Presentation rubric: grades K–2, 3–5 and 6–8
This presentation rubric scores four things: a clear message, how it is organized, the speaker's voice and eye contact, and the visual. Grades 3–5 and 6–8 use four levels with points, with the message counting twice; K–2 uses three levels in words a young child can follow, with no points. Print it, copy it into Google Docs, or open it in the rubric maker to change any cell.
Grades K–2
3 levels, 4 criteria, no points (a switch in the maker adds them).
| Criteria | Wow! | Yes | Not yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| My message | I tell what my talk is about and share two or more things I know. | I tell what my talk is about and share one thing I know. | It is hard to tell what my talk is about. |
| Loud and clear | Everyone hears every word, and I speak slowly. | Most friends can hear me most of the time. | My voice is too quiet or too fast to hear. |
| Eyes on friends | I look at my friends almost all the time. | I look up at my friends some of the time. | I look at the floor or my paper. |
| My picture | My picture matches my talk and I point to it. | My picture matches my talk. | I have no picture, or it does not match. |
- I can tell what my talk is about.
- I can speak so everyone hears me.
- I can look at my friends while I talk.
- I can show a picture that matches my talk.
Grades 3–5
4 levels, 4 criteria, 20 points in all.
| Criteria | Exceeds4 points | Meets3 points | Approaching2 points | Beginning1 point | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messagecounts ×2 | States a clear main idea early and supports it with three or more accurate, interesting facts. | States a clear main idea and supports it with two or three accurate facts. | The main idea is unclear, or the facts are few or partly wrong. | No main idea can be found, and facts are missing or wrong. | / 8 |
| Organization | A hook to start, points in a logical order, and an ending that sums up the message. | A clear beginning, middle and end, with points mostly in order. | Has a beginning or an end, but points jump around. | Hard to follow from one point to the next. | / 4 |
| Voice and eye contact | Speaks loudly, clearly and at a good pace, and looks at the audience almost all the time. | Can be heard and understood, and looks up often. | Sometimes too quiet or too fast; reads from notes most of the time. | Hard to hear, and rarely looks up from notes. | / 4 |
| Visual | The visual is neat, easy to read from the back, and makes a point clearer. | The visual is readable and fits the topic. | The visual is hard to read or only loosely connected. | There is no visual, or it does not help. | / 4 |
- I can share a clear main idea with facts that support it.
- I can give my talk a beginning, a middle and an end.
- I can speak clearly and look at my audience.
- I can make a visual that helps people understand my topic.
Grades 6–8
4 levels, 5 criteria, 24 points in all.
| Criteria | Exceeds4 points | Meets3 points | Approaching2 points | Beginning1 point | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Message and evidencecounts ×2 | A precise central claim, supported with accurate, well-chosen evidence and cited sources. | A clear central claim supported with accurate evidence; most sources named. | The claim is vague, or the evidence is thin, partly wrong or unsourced. | No clear claim; evidence is missing or inaccurate. | / 8 |
| Structure | An engaging opening, points that build on each other with clear transitions, and a conclusion that returns to the claim. | Clear opening, logical order and a conclusion, with some transitions. | Order is sometimes unclear; the opening or conclusion is weak. | No clear structure; the audience loses the thread. | / 4 |
| Delivery | Speaks to the audience rather than the slides, with varied pace and tone and steady eye contact. | Clear and audible, with eye contact most of the time and only brief reading. | Reads much of the talk aloud; pace or volume makes parts hard to follow. | Reads the whole talk or cannot be heard. | / 4 |
| Visuals | Visuals are uncluttered, readable from the back, and add data or images the talk explains. | Visuals are readable and support each main point. | Visuals are crowded, mostly text read aloud, or loosely connected. | No visuals, or they distract from the talk. | / 4 |
| Answering questions | Answers questions accurately and adds detail beyond the talk. | Answers most questions accurately. | Answers some questions, with help. | Cannot answer questions about the topic. | / 4 |
- I can make a clear claim and back it with accurate evidence.
- I can organize a talk so each point builds on the last.
- I can speak to my audience with a clear voice, pace and eye contact.
- I can design visuals that support my points without repeating them word for word.
- I can answer questions about my topic accurately.
When to use it
- Any talk in front of the class: a show-and-tell, a book talk, a research report read aloud, a slideshow.
- As a planning sheet: hand it out with the assignment so students know what a top score looks like before they practice.
- For peer feedback: classmates score one row each, so every listener has a job.
What to say to students
- Tell them the one thing your talk is about in your first two sentences.
- Practice out loud at least twice, once to a mirror and once to a person.
- Your picture or slide should help us understand, not just look nice.
- Look at three different parts of the room while you speak.
Related
The criteria are generic and written for this site, with no standards codes, so they fit any curriculum. Open one in the maker to change a word, add a row or switch to a single-point rubric; what you change stays in your browser.