Six Traits of Writing

Six Traits of Writing Ms. Myers 2011-12

Scoring of Traits • 6 +1 Traits • Ideas (I): How clear, complete and well-developed were your ideas? • Organization (O): How effective was your introduction? Did you present information in an order that makes sense? Did you end your paper well? • Voice (V): Did you put something of yourself into the paper? Was the writing lively? Did you write what you really thought and felt? • Word Choice (W): Did you choose words that helped make your message both interesting and easy to understand? • Sentence Fluency (S): Were sentences smooth and easy to read? Were there long and short sentences with a rhymatic flow? • Conventions (C): Did you proofread carefully and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar? Did your paragraphs begin at the right places? • Presentation (+1) The overall appearance of the work. Is the essay cleanly presented with appropriate margins? Does it have eraser marks on it? Are the pages clearly numbered? • SCORE DESCRIPTION • 5 STRONG --The reader felt your writing showed many strengths in this trait and that, as a writer, you were in control of your writing. • 4 MATURING - The reader felt your writing showed more real strengths than weaknesses in this trait and needed only a bit more work. • 3 DEVELOPING -- The reader felt your writing showed a balance of strenghs and weaknesses and that, as a writer, you were beginning to take control of your writing in this trait. • 2 EMERGING- The reader felt your writing was in a beginning stage, but did not yet show real strengths in this trait. • 1 EXPLORING -- The reader felt your writing was still in a searching stage where you were still looking for a topic or way to handle this trait.

#1 Ideas Assignment • Ideas • The meaning and development of the message, or what the paper is trying to say. • ACTIVITY: Pick a Postcard • Find a set of postcards related to a single topic such as dogs, beach scenes, or city buildings. Give each student a postcard. Ask them to write a paragraph about the image that is so descriptive, readers will easily he able to identify the postcard in the set. Then display all of the postcards. Have students read their paragraphs aloud and see if classmates can guess the card. Explain that the more specific and colorful the details, the quicker the match. • Teacher’s Grading Comments • R.A.F.T.S. • Picture Book Examples • Literature-Based Lesson Planner Sheet • Developing Ideas Prewriting Story Chart • My Ideas Rubric • Letter Writing Assignment

Organization "There is no right way to organize, after all, but there is a right way to think about it: The overall effect of good organization should be to showcase ideas" (Culham, 2005). Read the text. Think of organization as the frame you hang the writing on. It's the internal structure of a piece. Like the framework of a building or the skeleton of an animal, the organization holds the whole structure together. What Is the Organization Trait? PICTURE BOOK EXAMPLES A well-organized piece includes these elements: Introduction Writing the Introduction An inviting introduction gets the reader started and gives clues about what is to come. Transitions Thoughtful transitions link key points and ideas. Sequencing The order of events or information is logical, purposeful, and effective. Pacing Speeding up for a wider view or slowing down to include more details is productive and well-managed. Conclusion A satisfying conclusion resolves the piece, yet leaves the reader thinking or wondering. Showcasing Ideas Organization is more than just thinking of a beginning, middle, and end. A well-organized piece of writing begins with a clear purpose and supplies the reader with information in a logical progression without losing the big picture, or main idea. Connections between ideas are strong and the piece ends with a sense of closure by answering important questions or resolving major issues. Introducing Organization Share this analogy of a beautiful birthday present with students to give them a mental image of organization: The introduction is similar to giving the gift and anticipating the recipient's excited response. The main idea is the gift inside the box. The details are the wrapping paper and bow. The conclusion is the ribbon that ties the gift together. Scoring GuideComments

#2 Organization Assignment • Organization • The structure of the piece; how the paragraphs are ordered; how the paragraphs flow from one to the next. • ACTIVITY: Ten Minutes Only Ask students to draft a story that takes place within a short time frame, ten minutes maximum. Keep an eye on the clock and, every two minutes, tell students to move on to anew event. This activity gives them practice using transitional words and also helps them move their pieces along in segments, developing the action with an eye toward pacing.

