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THE DISTRICT USES A "0-4" SCALE FOR THE READNG LIONS ASSESSMENTS.
THEREFORE,
THE PAPERS GRADED IN MY CLASSROOM WILL REFLECT SCORES ON A "0-4" SCALE AS
WELL FOR CONSISTANCY.
BELOW ARE THE RUBICS, FOLLOWED BY A "1" AND "4" SAMPLE FOR EACH TRAIT.
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IDEAS
4) • You can tell exactly what I mean!
• I am an EXPERT on my topic.
• Get ready to learn TONS of new information!
• This paper is so interesting that you won’t want to put it down!
• You’ve never heard it told like this before!
3) • You can tell what my main idea or story is.
• I know a lot about my topic.
• I use many interesting details.
• You will learn some new things while reading this.
• SOME of my details could be things you know.
• I had a creative way of writing the paper.
2) • I think you can figure out what I’m trying to say.
• I need more information to make this less confusing.
• Mostly, I told things people already know.
• I’m still trying to figure out what I want to say.
• I only have a few details. I need to say more.
• I wrote this the way many other people have.
1) • This is confusing!
• Well, I made some notes. Now what?
• I don’t know what I want to say yet.
• What should my topic be? I’m not sure.
• I’m not ready to write. I don’t have a plan!
SAMPLE OF A “1"
My Friend
My best friend is Jason. He’s cool. We have a lot of fun together. We’re
in
the same class at Cherry Chase together.
Jason and I play baseball together. We play other games too. He makes me
laugh. I think he’s funny sometimes. He’s bigger than me and lives near me.
He’s my best friend because he’s cool. I hope we’re friends for a long time.
SAMPLE OF A “4"
My Rainy Day Friend
I have the best friend in the whole world! Jason is a great guy who loves
to
do everything I do. On the day I met him, I knew we’d be friends for life.
My family and I had just moved to Sunnyvale from Boston. Since it was such
a
huge change from where I grew up, I was very nervous about starting school
the next day. What if I didn’t know the games they were playing? What if I
didn’t know how to buy my lunch? What if I couldn’t find the bathrooms? What
if the kids thought I was strange? Would I make any friends?
The next morning, I awoke to my mom’s voice telling me to hurry up, or I’d
be
late. She also said grab a coat since it had started to rain.
I ate quickly and headed out the door towards the unknown Cherry Chase. My
mind was filled with “what ifs” and not paying attention to where my feet
were going. I walked right into another kid who had just stepped out of his
driveway. SLAM! Down we both went, into a puddle of oozing mud. Sitting
there soaked and dirty, I looked up to see who I had run into. Preparing
myself for the yelling that I was sure that was coming my way, I was greeted
instead by a smile and loud laugh. “Hi, my name is Jason. You must be the
new kid that’s starting today. That was some way to introduce yourself!”
We brushed ourselves off and walked on to school together. We knew then that
we’d be friends for life, and we’re still laughing together everyday!
Jason’s
the BEST!
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ORGANIZATION
4) • This is SO easy to follow that it’s like having a road map.
• Every detail is in JUST the right place.
• My main idea really stands out.
• My lead and ending are both WOW!
3) • You will not feel lost reading this.
• Most of the details are in order.
• Main ideas stand out.
• I could move some things around to make it even better.
• My lead is OK. It gets your attention.
• My ending is OK. The paper doesn’t just stop.
2) • My information is not always in order.
• It’s not easy to follow what’s happening.
• Where am I going? I forgot to stick to the main idea.
• I have an opening, but it’s not exciting.
• I have an ending, but it just repeats things I’ve already said.
1) • This is VERY hard to follow. Even I feel lost.
• This is just a bunch of ideas tossed together.
• Nothing goes with anything else.
• Oops - I forgot to put in a lead. It just starts.
• Double Oops - I also forgot an ending. It just stops.
SAMPLE OF A “1"
I like school. I’m in the fourth grade at Cherry Chase. It is really fun
sometimes. I think P.E. and art are the most fun. My favorite grade was
kindergarten because of the Leprechaun Hunt.
I think the food isn’t very good. The waffles are OK though. I always sit
at
the end of the table, so I can be the first out to play.
Lisa was mean to me about something I didn’t do. She told the other kids
about it, so they wouldn’t play with me.
I tried to tell her that I didn’t take her pencil box, but she didn’t
believe
me. It was so unfair.
SAMPLE OF A “4"
When Your Friends Aren’t Really Your Friends
Last Friday started out like any other day. Then IT happened. Lisa called
me as I was leaving for school, accusing me of borrowing her pencil box and
not returning it. She continued to explain to me that if I did not have it
on her desk when the bell rang, she’d tell everyone what I had done.
