Weaving It Together

Sample Grading Rubric
for Written Work
The following rubric may be adapted to the needs of your class. Choose the categories
you wish to use for your grading. Assign a grade of 1 to 5 for each item (1 = inadequate;
5 = excellent). To fi nd the average grade, add all the grades together and divide the sum
by the total number of items.
1. Content
a. Clear development of main idea 1 2 3 4 5
b. Suffi cient and relevant supporting details 1 2 3 4 5
c. Original thinking about the topic 1 2 3 4 5
2. Organization
a. Correct organization of ideas into paragraphs
(or within a paragraph) 1 2 3 4 5
b. Logical sequence of ideas 1 2 3 4 5
c. Main points and supporting details clearly expressed 1 2 3 4 5
3. Vocabulary
a. Good range of vocabulary for this level 1 2 3 4 5
b. Appropriate choice of words for this level 1 2 3 4 5
4. Language Use
a. Correct use of grammar structures for this level 1 2 3 4 5
b. Few major errors (in such areas as subject-verb agreement,
word order, and tense) 1 2 3 4 5
c. Correct use of articles, nouns, and prepositions 1 2 3 4 5
d. Correct use of cohesive devices such as pronouns and
transition words 1 2 3 4 5
5. Mechanics
a. Correct spelling and use of punctuation and capitalization 1 2 3 4 5
b. Correct use of paragraph format 1 2 3 4 5
c. Good presentation (handwriting is legible; paper is neatly
prepared, with title, name, and class) 1 2 3 4 5
12 Sample Grading Rubric for Written Work`
00238-X_006-073.indd 12 11/12/09 8:39 PM