Voice • "Voice is the writer's music coming out through the words, the sense that a real person is speaking to you and cares about the message" (Culham, 2003).Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.DIRECTIONSWatchRedTV.Read the text. • Voice, the personal flavor or individuality of a piece, makes writing come alive. It's the magic, the feeling, and the spirit of the writer coming through the words loud and clear. • What Is the Voice Trait? • Voice is the connection the writer creates with the reader. Students who effectively leave their mark on writing: speak to readers on a personal level, attempt different styles to match purpose and audience, and take risks by revealing the individuality of the person behind the words. • Why Students Struggle With Voice • It seems voice tends to be misunderstood by some. At times, teachers are tempted to combine it with word choice or just not teach it at all. Big mistake! Voice is what • 1. Voice Isn't as Concrete as the Other Traits--Sometimes students and teachers get confused when trying to define voice. Questions arise such as, "Is it style?", "Is it tone?", and "Is it flavor?" Actually, it's all that and more. Voice is apparent when it draws the reader in, establishing a strong bond between the reader and writer. • 2. There’s a Perception That "Boring" Writing Is Good - Yearsago, it seemed that student writing that received the highest grades kept the reader at arm's length. Conventional wisdom was to never express a personal opinion unless it was asked of you. Boring! How can students be motivated to write if there is no personal excitement offered or expected? • 3. Voice Isn't Seen as Necessary for Some Writing Types--On the surface, this may seem true. But for all types of writing to be effective, there must be a connection between the writer and the intended audience. When voice is present, the writing and the message become clear and easier to understand.

Voice—Teacher Rubric • What You Can Do • Music can make the listener think and feel—two qualities evident in writing with strong voice. Try this activity to introduce the voice trait through music: • 1. Select three versions of a popular song that was recorded by multiple artists over time. For example, download a song from an "American Idol" favorite and two other versions of the song. • 2. Ask students to close their eyes and listen as you play the original version of the song. Voice Quick Check • 3. Play the song again and ask students to write down feelings, emotions, and images that occur to them as they listen. • 4. Ask students to list words that describe the voice of the song, using the sensations they experienced as they listened. • 5. Repeat the process with the other versions of the song. VOICE PUTTING MYSELF IN WRITING RUBRIC • 6. Create a chart with the class that compares and contrasts the different voices they heard in the songs. • 7. Challenge students to write a sentence for each version of the song that summarizes the voice, capturing the tone and mood. • 8. Discuss the relationship between music and writing, emphasizing how distinctive voices, like those heard in the songs, make writing stronger. • In a further discussion, help students realize that two people could write about the same event or topic, but their writing would likely reflect different voices, just like the different versions of the same song. Ask students to list other songs and books that have powerful voices and describe them.

Modeling Voice with mentor Text • "Voice just jumps right out of good picture books—each one is so lively, engaging, and unique" (Culham, 2004).Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player. • DIRECTIONSRead the text. There will be times when it seems the writing you get from students is hopelessly lifeless and dull. Not to worry—just read. • Focusing on Voice – Lesson Plan • Examining the works of published authors is one of the best ways to teach voice. Search out short passages that exemplify a strong or distinctive voice. Read them to your class and talk about what makes them successful with voice. • Selecting Mentor Texts – Voice Letter to Parents • Look for mentor texts that demonstrate how a writer speaks directly to the reader. To truly illustrate the power of voice, start with picture books. They show different styles according to the purpose or the audience—from loud and boisterous to quiet and compassionate. Picture book authors take risks in revealing themselves to the reader. Use these types of books to show students it's not only good to do so but it's also effective in showing voice. • Sharing Models of Voice in Nonfiction • Make sure to demonstrate the various types of writing that contain voice. Share strong examples of voice from magazine and newspaper articles, advertisements, and content-area books. Try reawriting: • Rachel: The Story oding aloud from these books to give students ideas of how to incorporate voice into their own nonfiction f Rachel Carson, by Amy Ehlich • Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen KrullVoice Mailbag Assignment • Walking With Henry: Based on the Life and Works of Henry David Thoreau by Thomas Locker • For a list of fiction and nonfiction titles that work well as models of the voice trait, see the Teacher Resource: Picture Books for Developing Voice.

