Excellent: Clear beginning, middle, and end with exciting problem and solution

Good: Has beginning, middle, end but one part could be stronger

Developing: Missing one important part (beginning, middle, or end)

Beginning: Story structure is unclear or confusing

Excellent: Rich vocabulary with adjectives, adverbs, and figurative language

Good: Some descriptive words that help the reader visualise

Developing: A few descriptive words but mostly simple language

Beginning: Very basic language with little description

Excellent: Vivid words that create clear mental pictures (e.g., "thunderous crash")

Good: Some interesting word choices that help readers imagine

Developing: Mostly everyday words with occasional interesting choices

Beginning: Simple, basic words throughout

Excellent: Varied sentence lengths with clear linking words (then, suddenly, meanwhile)

Good: Some sentence variety and good use of linking words

Developing: Mostly similar sentences with basic linking (and, then)

Beginning: Simple sentences with little connection between ideas

Excellent: Story clearly written for target audience with appropriate tone

Good: Mostly appropriate for intended readers

Developing: Some consideration of audience but inconsistent

Beginning: Little evidence of thinking about who will read this

Excellent: Clear evidence of checking spelling, punctuation, and improving ideas

Good: Some editing visible with most errors corrected

Developing: Basic checking done but some obvious errors remain

Beginning: Little evidence of checking or improving work