Writing Skills Checklist

These are goals to work toward throughout the year. A check indicates that the student has begun to use the skill appropriately and consistently. These skills are taught to and discussed with your child during Writing Workshop lessons and conferences.

___Begins writing at the top of the paper.

___Begins writing on the left side of the paper.

___Uses the paper’s guidelines to form letters.

___Forms letters correctly.

___Leaves spaces between words.

___Uses a capital at the beginning of a sentence.

___Uses capitals for names.

___Uses punctuation.

___Uses lowercase letters appropriately.

___Uses invented spelling.

___Recognizes that the print conveys a message (able to read what they wrote).

___ Uses the beginning sound to signify a word.

___Writes the beginning and ending sounds.

___Sounds out most of the word and begins to include some vowels.

___ Begins to check and self-correct mistakes.

___Uses neat handwriting.

___Writes more than one sentence.

___Writes a story.

___Writing conveys a beginning, middle and end.

___Applies knowledge of high-frequency (Word Wall Words) words, and word families.

___Applies knowledge of digraphs and clusters.

___Writing remains on topic.