What this rubric measures
The SC READY Narrative Writing Rubric, Grades 3–4 is the official scoring guide used to evaluate student writing on South Carolina SC READY assessments. It is an Holistic by domain rubric that scores responses across 3 distinct criteria, allowing teachers to give precise, targeted feedback on each area of writing.
All 3 scoring criteria
Click any criterion to expand its score level descriptors. The language below is taken verbatim from the official South Carolina Department of Education SC READY scoring guide.
1 Structure
A well-crafted narrative that skillfully develops a real or imagined experience based on the text provided.
- Skillfully establishes a setting
- Skillfully introduces a narrator and/or characters
- Organizes a logical plot structure
- Uses a variety of transitional words and/or phrases to skillfully sequence events
- Provides a well-crafted ending
A complete narrative that develops a real or imagined experience based on the text provided.
- Establishes a setting
- Introduces a narrator and/or characters
- Organizes a logical plot structure
- Uses a variety of transitional words and/or phrases to sequence events
- Provides a logical ending
An incomplete or oversimplified narrative based on the text provided.
- Introduces a setting with little to no detail
- Introduces a narrator and/or characters with little to no detail
- Plot structure is unclear or disorganized
- Uses some transitional words and/or phrases that partially sequence events
- Provides a weak ending
A weak attempt to write a narrative based on the text provided.
- Attempts to introduce a setting or character
- Response is too brief to demonstrate a complete sequence of events
- Makes little or no attempt to provide an ending
Setting and character introduction, plot organization, transitional words and phrases to sequence events, and the ending. Scored holistically 1 to 4 by demonstrating most of the descriptors within a score point.
2 Development
A well-crafted narrative that skillfully develops a real or imagined experience based on the text provided.
- Skillfully integrates ideas and details from the text
- Uses well-crafted descriptive language and sensory details to skillfully develop events
- Uses well-crafted descriptions of actions, thoughts, and/or feelings to skillfully develop a narrator and/or characters
- 4th grade only: Skillfully uses dialogue to develop events and/or characters
A complete narrative that develops a real or imagined experience based on the text provided.
- Integrates ideas and details from the text
- Uses descriptive language and sensory details to develop events
- Uses descriptions of actions, thoughts, and/or feelings to develop a narrator and/or characters
- 4th grade only: Uses dialogue to develop events and/or characters
An incomplete or oversimplified narrative based on the text provided.
- Minimally integrates ideas and details from the text
- Minimally uses descriptive language or sensory details to develop events
- Uses descriptions of actions, thoughts, or feelings to minimally develop a character
A weak attempt to write a narrative based on the text provided.
- May use few, if any, ideas or details from the text
- Shows little or no attempt to use descriptive language or sensory details
- Descriptive language or sensory details may not be relevant
- Shows little or no attempt to develop a character
- Response is mostly a summary of the story
Integration of ideas and details from the text, descriptive language and sensory details, descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings, and (Grade 4 only) dialogue. Scored holistically 1 to 4.
3 Language
A well-crafted narrative that skillfully develops a real or imagined experience based on the text provided.
- Uses precise language and vocabulary to skillfully develop the narrative
- Uses varied sentence types and phrases to skillfully develop the narrative
- Has very few or no errors in grammar usage and conventions
- Uses a tone and/or voice that strengthens the narrative
A complete narrative that develops a real or imagined experience based on the text provided.
- Uses precise language and vocabulary to develop the narrative
- Uses varied sentence types and phrases to develop the narrative
- Has a few minor errors in grammar usage and conventions with no significant effect on readability
An incomplete or oversimplified narrative based on the text provided.
- Uses basic language and vocabulary to develop the narrative
- Uses some varied sentence types and phrases to develop the narrative
- Has frequent errors in grammar usage and conventions that sometimes interfere with readability
A weak attempt to write a narrative based on the text provided.
- Vocabulary and word choice may be unclear or confusing
- Has frequent errors in grammar usage and conventions that significantly interfere with readability
Precise language and vocabulary to develop the narrative, varied sentence types and phrases, errors in grammar usage and conventions, and tone or voice. Scored holistically 1 to 4.
How to score with the SC READY Narrative Writing Rubric, Grades 3–4.
A practical guide for teachers and norming teams. How to apply each descriptor consistently, the pitfalls that hurt inter-rater reliability, and a workflow for calibrating with colleagues.
Three-domain holistic, scored independently
- Score Structure, Development, and Language (each 1 to 4) independently. Sum for the rubric total out of 12.
- Scores within each domain are earned by demonstrating <em>most</em> of the descriptors within a score point, not every descriptor.
- Holistic means a single score per domain based on overall fit. Do not average across the bullets within a score point.
