The 6 Traits of Writing

What We KnowThe Writing Process

BrainstormingFirst Draft – double-spacedSharing with a peerEditing and RevisingFinal Draft – edit/revise againPublish

The 6 Traits of Writing

Ideas

Organization

Voice

Word Choice

Sentence Fluency

Conventions

We will……..

Be looking at each trait during writing workshops

Be using student examples

Be using rubrics to assess our writing

Ideas

“The ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece…all the details that enrich and develop the theme.”

Ideas

If you don’t care about what you write about, your reader will be bored!

Ideas

Narrowed down topic

Clear focused main idea

Intriguing, important details

No filler or unnecessary ideas

Puts reader ‘at the scene’

Ideas

Don’t choose too broad a topic.

Trunk – main topic

Branches – smaller ideas of same topic

Leaves – branch topics made smaller

Ideas

Pick a leaf sized topic

Ideas – A Narrowed Down Example

Trunk topic – Advertising

Branch Topics – television advertising, children’s advertising, newspaper advertising

Leaf topic – (from children’s advertising branch) Effects of television Advertising on children

Ideas

Look at your writing territories list

Choose what you believe is a trunk sized idea

Record it on the work sheet provided by the teacher

Now, think of a branch sized topic and a leaf sized topic for your trunk ‘huge’ idea

Let’s share

Ideas

Provide all necessary detail so the reader understands what has happened and has no unanswered questionsRead the next passage written by a grade three student.What questions do you have after you have read the piece?

How Tanner Lost His Tooth

They were playing soccer because they had a game. Tanner’s team was winning one to nothing. Tanner blocked a shot and kicked the ball far away from the goal. Tanner looked like he had two black eyes but he said he just didn’t get enough sleep. Then Ryan stole the ball and then he passed to Tanner. He wasn’t paying attention and the ball hit him in the mouth. Tanner lost his tooth. The End.

Some questions you might have are….

How old are Tanner and Ryan?

Why did the author include the part about the two black eyes?

What happened after Tanner lost his tooth?

Any others?

Ideas

There is not enough detail so the reader can understand the full story

The story is not focused on one idea

Ideas

Use your details effectively so the reader can feel like he has had your experience

Don’t add unnecessary detail just to fill space

Read the following example.

What is unnecessary?

Ideas – Unnecessary filler

This is an excerpt from a young boy’s journal while he was working on board ship years ago

Cross out what you think is filler – unnecessary detail which adds nothing to the writing

Ideas - Filler

Just before first watch the Bosun staggered to the side and shook his fist at the sea, cursing it for stealing his skiff. The Bosun had a red hat that he pulled down over his ears. It looked like it would keep him warm. But ship’s cook, Mr. Thompson, was angrier still. A dozen of his hens drowned in the storm. There were white, brown and black chickens. I had an uncle once who had chickens and he even gave them names. Mr. Thompson kept muttering how he was never to feed the entire Company if the sea kept killing his livestock. I bet he’s a good cook. I’d never seen a ship’s cook so close before. He has but one hand! He didn’t have a wooden leg or anything, though!

Ideas

Just before first watch the Bosun staggered to the side and shook his fist at the sea, cursing it for stealing his skiff. The Bosun had a red hat that he pulled down over his ears. It looked like it would keep him warm. But ship’s cook, Mr. Thompson, was angrier still. A dozen of his hens drowned in the storm. There were white, brown and black chickens. I had an uncle once who had chickens and he even gave them names. Mr. Thompson kept muttering how he was never to feed the entire Company if the sea kept killing his livestock. I bet he’s a good cook. I’d never seen a ship’s cook so close before. He has but one hand! He didn’t have a wooden leg or anything, though!

Student Rubric

Let’s look at the student rubric

Student Rubric – 6© WriteTraits 7

2005

My paper is crystal clear from the first sentence to the last. It is very easy to tell what my main idea is.Every detail relates plainly to my main idea. My paper is focused.I know this topic well, and the reader can tell that by reading my paper.I was careful to choose interesting, unusual details that would keep readers reading.

Student Rubric – 5© WriteTraits 7

2005

This paper makes sense. It is not confusing or vague. I think this topic is well defined and manageable; it’s not too big.Almost everything I write relates to my main idea.I know quite a bit about this topi.Most of my details go beyond the obvious. The reader may gain some insight or learn one or two interesting things by reading.

Student Rubric – 4© WriteTraits 7

2005

The reader can tell what my main idea is. The topic still needs to be smaller.Most of what I write relates to my main idea.I know some of the things about this topic. If I knew more, or I’d thought about it more, the paper would be stronger.Some interesting or unusual details stand out. At the moment I let my writing get too general, or I repeat things.

Student Rubric – 3 © WriteTraits 7

2005

The reader probably can guess what my main idea is. Some parts are not clear, though. I think it would help to make the topic smaller.Some of this information isn’t really related to my main ideaI need to know more about this topic to do a really good jobI have a few interesting details, but the reader must hunt for them. A lot of this writing is general information everyone knows.

Student Rubric – 2© WriteTraits 7

2005

My main idea is hard to figure out. I think the reader will wonder what I am trying to say. Maybe my topic is too big – or it’s just unclear.A lot of this information does not relate to my main idea.I do not know much about my topic. Mostly I wrote to fill space.I need a lot more detail. This does not say much.

Student Rubric – 1© WriteTraits 7

2005

I do not even have a main idea. I wrote whatever came to my head

This is just a list of facts or events

This is unclear and confusing. Most readers will not keep reading

I really don’t include any details

Assignment

Use the rubric to assess your first draft for ideasMake any idea changes when you write your second draftStaple all 3 sheets togetherThe idea is that you have now created a better piece of writing based on ideas