I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Yes, I had used her
colored
pencils during class yesterday, but I certainly didn’t keep her pencil box.
I just figured we’d clear it all up when we got to school.
By the time I arrived, Lisa had already told everyone about it. I felt like
all eyes were on me as I got in line to enter the classroom. I sat down at
my
desk, and class started right away. It was only two hours until recess, but
it felt like two days. Finally, Mrs. Evenhuis dismissed the class, and I
went up to Lisa so we could finally resolve the problem. I could hear the
other students whisperings as I approached her, wondering if they were going
to be witnesses to an argument.
Instead, Lisa turned to me and said, “I’m sorry about what happened. I
found
the pencil box in my cubbie this morning. Oh well. These things happen. No
hard feeling?”
This was my worst day at school, not because Lisa got mad at me, but because
I realized that someone I thought was my friend truly wasn’t. That made me
very sad.
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WORD CHOICE
4) • Every word I chose helps make my meaning clear.
• I LOVE the words in this piece of writing.
• My VERBS are strong and lively!
• All of your senses come alive when you read this paper.
• My word choices are different - you will not read these same
words in someone else’s paper.
3) • Most of my words are clear and used correctly.
• Many of them paint pictures in your mind.
• Most verbs are strong (not many: is, are, was, were, said)
• I found some new ways of saying things.
• I repeated very few things.
2) • I didn’t always use words correctly.
• I had one or two good moments, though!
• My verbs are not that strong or lively.
• I did not try to be original. I used the first words that
came to my mind or that I could spell easily.
• Most of my words are ordinary. They could be in anyone’s paper.
• I didn’t ALWAYS try to say things in a new way. It’s too much work!
1) • When I read this over, it doesn’t make any sense.
• I use the same words over and over and over.
• I think most of my words are words that everyone uses.
• I need different words to make this paper clear. The reader can’t
picture anything I’m trying to say!
• My words are confusing. I do NOT know what some of them mean.
SAMPLE OF A “1"
The Beach
On Saturday, my parents took me to the beach. A really nice thing about the
beach is all the stuff you can do there. I can think that the beach is the
desert if I want to, or I can run up and down the beach, splashing in the
water. I also like to play outdoor games at the beach like frisbee. I also
like to build sand castles at the beach.
My parents like the beach although they think it can get too hot there
sometimes. I think it can get too windy sometimes at the beach although
windy
is good for flying kites. I like kites. When we went to the beach on
Saturday, it wasn’t too windy or too hot. I think that was good because I
didn’t have my kite with me.
SAMPLE OF “4"
Capitola on a Saturday in August
My favorite place to spend a warm, summer afternoon is at the beach. Last
Saturday, I was fortunate enough to spent the day in Capitola, just South of
Santa Cruz, with my family.
When we arrived, I sat down in the warm sand and listened to the crashing
waves as the salty spray tickled my face. Some other children scurried past
me, kicking sand on my blanket, laughing as they ran from the incoming surf.
As always, the seagulls and sandpipers were competing for the bits of algae
that wash up on the shore with each wave.
While my parents unpacked our picnic lunch consisting of golden fried
chicken, juicy watermelon and chocolate chips cookies still warm from the
oven, I assembled our after-meal entertainment: the kite.
This wasn’t just any kite. My parents and I discovered it in a tiny shop
off
the main street in Chinatown last June. Resembling a dragon in a Chinese New
Year’s Parade, the shopkeeper promised us that his kite could not only fly,
but also perform an array of aerobatic tricks. Today was the day to find out
what it could do. I couldn’t wait for lunch to be over!
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FLUENCY
4) • You can read my paper with LOTS of expression.
• Almost every sentence begins differently.
• Some sentences are long and stretchy. Some are short and snappy.
• I use a lot of variety!
• The words actually dance over the pages!
• My paper is easy and fun to read a lot. Try it!
3) • You can read this paper aloud, and it’s pretty smooth.
• Many sentences begin in different ways.
• Some sentences are longer or shorter than others.
• It would be even smoother with more variety.
2) • To read this aloud, you will need to practice first.
• It doesn’t sound natural like the way people talk or think
about things.
• MOST of my sentences begin the same way.
• Most of my sentences are the same length, too.
• Sometimes, I went on and on to make one huge sentence instead
of making it into two.
• Other parts were choppy and sounded more like a grocery list.
1) • This is HARD to read aloud. WOW! I can’t even do it.
