Writing

6 Trait + 1 Writing

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Creating Writers Through 6-Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction by Vicki Spandel

     "Six-trait writing is not a curriculum.  It is not a program. It is a vision - a way of looking at writing that takes teachers and students right inside the process to where the action is. The six-trait model, in simplest terms, is an answer to the question all writers must ask: What makes writing work?"

     The Six Traits include:

Ideas: The heart of it all, the writer's main message and the details, evidence, or anecdotes that support or expand that message.

Organization: The internal structure (skeleton) of a piece that gives support and direction to the ideas.

Voice: Verbal fingerprints.  A mix of individuality, confidence, engagement with the topic, and reader rapport.  It is keeping the reader wanting to keep on reading.

Word Choice: A knack for selecting the "just right" word or phrase to make meaning clear and to bring images or thoughts to life.

Sentence Fluency: Rhythm and flow, the music and poetry of language, and the way text plays to the ear.

Conventions: The writer's skill in using an editor's tools (punctuation, spelling, grammar, capitalization, and layout) to clarify and enhance meaning.

+ 1: Presentation: Presentation zeros in on the form and layout-how pleasing the piece is to the eye.

Advantages of Trait-Based Writing

The 6+1 TRAIT model is a form of analytic assessment, a method of looking at the main characteristics of writing and assessing them independent from one another.  It provides a powerful tool for communication about writing performance, one that exceeds the limited information a single grade or score provides.  The traits allow the reader and writer to note strengths and weaknesses in the work as it moves through the writing process.  By clearly defining the qualities of good writing, and helping teachers use that knowledge in the classroom, the model ensures that students receive useful feedback to improve their writing as it develops.

     Students writing improves when the traits are used in a systematic way in the classroom and throughout the school. 

• Captures the qualities of what good writing looks like.
• Provides a common vocabulary for talking about writing.
• Allows students to become self-evaluators.

 
Great Writing sites

OWL Writing	6 Trait Writing
6 Trait + 1	Writing Fix

 

Teaching That Makes Sense	6 Trait Scoring Rubric
6 Trait Analytic Writing Lessons	6 Trait Posters

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