WRITING CRITERIA OVER WRITING RUBRICS
Most teachers use rubrics as a guide to grading students’ writing. Years ago, I used rubrics, too, but found them frustrating because I wanted to develop guidelines that enabled me to grade but that would also support students as they planned and drafted. Moreover, I wanted the guidelines to reflect the writing process so that I could think about including what students could do, but add lessons on craft and style and writing conventions that would move students’ forward and improve their writing. For me, the criteria show what I am teaching and students are practicing and learning. Most important, criteria reflect what’s happening in my writing workshop. Here’s a list of how writing criteria support students and teachers.
Students use writing criteria to:
- plan writing and compose a first draft
- edit and revise a first draft before you read an improved second draft and offer feedback.
- use the criteria as a checklist of what they need to include in a piece of writing
- understand how the writing will be graded
- peer revise and edit writing
Teachers use writing criteria to:
- know what mini-lessons to present
- grade a second draft piece of writing
- respond to students’ plans, first draft, edits, and revisions by citing what students did well—no more B+ good work
- provide feedback to help students improve their writing
- suggest areas that require additional work
Let me give you a concrete example of writing criteria and discuss the three parts of that reflect the writing process. Notice that criteria include all aspects of the writing process: the content of a piece, the craft and technique that studets will practice, and writing conventions. Students receive criteria before they begin planning a piece of writing. The elements included in a writing plan are from the list of content guidelines stated in the criteria because content is what all writers work on first.
Students plan using the content guidelines of the criteria. I expect detailed plans because the more detailed the plan, the better the writing.
Criteria for an Informative/Explanatory Essay: Grade 8
Content (60%)
- Audience: who? How much do they know about the topic?
- Title: short
- Introduction: introduces the topic; ends with a focus statement
- Four paragraphs that support the focus statement
- Ending: takes reader beyond the topic
Craft & Technique (25%)
- Leads and Endings
- Topic sentence for each supporting paragraph
- Transitions between paragraphs
- Strong verbs and specific nouns
Writing Conventions (15%)
- Identifying and repairing faulty pronoun references
- Punctuating compound and complex sentences
Criteria for an Informative/Explanatory Essay: Grade 5
Content (65%)
- Audience: who? How much do they know about the topic?
- Title: short
- Introduce with a focus statement
- Two paragraphs that support the focus statement
- Ending: a short warp-up that takes reader beyond the topic
Craft & Technique (20%)
- Leads and Endings
- Topic sentence for each supporting paragraph
Writing Conventions (15%)
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Usually, students require two days to complete a writing plan. During that time, I’m supporting developing writers and English language learners by discussing content with them and then asking them to jot their ideas on their plans
Students raise their hands when they feel their plans are complete. I check most plans during the two class periods I’ve set aside for this task. If a plan is complete, I initial it and let the student start drafting. However, if the plan needs more work, I jot down suggestions on a sticky note, give the note to the student as a reminder, and move on to support others. I find that during two class periods, I can check most or all of students’ writing plans. Usually, I have only a few to check in my planning period or at home.
Criteria have specific guidelines that enable students to check the content of their first drafts and/or have a writing partner check their content guidelines. First draft writing is always messy and in need of improvement. During class, students revise their drafts using the craft and technique guidelines and edit using the writing convention guidelines. Revision and editing come after I have presented mini-lessons that show students how to revise and edit. While students revise and edit their first drafts, I circulate, stopping to support those who need a brief conference and encouraging those who can work independently.
Before starting a second draft, students can have a writing partner use the criteria for craft and technique and writing conventions to peer edit. Peer editing guidelines come from the criteria (see writing plan guidelines for eighth grade criteria and peer editing guidelines for fifth grade for an informative essay below).
Reading second drafts makes my grading life so much easier because students have already improved all aspects of their writing. Only a few students need to return to their work to complete additional revisions and edits. Students receive two grades:
The first grade is for content; The second grade is for craft, technique, and writing conventions.
I provide two grades so students who struggle with spelling, grammar, and punctuation can see the merit of their content. It also helps me set priorities for the scaffolding some students require because in order to grade, I am considering all three parts of the criteria.
As you read the forms, notice how easy it is to create them; they come from the criteria. If criteria contain several craft and technique guidelines and several writing convention guidelines, I suggest that you have students peer edit each section of the criteria separately to avoid having students feel overwhelmed.
By showing students how to peer edit and then improve their writing, you teaching for independence and taking a great deal of the work load and placing it on students which is where the work load should be.
Writing Plan for an Informative Essay: Grade 8
Name__________________________________Date________________
Audience:
Working title:
Introduction and focus statement:
Details for paragraph1:
Details for paragraph 2:
Details for paragraph 4:
Conclusions: Show how you’ll take reader beyond the topic.
Peer Feedback for Informative Essay: Grade 5, Content
Name of Writer____________________________
Name of Peer Editor________________________
Directions:
1. Start by point out the positives you noticed.
2. Frame suggestions for improving the piece as questions.
3. Example: You have one detailed paragraph with solid support. Can you add more details to your second paragraph?
Evaluate the title: is it Short? Does it introduce the topic?
Focus statement: Is it clear/ Do you know what the content of the essay is?
Two paragraphs: Evaluate the amount of details. Do the details support the focus statement?
Conclusion: How does the author keep you thinking?
Peer Feedback for Informative Essay, Revise and Edit: Grade 5
Name of Writer____________________________
Name of Peer Editor________________________
Directions:
1. Start by point out the positives you noticed.
2. Frame suggestions for improving the piece as questions.
Example: Your first paragraph has a terrific topic sentence? Can you add one to introduce your second paragraph?
Supporting paragraphs: Evaluate the topic sentences that introduce each of the support paragraphs:
Run-on sentences: Have these been repaired? Bracket off any sentences that you think might be run-ons and have the writer repair these.
Professional Books to Investigate
Here are three of my professional materials that include additional explanations of writing criteria and also include writing plans, and mini-lessons for content, craft and technique, and writing conventions.
- Teaching Middle School Writers: What Every English Teacher Needs to Know, Heinemann, 2010.
- Teaching Nonfiction Writing: A Practical Guide, Scholastic, 2004.
- Smart Writing: Practical Units for Teaching Middle School Writers, Heinemann, 2012.
THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER
Students write in all subjects, making teaching and using writing a top priority in any middle school. I suggest you meet with grade level teams and help teachers on a grade level team dialogue about writing in their discipline. Ask teachers to support one another with writing across the curriculum. Middle school students should have a writing workshop each day where they learn how to write to argue a claim, inform, explain, and write a variety of narratives and poems.
The research on writing as a way of improving reading comprehension is compelling and something teachers should read and discuss. Steve Graham and Michael Hebert in their study, Write to Read, call for more writing workshop time as well as writing about reading. Why? Because of the link their research established between writing and reading comprehension.
Go to www.carnegie.org/literacy and download, at no charge, their study: Write to Read. You’ll also find two additional documents that you can download with no charge: Writing Next and Reading Next; both contain key research and suggestions that can support teachers in grades 5 and up.
Evan Robb, Principal Johnson Williams Middle School and author of: The Principal's Leadership Sourcebook, Scholastic, 2007.
