Using Rubrics to Improve Student Writing, Grade 1 Book

• What kinds of writing should first graders be able to do?

• What does really good-and not so good-writing look like at this level?

• How can you assess children's writing in a way that will help them develop and improve your instruction?

Developed as part of the influential New Standards project, Using Rubrics to Improve Student Writing gives you everything you need to design and improve your writing instruction. Each section opens with a discussion of a genre common in school writing assignments: narrative, report of information, instructions, and response to literature. Then, the book presents detailed rubrics that illustrate what elements and strategies writing in that genre should display. With these rubrics, you'll have the tools you need to deliver formative assessment that will guide your instruction and support the young writers in your classroom.

At the heart of the book are dozens of samples of children's work, showing writing that exceeds, meets, or falls short of grade-level standards. Accompanying each sample is an analysis of the piece and a discussion of where it falls on the rubric. Instructional implications are also included, along with guidance on developing rubrics that fit your teaching context.

With Using Rubrics to Improve Student Writing, your students will grow as writers-and you'll grow as a teacher of writing.