Writing

Writing Benchmarks - Narrative

1st Quarter

Writing Process
- Sketches a three part plan
- Develops own topic
- Adds on to story with support
- Carries story over two days
Surface Features
- Three sentences
- Consistent spacing
- Uses lowercase letters consistently
- Uses periods and capitalizes beginning of sentences
Content
- Writes with beginning, middle and end
- Includes a character
- Uses dialogue in plan (not necessarily in writing)
- Includes setting
- Concludes with a feeling

2nd Quarter - All the above plus:

Writing Process
- Uses words in the writing plan
- Topics other than self
- Adds on to piece with support
Surface Features
- Increases number of sentences to 4-5 sentences
- Capitalizes word at sentence beginning
- Uses a variety of punctuation (periods, question marks, exclamation marks)
Content
- Uses descriptive words
- Contains action or significant event
- Increases details in the middle
- Sequential and organized