Apply the Grade 4 dialogue descriptor only at Grade 4
- The dialogue descriptor appears only at Grade 4. A third grader who does not use dialogue is not penalized on Development.
- At Grade 4, a Score Point 4 response is expected to skillfully use dialogue to develop events and/or characters.
- Dialogue at Grade 4 must develop events or characters, dialogue used only for greetings or filler does not satisfy the descriptor.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Scoring Development down for thin text integration when the prompt invites an imagined experience. The TDW rubric allows imagined experiences <em>based on</em> the text, not retellings of the text.
- Crediting summary as Development. A response that is mostly a summary of the source story earns a 1 in Development per the rubric.
- Mixing Structure and Development. A well-organized plot with weak descriptive language earns high Structure and lower Development, not an average.
Tips for norming with your team
- Anchor with 3 to 5 sample responses scored by your most experienced grader before the session.
- Discuss any domain where graders are more than one point apart. Common splits at this grade band happen at the Structure 2/3 boundary (logical plot vs. unclear or disorganized).
- Re-norm halfway through a long batch. Drift is real.
Notes for the SC READY Grades 3–4 Narrative TDW Rubric
The TDW prompt at Grades 3-4 asks students to convey an experience, real or imagined, based on a source text. Students are not required to retell the source story. They are expected to use ideas, details, and the world of the text as a launching point for their own narrative.
Dialogue is the most distinctive Grade 3 vs Grade 4 difference. Grade 3 students are not assessed on dialogue at all. Grade 4 students are expected to use dialogue to develop events or characters for a Score Point 3 and to use dialogue skillfully for a Score Point 4.
The Structure domain at Grades 3-4 includes plot organization (the sequence of events) as a distinct descriptor. A response with a clear setting and ending but an unclear sequence of events typically caps Structure at 2.
The Language domain at Grades 3-4 includes a tone-and-voice descriptor only at Score Point 4. Grades 3-4 are not expected to maintain a tone appropriate to task and audience at the Score Point 3 level, that expectation enters at Grades 7-8.
See this rubric in action.
EnlightenAI scores student writing on this exact rubric, with per-criterion feedback that mirrors how you grade by hand. The sample response below shows how the rubric applies to a real piece of student writing, scored against every criterion.
The missing soccer ball
The blue soccer ball with the silver stars on it had been sitting on the bench outside Mr. Hassan's classroom for three whole days, and nobody had come to claim it. On Thursday morning, I decided that someone needed to do something about that ball, and that someone was going to be me.
How I found it
"Where do you think it came from?" my friend Daniela asked when we walked past the bench after lunch. The ball looked sad sitting there alone. I picked it up and turned it over. There was a name written in marker on the bottom in tiny letters. "Sammy P," it said.
The search
Mr. Hassan said there were four Sammys in the fourth grade. We checked Sammy R's locker, but he played basketball. We asked Sammy T at the water fountain, but she said the ball was not hers. Sammy K was absent, but his sister told us he had a red soccer ball, not a blue one.
Finding Sammy P
Finally, Daniela remembered that Sammy P was in Ms. Chen's class on the third floor. He was eating an apple at his desk when we knocked. "I lost that on Monday at recess," he said when I held up the ball. His eyes got wide. "I thought it was gone forever." He smiled so big I could see his missing front tooth.
Walking home
On the walk home, Daniela said the best part of the day had been Sammy's face when he saw the ball. I think she was right. The ball had been sitting on the bench the whole time, but you have to actually go looking before something gets found.
Setting, characters, plot, transitions, ending
Setting (school hallway, bench) and narrator are established immediately. Plot follows a clear sequence (find ball, search, find Sammy P, reflection). Transitions appear throughout (Thursday morning, finally, on the walk home).
Dialogue and sensory detail used skillfully
Dialogue advances the plot (Daniela's question, Sammy R's clue, Sammy P's reaction). Sensory details (blue ball with silver stars, missing front tooth, apple at his desk) are specific and grade-appropriate.
Varied sentences, minor convention slip
Sentence variety is strong with both dialogue and narrative sentences. Word choice is precise (sad sitting, knocked, smiled so big). One small comma slip in the dialogue tagging does not affect readability. Lands at a 3 rather than a 4 on Language.
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About the SC READY Narrative Writing Rubric, Grades 3–4
What is the SC READY Grades 3-4 narrative writing rubric?
What does "scored holistically by domain" mean on this rubric?
How is the Grade 3 rubric different from the Grade 4 rubric?
Does this rubric require students to retell the source text?
Is this the official current rubric from SCDE?
Where can I find the source document?
Can EnlightenAI score student writing using this rubric?
Use this rubric in EnlightenAI
Train EnlightenAI on the SC READY Grades 3–4 Narrative TDW Rubric and start scoring student writing, with consistent per-domain feedback, in a single class period.