Formative Writing Tools

Kindergarten

Teacher Checklists, Student Guides,

and Writing Experiences

GRADE

K
 Teacher Checklist
Grade K Opinion Writing (part 1)
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. The purpose of this checklist is to clarify essential knowledge, skills,
and abilities specific to kindergarten and to use as a tool for conferring with individual students. NOT INTENDED TO ASSIGN AN OVERALL SCORE/GRADE TO
STUDENT WORK.

Student Name: ___________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________

Proficient Non-proficient
Thorough Understanding Adequate Understanding Partial Understanding Minimal Understanding
Purpose/Focus Communication

 Communication is  Communication is represented  Communication is dominated  Communication consists of

represented clearly through through a combination of by drawing and/or dictation drawing with no dictation or
Mode of

writing (drawings may be writing, drawing, and dictating with minimal writing writing
present)

 Clearly states an opinion or  Adequately states opinion or  Somewhat unclear opinion or Lacks opinion or preference
Statement of

preference preference preference

 Structure matches purpose  Structure is present  Structure is starting to  Structure is random or

Organization

emerge unclear

 Supplies details and a  Supplies details to strengthen  Supplies weak details  Supplies unrelated or no
Elaboration of
Evidence

reason to support opinion the writing details

 Effective use of  Adequate use of  Some use of  Vague, unclear, confusing, or

Language and
Vocabulary

vocabulary/language vocabulary/language vocabulary/language no vocabulary/language is

appropriate to appropriate to communication appropriate to communication used
communication task task task

Opinion checklist continues on next page.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 10 of 25

 Grade K

Student Guide for Opinion Writing

Mode of Communication

 I write. □ I draw. □ I dictate.

Statement of Purpose/Focus

 I name the topic or text.

 I state my opinion.

Organization

2. 3.
 I put my ideas in order.
1.
Elaboration of Evidence

 I add details about the topic or text.

Language and Vocabulary

 I use words or pictures to tell my opinion about the

topic or text.

Conventions

 I use capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and when using I.

 I use ending punctuation.
 I have spaces between my words.
 I use what I know to spell words.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 12 of 25

 Teacher Checklist
Grade K Informative/Explanatory Writing (part 1)
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. The purpose of this checklist is to clarify essential knowledge, skills,
and abilities specific to kindergarten and to use as a tool for conferring with individual students. NOT INTENDED TO ASSIGN AN OVERALL SCORE/GRADE TO
STUDENT WORK.

Student Name: ___________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________

Proficient Non-proficient
Thorough Understanding Adequate Understanding Partial Understanding Minimal Understanding
Communication

 Communication is  Communication is represented  Communication is dominated  Communication consists of

represented clearly through through a combination of by drawing and/or dictation drawing with no dictation or
Mode of

writing (drawings may be writing, drawing, and dictating with minimal writing writing
present)

 Clearly names topic  Adequately names a topic  Somewhat unclear topic  Lacks a topic
Purpose/Focus
Statement of

 Structure matches purpose  Structure is present  Structure is starting to  Structure is random or

Organization

emerge unclear

 Supplies information that  Supplies some information  Supplies limited information  Supplies unrelated or no
Elaboration of

deepens reader’s about the topic information

Evidence

understanding of the topic

 Effective use of  Adequate use of  Some use of  Vague, unclear, confusing, or

Language and
Vocabulary

vocabulary/language vocabulary/language vocabulary/language no vocabulary/language is

appropriate to appropriate to communication appropriate to communication used
communication task task task

Informative/Explanatory checklist continues on next page.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 13 of 25

 Grade K

Student Guide for Informative/Explanatory Writing

Mode of Communication

 I write. □ I draw. □ I dictate.

Statement of Purpose/Focus

 I name my topic.

Organization

 I put my ideas in order.

1. 2. 3.
Elaboration of Evidence

 I add more information about my topic.

Language and Vocabulary

 I use words or pictures about my topic.

Conventions

 I use capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and when using “I”.
 I use ending punctuation.
 I have spaces between my words.
 I use what I know to spell words.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 15 of 25

 Teacher Checklist
Grade K Narrative Writing (part 1)
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear sequences. The purpose of this checklist
is to clarify essential knowledge, skills, and abilities specific to kindergarten and to use as a tool for conferring with individual students. NOT INTENDED TO ASSIGN
AN OVERALL SCORE/GRADE TO STUDENT WORK.

Student Name: ___________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________

Proficient Non-proficient
Thorough Understanding Adequate Understanding Partial Understanding Minimal Understanding
Communication

 Communication is  Communication is represented  Communication is dominated  Communication consists of

represented clearly through through a combination of by drawing and/or dictation drawing with no dictation or
Mode of

writing (drawings may be writing, drawing, and dictating with minimal writing writing
present)

 Clearly focuses on the  Adequately focuses on the  Somewhat focuses on the  Lacks a focus
Narrative Focus

event throughout event throughout event or contains a minor drift

 Clearly narrates more than  Narrates a single event or  Attempts to narrate a single  Fails to narrate a single event
one event several loosely linked events event or several loosely or several loosely linked
linked events (may have events
minor flaws)

 Uses temporal words to  Tells about the events in the  Events are present but not in  No events are present
Organization

signal event order order in which they occur the order of which they occur

 Includes details to describe  Provides a reaction to what  Provides an inappropriate or  Provides no reaction to what
Elaboration of
Narrative

a reaction to what happened confusing reaction to what happened

happened happened

 Effective use of  Adequate use of  Some use of  Vague, unclear, confusing, or

Language and
Vocabulary

vocabulary/language vocabulary/language vocabulary/language no vocabulary/language is

appropriate to appropriate to communication appropriate to communication used
communication task task task

Narrative checklist continues on next page.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 16 of 25

 Grade K

Student Guide Narrative Writing

Mode of Communication

 I write. □ I draw. □ I dictate.

Narrative Focus

 I stay on topic.

Organization

 I put my ideas in order.

1. 2. 3.
Elaboration of Narrative

 I describe how I feel about the event.

Language and Vocabulary

 I use words or pictures to tell my story.

Conventions

 I use capital letters at the beginning of my sentences and when using “I”.
 I use ending punctuation.
 I have spaces between my words.
 I use what I know to spell words.

Working Copy 8/2014 Page 18 of 25