How to measure writing: total words written and correct word sequences

Writing samples are hard to compare from week to week. A rubric score moves with the prompt, the genre and the scorer's mood. Timed probes scored by counting are steadier, because the rules are fixed and the task is the same every time.

Two counts do most of the work. Total words written (TWW) shows how much the student produces. Correct word sequences (CWS) show how much of that output is spelled and built correctly. Both come from the same 3-minute sample, and both fit into an IEP goal. For goals that use them, see the pillar guide to IEP goals for writing.

What you need before you start

• Story starters. A set of 20 or more unpracticed, equally simple starters, such as "One day I opened the door and saw..." Use a new one each week.
• A timer. 1 minute to think, 3 minutes to write. Keep these times the same all year.
• Lined paper or a device. If the student types, use the same device and settings every time, with word prediction off.
• The scoring rules below, printed and kept with the probes.
• A data sheet with columns for date, starter, TWW, CWS and incorrect word sequences. The frequency data sheet works if you write the probe length at the top.

Step 1: Give the probe the same way every time

Read the starter aloud and show it. Say: "Think about what happens next. You have 1 minute to think." After 1 minute, say: "Now write. Keep writing until I say stop." Stop at exactly 3 minutes. Do not help with spelling. If the student stops writing early, encourage them once to keep going, and note it.

Step 2: Count total words written

Count every word the student wrote, spelled correctly or not. A word is any group of letters separated by spaces that stands for a word, even if misspelled. Do not count numerals or the words of the story starter.

TWW is fast to score and very sensitive to effort. It is a good measure for a student whose main problem is writing very little. It says nothing about quality, so pair it with CWS for most students.

Step 3: Count correct word sequences

A correct word sequence is two adjacent units that are both acceptable in context: correctly spelled, grammatically correct and making sense.^[3] The start of each sentence counts as a unit, so a correctly capitalized first word earns one sequence. The end mark counts as a unit, so a correct end mark after the last word earns one sequence.

The rules most scorers use:

1. Mark a sequence correct only if both words are spelled correctly.
2. Mark it correct only if the pair makes sense and is grammatical in the sentence.
3. A capital letter at the start of a sentence earns a sequence with the first word.
4. A correct end mark earns a sequence with the last word.
5. If a word is misspelled or wrong, both sequences touching it are incorrect.
6. A missing end mark between two sentences makes that sequence incorrect.

Each incorrect pair is an incorrect word sequence (IWS). Some teams also report correct minus incorrect word sequences (CIWS), which drops when errors rise even if output grows.

Worked example: Kayla's September probe

Kayla is a fictional 4th grader. Her probe on September 15 used the starter "One day I found a dog at the park." In 3 minutes she wrote:

TWW. Nineteen words: My, dog, ran, to, the, park, He, saw, a, big, bal, he, play, with, it, then, we, went, home. The misspelled "bal" still counts. TWW = 19.

CWS, sentence by sentence.

Results. CWS = 15, IWS = 7, CIWS = 15 − 7 = 8. Divided by the 3 minutes: 5 CWS per minute and about 6.3 TWW per minute. The check: 15 + 7 = 22 sequences, which equals 19 words plus 3 sentence starts, the right count for this sample.

What the numbers say. Kayla produces a fair amount (19 words) but loses a third of her sequences (7 of 22) to capitals, end marks, one verb form and one spelling. The team targets sentence boundaries first.

Step 4: Take a baseline and set the goal

Give three probes across one or two weeks and use the median. Kayla's September probes gave 15, 14 and 17 CWS in 3 minutes: a median of 15, or 5 per minute.

Her goal, based on the library template write correct word sequences on story-starter probes: given an unpracticed story starter, 1 minute to plan and 3 minutes to write, Kayla will write at least 9 correct word sequences per minute in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes collected weekly. Older students can use expository prompts and 5 minutes; see the template grow correct word sequences on expository probes. For how to pick the target number, see setting a realistic annual target.

Step 5: Probe weekly and graph

Plot CWS per minute on a graph with a goal line from 5 to 9. After 6 to 8 probes, compare the trend to the line. Kayla's early data rises faster than the line needs, which suggests the boundary instruction is working. TWW rose more slowly, which is fine: her quality is improving faster than her quantity. The illustrative numbers here are not norms. For norms and evidence on a specific probe set, check the publisher's technical information or the National Center on Intensive Intervention tools charts.^[1]

Common mistakes and better versions

Weak: Reusing the same story starter so the student "gets used to it."

Better: A new, equally simple starter every week from a fixed set.

Weak: Giving 3 minutes one week and 5 the next.

Better: Fixed times all year, and the goal reports per minute.

Weak: Tracking TWW alone for a student who writes a lot of run-on text.

Better: CWS alongside TWW, so quality counts.

Weak: Scoring by feel: "that part mostly made sense."

Better: The six written rules, with a second scorer on every fifth probe. If you disagree on more than 2 or 3 sequences, talk through the rules and rescore.

Weak: Helping with spelling during the probe.

Better: No help at all. Note anything unusual on the data sheet instead.

When to use other writing measures

CWS and TWW suit fluency and sentence-level goals. For organization, use a rubric scored on the rubric scoring data sheet. For spelling alone, use correct letter sequences, described in the guide to spelling IEP goal examples. For students still building single sentences, see IEP goals for writing simple sentences.

All probes on this page are a form of curriculum-based measurement: short, timed and repeated. The IEP must say how progress will be measured,^[2] and a scored probe kept in a folder is clear evidence at a progress report. The rate per minute page covers converting counts to rates. Browse more writing IEP goals in the goal bank, and check your draft with the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Correct word sequences in the IEP glossary
• Curriculum-based measurement in the IEP glossary
• Correct word sequences goal template
• Writing IEP goals
• Rate per minute measurement guide
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• IEP goals for writing: written expression, spelling and mechanics
• Spelling IEP goal examples, including goals for students with dyslexia
• IEP goals for writing simple sentences
• Setting a realistic annual target from baseline and growth rate
• How to measure spelling progress with correct letter sequences
• Paragraph writing IEP goals: 20 examples by sub-skill
• IEP goals for narrative writing: 20 examples from labels to dialogue

Sources

1. Intervention & Assessment Tools Charts, National Center on Intensive Intervention
2. 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
3. Correct Word Sequences: A Valid Indicator of Proficiency in Written Expression (Videen, Deno, and Marston, 1982), Institute for Research on Learning Disabilities, University of Minnesota, via ERIC

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.