Gloss: I like to swim because I play with toys in there.
Notes: The student writes using random letter strings.
Ideas and Content: The student is able to make meaning from the random letters, but the words “in there” are confusing at the end of the sentence “I like to swim because I play with toys in there.”
Organization and Focus: The student does not address what season he or she likes, yet tells about something he or she might like to do in the summer. The drawing is unclear, but appears to be a child playing. The writer attempts to connect ideas together with the word “because” but the connection is weak since the meaning of “because I play with toys in there” is not clear.
Style: The writing style can not be assessed because the student did not write words.
Conventions: The letters are not legible, and some appear to be numbers. There are no letters that match sounds and there is no distinction between words.
Notes: The student writes a one sentence response that does not address the prompt.
Ideas and Content: The student is able to explain what he or she has written. The drawing of the Tyrannosaurus Rex is detailed with a tail, teeth, and a bony ridge on the head.
Organization and Focus: Though it appears at first that the student has ignored the prompt, if the planning page is examined, the reader can see that the student has written “fall” (“fol”) and has erased the abbreviation for October. This shows that the student does have some understanding of the prompt. The angry T-Rex and the words “I am mad” complement each other. Either the dinosaur is mad, or the student is mad that he or she has been asked to write about seasons and wants to write about dinosaurs. If the student had connected this idea to another by explaining what “I am mad” refers to, the paper would seem more complete.
Style: The student’s words, though simple and direct, flow and get the point across.
Conventions: The letters are legible and move left to right across the page. Two out of the three words contain the correct vowels and all of the words have the correct consonant matches. There is no distinction between words.
Gloss: I like spring. I ride my bike.
Notes: The student writes two sentences and has a detailed picture.
Ideas and Content: Though the student writes only two sentences, the illustration shows that he or she has a lot of ideas to write about. Not only does the student show himself or herself riding a bike, but the illustration shows that he or she rides with another person, that the weather is sunny, that they ride on the street, and that they have a ramp.
Organization and Focus: The student demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt. The student also demonstrates beginning organization skills by writing two sentences that go together and by writing and drawing about the same topic.
Style: The student does not use adjectives or adverbs, but writes words that flow into sentences.
Conventions: The student’s words are written with spaces between them and flow from left to right across the page. All of the words include beginning, middle, and ending sounds.
Gloss: I like summer ‘cause we go swimming in a blue pond.
Notes: The student writes one complex sentence.
Ideas and Content: The student is able to read his or her writing. Both the writing and the illustration contain details. The illustration shows that the pond is near a house on a hill and that the weather is sunny. The writing offers details that support why the student likes summer (he or she can go swimming in a blue pond).
Organization and Focus: The illustration and writing are well organized. The use of the word “because” demonstrates that the student is able to meaningfully connect ideas.
Style: The student uses the adjective “blue” to describe the pond and create a more vivid image for the reader. The words flow together to sound like a sentence even though the student does not use conventional punctuation yet.
Conventions: The words are written with appropriate spaces and contain matches for most sounds.
Gloss: I like to do cannon balls at the Hicksville pool. I like to play in my sandbox with my bulldozer. It is yellow. I push the sand in the hole.
Notes: The student independently writes multiple sentences.
Ideas and Content: The student demonstrates an exemplary ability to write using details.
Organization and Focus: The student does not mention what season he or she likes, but it is most likely summer or spring since the paper discusses swimming. The student is also able to smoothly connect multiple ideas about playing in the sandbox.
Style: The descriptive and specific vocabulary used such as “cannon balls,” “Hicksville pool,” and “yellow bulldozer” add to the writer’s style.
Conventions: The student demonstrates writing conventions above kindergarten expectations.