some variety of sentence structures including simple,
compound and complex sentences.
 Uses grade level appropriate academic language, including
words and phrases for effect.
Grammar and Academic Language
 Uses nouns, pronouns, conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs,
and articles correctly.
 Uses past, present and future verb tenses properly, as well
as subject/verb agreement.
 Uses grade level appropriate academic language, including
words and phrases that signal special or temporal
relationships (After dinner that night…)
Capitalization & Punctuation
 Consistently uses correct punctuation, including commas in
addresses; commas and quotation marks in dialogue; uses
possessives correctly.
 Consistently uses capitals correctly, including in titles.
Spelling
 Correctly spells high-frequency and other studied words and
for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled,
happiness).
Uses spelling patterns and generalizations in writing words
(words families, ending rules, etc.)
4
Above Standard: Meets all 8 criteria +
creates a multiple paragraph
composition which includes concrete
words or phrases and sensory details to
convey experiences or events precisely
and engage the reader.
3
At Standard: Meets 6 -8 criteria.
2
Approaching Standard: Meets 5 criteria
1
Below Standard: Meets 4 or fewer
criteria.
Criteria
Criteria
Student Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________
4
3
2
1
Above Standard: Meets all 10 criteria + combines
short related sentences with appositives, participle
phrases, adjectives, adverbs and/or prepositional
phrases.
At Standard: Meets 8-10 criteria.
Approaching Standard: Meets 6-7 criteria
Below Standard: Meets 5 or fewer criteria.
Comments: ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Revised September 2012