Six Traits Paragraph Writing Rubric
*
1
Beginning
2
Emerging
3
Developing
4
Proficient
5
Strong
6
Exemplary
Idea
• main theme
• supporting
details
• Lacks central
idea
• Development is
minimal or nonexistent
• Purpose and
main idea may
be unclear and
cluttered by
irrelevant detail
• May be unclear
because
paragraph has
competing
ideas for thesis
• Main idea may
be cloudy
because
supporting
detail is too
general or even
off-topic
• Evident main
idea with some
support which
may be general
or limited
• A main idea
or topic is clear
• Clear, focused,
interesting idea with appropriate
detail
• Paragraph centered around a significant idea or topic
• Exceptionally
clear, focused,
engaging with
relevant, strong
supporting detail
Organization
• structure
• introduction
• conclusion
• Lack of
coherence;
confusing
• No identifiable
beginning or
ending
• Lack of
structure;
disorganized
and hard to follow
• Appears to
start or stop in
the middle of
something
• Attempts at
organization;
may be a “list”
of items
• Beginning and
ending not clear
• Organization is
appropriate, but
conventional
• Attempt at
introduction
and conclusion
• Strong order
and structure
• Inviting intro
and satisfying
closure
• Effectively
organized in
logical and
creative manner
• Creative and
engaging intro
and conclusion
Voice
• personality
• sense of
audience
• Writing is lifeless
• No hint of the
writer
• Writing tends
to be flat or
stiff
• Stereotypic,
copied tone
and voice
• Voice may be
inappropriate or
non-existent
• Writing may
seem
mechanical
• Evident
commitment to
topic
• Inconsistent or
formulaic
personality
• Appropriate
to audience
and purpose
• Writer behind
the words
comes through
• Expressive,
engaging, sincere
• Strong sense of
audience
• Shows emotion:
humour, honesty,
suspense or life
Word Choice
• precision
• effectiveness
• imagery
• Limited range of
words
• Some
vocabulary
misused
• Monotonous,
often
repetitious,
sometimes
inappropriate
• Words may be
correct but
mundane
• Common words
chosen
• Language is
functional and
appropriate
• Descriptions
may be
overdone at
times
• Descriptive,
broad range of
words
• Word choice
energizes
writing
• Precise, carefully
chosen
• Strong, fresh,
vivid images
Sentence
Fluency
• rhythm, flow
• variety
• Difficult to
follow or read
aloud
• Disjointed,
confusing,
rambling
• Often choppy
• Monotonous
sentence
patterns
• Frequent runon
sentences
• Some sentence
fragments
• Some awkward
constructions
• Common
simple pattern
used
• Several
sentences begin
the same way
• Generally in
control
• Lacks variety in
length and
structure
• Easy flow and
rhythm
• Good variety
in length and
structure
• High degree of
craftsmanship
• Effective variation
in sentence
patterns
Conventions
•age appropriate for spelling, caps
punctuation,
grammar
• Numerous errors
distract the
reader and make
the text difficult
to read
• Errors may be
made more than
one way for the
same pattern or
structure
• Frequent
significant
errors may
impede
readability
• Errors frequent
in common
patterns and
structures
• Limited control
of conventions
• Some errors in
common
patterns or
structures do
not unduly
interfere with
understanding
• Control of most
writing
conventions
• Errors reflect
risks with
unusual or
sophisticated
structures
• Strong control
of conventions
• Errors are few
and minor
• Exceptionally
strong control of
standard
conventions of
writing
• Complex
conventions
attempted