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Writing Rubric

This writing rubric scores any piece of writing on six qualities at four levels: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions. Every level is written out, with a score column, a strength, a next step and a total out of 24.

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Grade Level
Grades 1 to 12
Pages
1
Formats
PDF, Google Docs, Word
Paper Size
US Letter and A4
Checked By
Milo, Classroom Teacher
Last Updated
October 2026
Works with the EMStudio Gradebook. Write, organize and reuse your plans online.

Writing Rubric Example

A 5th grade personal narrative scored on six qualities of writing, with one strength and one next step.

Writing rubric scored for a 5th grader's personal narrative about a first camping trip: six criteria from ideas to conventions scored from 4 to 1, a strength, a next step for revision and a total of 19 out of 24.

What's in the Writing Rubric

Six Qualities of Writing

Ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions.

Four Levels Written Out

Each row describes 4 Exemplary, 3 Proficient, 2 Developing and 1 Beginning in plain words.

Strength and Next Step

Ruled boxes for one strength and one next step for revision, plus a total out of 24.

Editable Versions

Type into the Word, Google Docs or PDF file, in US Letter or A4, or print it.

How to Use the Writing Rubric

  1. Give It Out First

    Share the rubric when you assign the piece, so students know what a 4 looks like before they write.

  2. Fill In the Header

    Write the student's name, the title or assignment and the date at the top of the page.

  3. Score Each Quality

    Read the piece, mark the level that fits in each row and write its number in the Score column.

  4. Name a Strength

    Write one thing the writer did well in the Strength box, using the words from the rubric.

  5. Set a Next Step

    Write one change to try in the Next Step box, add the total out of 24, and return the page.

Writing Rubric Questions

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