• These “sentences” do not make sense, even to me.
• I have to fill in missing words or combine sentences better.
SAMPLE OF A “1"
The Dogs
I walked home from school yesterday. I only live two blocks from Cherry
Chase. I saw two big dogs walking alone towards me. I didn’t know what to
do. I stopped to see what they would do. I was scared. I was hoping they
wouldn’t try to bite me. I could see they had big teeth.
The first dog walked by me. The second dog then walked by me. They seemed
in
hurry. They didn’t bothered me. They didn’t notice I was there. They just
went down the street.
SAMPLE OF A “4"
The Day I Meet Two Wild Dogs
I have never been so scared in my life! On my way home from school
yesterday, I saw two unleashed dogs walking towards me. The first one has
about 75 pounds with thick legs and two fangs protruding from his lips.
The
second one was even bigger and uglier.
Since I only live two blocks from Cherry Chase, I though about running the
rest of the way home. I knew that would be a mistake though. Although I was
scared, I needed to remain perfectly still. I didn’t move an inch.
The first of the pair sniffed at my shoes and kept walking. He acted as if
he were late for an appointment with a bowl of dog food and hurried on. The
second dog didn’t even stop to smell me. I was safe!
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VOICE
4) • This is me. You can tell I’m talking.
• I think you will want to share this paper aloud.
• I LOVE my topic, and you can tell.
• I am writing just for YOU, my reader.
3) • My voice is pretty clear, and I think it sounds like me.
• It’s a good paper, and I would share it.
• I like this topic, so I wanted to make it interesting
for my readers.
2) • Does this paper sound like ME? Maybe. A little.
• It’s an OK paper, but I’m not sure I would read it aloud to anyone.
• My audience? Well, I didn’t think about them too much.
• This wasn’t my favorite topic. It was just OK.
• This sounds like an encyclopedia, not me!
• It doesn’t have much personality. It’s like pizza without toppings.
1) • I do not hear ANY voice in this writing.
• I did NOT like this topic. It’s boring.
• I guess my paper sounds kind of boring, too.
• I didn’t think about WHO would read this.
• I don’t really care if anyone reads this.
• I just want to be done with it.
SAMPLE OF A “1"
Dear Kid at the Other School,
Hi. I’m in the fourth grade at Cherry Chase. School is OK most of the
time. Recess is a lot of fun though. So is P.E. Art can be fun if I don’t
have to draw too much. The best time is science. I like it when we learn
stuff by putting things together. It can be hard working in groups though.
At Cherry Chase, we have a big field and a play structure. We also have
square boxes, basketball hoops and backboards. We have lots of rubber balls.
Getting up in the morning is hard. I wish school started later. I wish it
ended sooner too. I wish summer vacation was longer too.
Bye.
SAMPLE OF A “4"
Dear Neal,
I’m so excited to make a new friend at another school! I can’t wait to hear
all about you and tell you some things about me. I love fourth grade at
Cherry Chase. Every morning, we say our school pledge which goes, “Cherry
Chase - The Best School in America.” It’s true!
All the teachers here are wonderful, but mine is the best. Mrs. Evenhuis
makes all the subjects challenging, but fun. I especially enjoy Writer’s
Workshop everyday. We always get a little bit of time to do free write, and
I get to work on my science fiction stories. I love writing about space!
We have all the usual playground equipment and games here at Cherry Chase.
However, I have the best time when we make up games with a rubber ball
against the backboards. Do you do that at your school?
Please write back soon. I want to hear about your school now!
Your friend,
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CONVENTIONS
4) • You have to be really PICKY to find mistakes in my paper.
• I edited this. I really looked HARD for mistakes.
• I asked others to help me look, too!
• My spelling and grammar are ALL excellent.
• I think my paper looks SPECTACULAR, and I’m very PROUD to put
it up on the wall.
3) • I made a some small errors. Nothing BIG though.
• I DID edit this. I just didn’t catch everything.
• My spelling, punctuation, and grammar are good though.
• My paper looks pretty sharp on the page.
2) • I have quite a few mistakes.
• I did a LITTLE editing, but I think I hurried too much.
• No one else proofed my paper.
• My spelling, punctuation, and grammar are so-so.
• My paper looks fine, I think. The lay-out is OK.
• Readers will notice my mistakes, I’m sure of that.
• I don’t think it looks as good as it should, either.
1) • I have SO many mistakes that I can hardly read this.
• I need to go over it word by word.
• I need A LOT of help with my editing. I never asked anyone.
• Lay-out? Does it really matter if I turned in my rough draft?