Writing Continuum
Each writing stage listed provides a description of skills your child currently displays as a writer in his or her classroom.

Stage 1- Picture Writing/Drawing
Picture only
Begin to express thoughts and feelings through picture

Stage 2- Scribbling
Tells about drawing
Uses random or more conventional scribbling
Imitates writing

Stage 3- Letter Like Forms
Verbalizes about drawing
Draws a recognizable picture
Uses own drawing to convey a message and dictate a word, label, thought, or a complete sentence about a drawing
Attempts written symbols (circles, shapes, squiggles, or more controlled lines) and may dictate a message
Attempts to read messages
Writes own name

Stage 4- Early Spelling/Semi-Phonetic
Draws a picture and dictates complete sentences or a story in a direct relationship to a picture
Begins to make connection that written symbols convey a message
May use strings of numbers and letters
May use names or parts of names
May copy words from the environment
May spell some high frequency words correctly
May demonstrate limited knowledge of letter-sound relationships and is able to dictate what the letter says
Knows the direction of print

Stage 5- Phonetic Spelling
Connects letters and sounds, usually initial and final consonants and some vowels
Uses phonetic spelling
Draws a picture and labels in a direct relationship to the picture
Text may contain incomplete thoughts/simple sentences
Spells some high frequency words correctly
Demonstrates spacing between words
Knows the direction of print
May being to use spaces (incorrectly/correctly)
Sentences being to make sense
Short simple sentences (i.e. the ball is red)
Most of the text is readable without dictation
Begins to use capitalization and punctuations (may be used incorrectly)

Stage 6- Transitional Spelling
Text is readable without dictation
Begins to develop a sense of story (may have appropriate beginning, middle, end)
Writes sentences that focus on a topic much of the time
Composes text that contains basic ideas with some details
Begins to vary sentence lengths and patterns
Spells most high, middle and some low frequency words correctly
Represents most sounds in words (logical phonetic spelling); spells some words conventionally
Begins to use some correct capitalization and punctuation

Stage 7- Conventional Spelling
Has a basic sense of story (beginning, middle, end and logical connection of events)
Composes text that contains basic ideas with several undeveloped details
Focuses on the topic most of the time
May attempt to use dialogue
Uses some describing words/sophisticated \vocabulary
May choose words and phrases that show evidence of literacy language
Writes many sentences that are correct and varied in length and pattern
Spells many words conventionally; uses logical phonetic spelling for others
Uses basic capitalization and punctuation correctly much of the time

Stage 8- Secure
Composes story that has a definite structure (clear beginning, middle, and end)
Composes text that contains main idea supported by well-developed details
Focuses on the topic most of the time
May express ideas in a creative way or writing may contain original ideas
May use dialogue effectively
Includes rich descriptive language
Writes correct sentences that are varied in length and pattern
Uses conventional spelling most of the time
Uses correct capitalization and punctuation most of the time

Instructional Reading Levels (Also called Guided Reading Levels) Below you will find a chart outlining the Fountas and Pinnell Instructional Reading Levels, explaining how each letter level corresponds to a grade level.

Lexile scores provide a description of your child's reading level on a developmental scale. They are generally not used to indicate a grade level for reading, but rather help determine which material is challenging and appropriate for a child to be reading at any given grade level. For additional information about Lexile scores, please visit http://lexile.com/about-lexile/grade-equivalent/.