Name: ______________________________________________ Date: _________________

Narrative Writing Checklist

Grade 1
ST RUCT URE

Overall
I wrote about when I did something.

START ING
NOT YET
Did I do it like a first grader?

YES!
TO
Lead I tried to make a beginning
for my story.

Transitions I put my pages in order. I

used words such as and,
then, and so.

Ending I found a way to end my

story.

Organization I wrote my story across

three or more pages.

May be photocopied for classroom use. 2014 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions,
Grades K8 (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).
 Narrative Writing Checklist (continued)
Grade 1
DEVELOPMENT

START ING
NOT YET
Did I do it like a first grader?

YES!
TO
Elaboration I put the picture from my
mind onto the page. I had
details in pictures and words.

Craft I used labels and words to

give details.

May be photocopied for classroom use. 2014 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions,
Grades K8 (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).
 Narrative Writing Checklist (continued)
Grade 1
LANGUAGE CONVENT IONS

START ING
NOT YET
Did I do it like a first grader?

YES!
TO
Spelling I used all I knew about
words and chunks of words
to help me spell.

I spelled all the word wall

words right and used the
word wall to help me spell
other words.

Punctuation I ended sentences with

punctuation.

I used a capital letter for

names.

I used commas in dates and

lists.

May be photocopied for classroom use. 2014 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions,
Grades K8 (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).