Characteristics	Proficient (5)	Emerging (3)	Minimal/immature (1)	Example
Introduction	States general place and provides some detail about the setting (e.g., reference to the time of the setting, daytime, bedtime, and season) Setting elements are stated at appropriate place in story.	States general setting but provides no detail Description or elements of story are given intermittently through story. May provide description of specific element of setting	Launches into story with no attempt to provide the setting	(Rating = 4) “He was sleeping in his bed and the dog too. And the dog was sneaking out and the boy wake up. And the dog and the boy woke up the frog was not there. […] they was um looking in the window.”
Character development	Main characters are introduced with some description or detail provided. Main character(s) and all supporting character(s) are mentioned. Throughout story it is clear child can discriminate between main and supporting characters. Child narrates in first person using character voice.	Characters of story are mentioned with no detail or description. Both main and active supporting characters are mentioned. Main characters are not clearly distinguished from supporting characters.	Inconsistent mention of involved or active characters Character(s) necessary for advancing the plot are not present.	(Rating = 1) “It's a boy that likes to see his frog always. […] he was looking inside a hole and finded an animal and the dog find the bees. […] and he just finded a owl. […] and he got stuck on deer.”
Mental states	Mental states of main and supporting characters are expressed when necessary for plot development and advancement. A variety of mental state words are used.	Some use of evident mental state words to develop character(s)	No use of mental state words to develop character(s)	(Rating = 4) “The little boy was mad but the dog was happy licking him. […] The dog got scared of the bees. […] the little boy was mad at the owl. He was annoyed. […] They were all happy.”
Referencing	Provides necessary antecedents to pronouns References are clear throughout story.	Inconsistent use of referents/antecedents Excessive use of pronouns	No verbal clarifiers used. Child is unaware listener is confused.	(Rating = 1) “Frog where are you? One morning he woke up he fell asleep he woke up again the frog wasn't there. Where are you frog? Are you on my shoe? Are you are you at my house? Are you at are you did you get out the window? Woof. Oh no I dropped doggy. Hmm froggy is gone. […] But he haven't been found yet. Are you in there? Ouch? Na na na na buzz.”
Conflict resolution	Clearly states all conflicts	Under developed description of conflicts and resolutions critical to advancing the plot of the storyOR Not all conflicts and resolutions critical to advancing the plot are present.	Random resolution(s) stated with no mention of cause or conflictOR Conflict mentioned without resolutionOR Many conflicts and resolutions critical to advancing the plot are not present.	(Rating = 4) “When they go to sleep umm the frog is going to escape. Then he went to found the the hid frog. The dog he uh break the home of the bees. The kid he fall down because the owl scare him. Then they found the frog and another frog and there have they have little froggies. He get the frog and the other frog they were saying bye to the kid.”
Cohesion	Events follow a logical order. Critical events are included while less emphasis is placed on minor events. Smooth transitions are provided between events.	Events follow a logical order. Excessive detail or emphasis provided on minor events leading the listener astray OR Transitions to next event unclear OR Minimal detail given for critical events OR Equal emphasis on all events	No use of smooth transitions	(Rating = 1) “He play with a frog. And then he sleeping. He watching the window. He's check in the hole and he smell something and he look in the tree.”
Conclusion	Story is clearly wrapped up using general concluding statements such as “and they were together again happy as could be.”	Specific event is concluded, but no general statement made as to the conclusion of the whole story.	Stops narrating and listener may need to ask if that is the end.	(Rating = 3) “And the frog had a husband and then they had a babies. And then the boy, he took one of the baby frogs.”