Name: _________________________________________________________________________ Date: _________________
Narrative Writing Checklist
NOT STARTING NOT STARTING
Grade 3 YET TO YES! Grade 4 YET TO YES!
Structure Structure
Overall I told the story bit by bit. ▫ ▫ ▫ I wrote the important part of an event bit by bit and ▫ ▫ ▫
took out unimportant parts.
Lead I wrote a beginning in which I helped readers know ▫ ▫ ▫ I wrote a beginning in which I showed what was ▫ ▫ ▫
who the characters were and what the setting was happening and where, getting readers into the
in my story. world of the story.
Transitions I told my story in order by using phrases such as a ▫ ▫ ▫ I showed how much time went by with words ▫ ▫ ▫
little later and after that. and phrases that mark time such as just then and
suddenly (to show when things happened quickly)
or after a while and a little later (to show when a
little time passed).
Ending I chose the action, talk, or feeling that would make ▫ ▫ ▫ I wrote an ending that connected to the beginning ▫ ▫ ▫
a good ending and worked to write it well. or the middle of the story.
I used action, dialogue, or feeling to bring my story
to a close.
Organization I used paragraphs and skipped lines to separate ▫ ▫ ▫ I used paragraphs to separate the different parts or ▫ ▫ ▫
what happened first from what happened later (and times of the story or to show when a new character
finally) in my story. was speaking.
Development Development
Elaboration I worked to show what happened to (and in) my ▫ ▫ ▫ I added more to the heart of my story, including ▫ ▫ ▫
characters. not only actions and dialogue but also thought and
feelings.
May be photocopied for classroom use. © 2013 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing, Grade 3 (firsthand: Portsmouth, NH).
Narrative Writing Checklist (continued)
NOT STARTING NOT STARTING
Grade 3 YET TO YES! Grade 4 YET TO YES!
Craft I not only told my story, but also wrote it in ways ▫ ▫ ▫ I showed why characters did what they did by ▫ ▫ ▫
that got readers to picture what was happening and including their thinking.
that brought my story to life.
I made some parts of the story go quickly, some ▫ ▫ ▫
slowly.
I included precise and sometimes sensory details ▫ ▫ ▫
and used figurative language (simile, metaphor,
personification) to bring my story to life.
I used a storytelling voice and conveyed the ▫ ▫ ▫
emotion or tone of my story through description,
phrases, dialogue, and thoughts.
Language Conventions Language Conventions
Spelling I used what I knew about spelling patterns to help ▫ ▫ ▫ I used what I knew about word families and spelling ▫ ▫ ▫
me spell and edit before I wrote my final draft. rules to help me spell and edit. I used the word wall
and dictionaries when needed.
I got help from others to check my spelling and ▫ ▫ ▫
punctuation before I wrote my final draft.
Punctuation I punctuated dialogue correctly with commas and ▫ ▫ ▫ When writing long, complex sentences, I used ▫ ▫ ▫
quotation marks. commas to make them clear and correct.
While writing, I used punctuation at the end of ▫ ▫ ▫
every sentence.
I wrote in ways that helped readers read with ▫ ▫ ▫
expression, reading some parts quickly, some
slowly, some parts in one sort of voice and others in
another.
May be photocopied for classroom use. © 2013 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing, Grade 3 (firsthand: Portsmouth, NH).
