Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Preparing for the Fourth Grade Writing Test

Each year students prepare for the California STAR Writing Test in early March. Students will need to be prepared to successfully write one of the three standards for writing: Narrative Writing, Summary Writing and Response to Literature. The student will not know the prompt until they open their test book.

The students writing is scored based on a standard “Rubric” (a standard of performance) of 1 - 4 points. Students must score a minimum of 2 points to pass the test. Every year parents seek out additional resources to help prepare their child for the test. In order to better how to pass the writing test with the highest possible score, parents should better understand what the standard is for scoring 4 out of 4 points on the “Rubric”

California Fourth Grade Writing Test Rubric Score of 4/4

  • Clearly addresses all parts of the writing task. 
  • Demonstrates a clear understanding of purpose. 
  • Maintains a consistent point of view, focus, and organizational 
  • Structure includes paragraphing when appropriate. 
  • Includes a clearly presented central idea with relevant facts, details, and/or explanations. 
  • Includes a variety of sentence types. 
  • Contains few, if any, errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors do not interfere with the reader's understanding of the writing. 

California Narrative Writing Test Rubric Score of 4/4

  • Provides a thoroughly developed sequence of significant events to relate ideas, observations, and/or memories. 
  • Includes vivid descriptive language and sensory details that enable the reader to visualize the events or experiences. 


If you feel that your child needs additional help to preparing for the writing test, seek out a credentialed teacher who specializes in writing and is familiar with the California Fourth Grade Writing Test and Rubric.

Writing Workshops & Writing Classes
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA


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