Grading Your Student's Writing


You may want to invest in a good grammar/punctuation checker to help you and your student complete this task.  Microsoft Word also has a grammar/punctuation/spelling checker built in.  Share this with your student before writing, as well, so that everyone has a clear idea of what is expected and what you'll be looking for in grading.


Below are some questions that will help when grading your student’s compositions: 

  • Is the first word of each paragraph indented?
  • Are both the punctuation and capitalization correct?
  • Are any words misspelled?
  • Reread each paragraph. Are any words left out?
  • Does each paragraph have an interesting topic sentence?
  • Are all paragraphs related to the topic sentence?
  • Are the events placed in chronological order?
  • Have lively verbs and descriptive adjectives and adverbs been used?
  • Does the writer use a variety of prepositional phrases in place of adjective clauses where possible?
  • Does the writer use a variety of sentence patterns?
  • Has dialogue been used where appropriate?
  • Has the outline been followed?
  • Does the writer avoid using had, has, and have?
  • Does the writer avoid passive voice? 

            EXAMPLE: The food was eaten by Dottie. Replace with active voice. EXAMPLE: Dottie ate the food.


One of the most successful and widely used methods of evaluating student’s writing is called the "6 + 1 Traits of Writing."

Use the focus items below to help evaluate your student’s writing. Consider using this list as a guideline for your student to follow as writing is drafted. 


Six + 1 Traits Focus Items

1. Ideas

  • Clear main idea or theme
  • Relevant details and examples
  • Focused and interesting content

2. Organization

  • Logical sequence of ideas
  • Effective introduction and conclusion
  • Smooth transitions between paragraphs

3. Voice

  • Engaging and appropriate tone
  • Personality and emotion in writing
  • Connection with the audience

4. Word Choice

  • Precise and vivid language
  • Appropriate vocabulary for the audience
  • Avoidance of clichés and repetitive words

5. Sentence Fluency

  • Varied sentence structure
  • Smooth flow and rhythm
  • Correct grammar and punctuation

6. Conventions

  • Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar
  • Proper formatting and paragraphing
  • Consistent tense and point of view

+1. Presentation

  • Neat and visually appealing format
  • Proper use of headings, fonts, and spacing
  • Consistent style and layout


Learn more about the 6 + 1 Traits at Thought Co's 6 Traits of Writing - Using the Model in the Classroom (opens in new tab).  You may also wish to use Education Northwest's 6+1 Trait Rubrics (opens in new tab). Giving your student the rubric before writing makes expectations clear. Reviewing it with your student also allows you to see where your student may need targeted assistance.