We have finished our first unit in ELA and I am sending home the weekly quizzes the children have taken so far. There are 20 multiple choice questions and a timed writing activity each week. You will probably note that the questions are very challenging in keeping with the higher level of complexity required by the new Common Core Standards. To succeed on assessments like these, we will continue to practice "close reads" of our stories, going back into the selection to reread and provide proof that an answer is correct.
  I give two grades for the writing. One grade is for the content of the answer, the other is for the mechanics. I label the mechanics "cops" for capitalization, organization, punctuation, and spelling. Writing is grade on a scale of 1 - 4. A grade of 3 or 4 meets or exceeds standards.