Introduction:

Students will collect and rate seven different articles for the SixTraits of Writing: Ideas and Content (2 items), Organization,Voice,Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions. This excursion will describe each trait and then via an Internet link take you to a sample that is strong in that trait.

Ideas and Content

Ideas and Content:

Clear ideas. It makes sense___

The writer has narrowed the idea to a manageable topic___

Good information--from experience, imagination or research___

Original and fresh perspective___

Details that capture a reader's interest. Makes ideas understandable__

Here is a Personal Narrative Essay rated as 5 for its Ideas and Content.

A 5 is the top mark.

This Expository Essay was rated as a 2 for Ideas and Content. Compare it to the one above.

Organization

Organization:

A snappy lead that gets the reader's attention___

Starts somewhere and goes somewhere___

The writer continually makes connections within the work___

Writing builds to a conclusion___

The writer creates a memorable resolution and conclusion___

Here is an Expository Essay rated as a 5 for Organization.

A 5 is the top mark.

This Expository Essay is rated as a 2 for Organization.

Please be aware that this is comparing a high school level paper to a middle school paper, but the comparison will give you some idea of this important quality and how to judge it.

Voice

Voice:

Sounds like a person wrote it___

Sounds like this particular writer___

Brings topic to life___

Makes the reader respond and care what happens___

The writer has energy and is involved___

Here is an Expository Essay that is rated as a 5 in Voice. A 5 is the highest you can get.

This essay does not exhibit a strong Voice and was rated as a 2.

Word Choice

Word Choice:

Words and phrases have power___

Word pictures are created___

Thought is crystal clear and precise___

Strong verbs and precise nouns___

Here is a Personal Narrative essay that was rated as a 5 for Word Choice. A score of 5 is the best.

This Expository Essay is rated as a 3 for Word Choice.

Sentence Fluency

Sentence Fluency:

Easy to read aloud___

Well built sentences___

Varied sentence length.

Some long sentences, some short___

The Expository Essay that you saw earlier is rated as a 5 for Sentence Fluency as well.

In this Expository Essay their Sentence Fluency is still developing, and it is rated as a 3.

Conventions

Conventions:

Looks clean, edited and proofread___

Free of distracting errors___

Easy to read___

No errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar

and usage, capitalization, and indentation___

This Personal Narrative Essay that you saw earlier in Ideas and Content was also rated as a 5 for Conventions. Your goal as a writer is to maintain a high quality in as many traits as possible.

Here is a paper that is highly rated in many qualities, but is rated as a 2 for Conventions because this person is still learning them.

Conclusion

Notes and Links for Teachers:

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

The sample papers above are linked to the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory which offers training in the 6+1 Traits of Writing. You may check out their page here.

Creating Writers

The Six Trait Writing characteristics listed above came from Vicki Spandel's and Richard J. Stiggins's Creating Writers ,Second Edition on pages 49-50. The newest edition of this excellent book on the subject can be purchased at the highlighted web site Creating Writers.

Six Trait Writing Evaluation Sheet.

"A Way With Words" by Melissa Steineger. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratories' Rationale for a Six Trait Writing Program

Melissa Steineger explains the intensive workshop that she and her colleagues underwent to become familiar with the Six Trait Writing Process and what a difference it made in their ability to understand and deliver this program.

The Oregon Department of Public Education Defines Different Types of Writing 

Here is a description of Narrative, Imaginative, Expository, and Persuasive writing.

Forks Middle School: Six Trait Writing Program Implementation.

This site describes how Forks Middle School implemented their Six Trait Writing Program. It lists the dates of inservices that they completed and certain goals that hoped to achieved.

Billings District #2 Interactive Six-Trait Writing Process

The Billings District #2 has an Interactive Six-Trait Writing Process site. These additional writing samples are rated as to its strengths and weaknesses. Go to the examples section and click on the various headings.

Kim's Korner for Teacher Talk and Color Coding.

Kim suggests color coding the handouts for each trait that you teach. You could also have the students mark a paper in that particular color when they are searching for that quality. Kim's Korner has internal informative links on Six Trait Writing and also has external links as well.