Voice in Speech • Ideas For...Hearing Voice in Speeches • Hearing Voice in Speeches Many political figures are known for speeches that energize groups of people and move them in very personal ways. Show children footage of speeches from the past and present that invoke feelings. For example, show Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss the voice he uses to express his thoughts about Civil Rights. • As students learn about current events throughout the year, discuss the voices political figures use in their speeches, debates, and interviews. Guide students to explore their own voices by choosing a current topic, such as education or the environment, and writing a persuasive speech.

#3 Voice Assignment • Voice • The way the writer brings the topic to life, depending on the intended audience. • ACTIVITY: New Voices, New Choices Have students write the first sentence of a letter to five different audiences. If students are studying the effects of global warming, for instance, ask them to write to the local newspaper, their grandmother, an anti-environmentalist, a friend, and the president of a local consumer-rights group. Discuss how the voice will change depending on the intended audience.

Expanding word choice • "In good descriptive writing, strong word choice clarifies and expands ideas" (Culham, 2003). Read the text. • Word choice is about using language that is rich, colorful, and precise. It's not just picking the right word—it is about using language that moves and enlightens the reader. • What Is the Word Choice Trait? • Word choice plays a role in every type of writing. In descriptive writing, strong word choice clarifies and expands ideas. In persuasive writing, it moves the reader to feel a certain way. In narrative writing, word choice creates strong images in the readers' minds. • The word choice trait can be broken down into these teachable categories of language: • Striking Language Making an event, place, person or situation spring to life in the reader's mind through the specific choice of words • Exact Language Using lively verbs, precise nouns, and accurate modifiers • Natural Language Selecting words an phrases that sound authentic • Beautiful Language Choosing rich and colorful words and phrases • Why Students Struggle With Word Choice • Students just learning about word choice first need to understand the critical role that the right word plays in both oral and written communication. Understanding word choice means students must learn to write beautifully, with power and clarity. As with many things, this can be easier said than done. There are challenges.

Exclusive Language Doctors, lawyers, and educators can all be at fault of using acronyms and professional jargon. Specialized sets of words or phrases have little or no meaning to parents and students. So just a word of caution here: Set a good example. Be clear, precise, and use your rich vocabulary to explain and offer examples when you speak with students about writing. Vocabulary Is Often Taught in Isolation WORD CHOICE CHECK LIST Memorizing isolated words will not create a rich vocabulary—no matter how many vocabulary lists are handed out. Too often, students see lists as just another assignment to be finished on time—not exactly a motivator for good writing. Instead, give students the chance to explore the role of words in writing to create meaning and satisfy readers. Look for ways to demonstrate that word choice is more than just finding the right word; it's about creating emphasis by putting the right word in the right spot! Students Get Word "Drunk" Sometimes students discover the power of new words and get a little crazy with their usage. You may begin to see very big words, made-up words, or words that just don't work. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It means students are thinking about words, experimenting, and taking risks—all good things in a writer. Use these instructional moments to guide students to use words with energy and precision. Introducing Word Choice With Beautiful Language WORD CHOICE PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE STUDENT RUBRIC Use this strategy to introduce the trait of word choice: Choose a book to read aloud that contains excellent words. Look for one that is also available as an audiobook (preferably read by the author) that you can purchase or download from the Internet. Read the book to students and discuss what the author wants them to understand from the story. Play the audio version and ask students to jot down any words, phrases, or images that stick in their minds. Discuss why students chose particular words and why those words created pictures in their minds. On a new piece of paper, ask students to illustrate their favorite observation. Bind the illustrated words into a class book for students to refer to as excellent examples of word choice.

#4 Word Choice Assignment • Word Choice • The specific vocabulary the writer uses to convey tone and meaning. • ACTIVITY: Rice Cakes or Salsa? As students write, teach them to ask, “Is this a ‘rice cake’ word or a ‘salsa’ word?” Every paper should have salsa words! Use this analogy frequently. One teacher recalls that as she was dismissing class, she said, “Have a nice afternoon and evening.” To which a few students replied, “Nice is a rice cake word!”

SCORING FOR WORD CHOICE • "Word choice may seem like an easy trait to assess, but put some pressure on yourself to look past the words themselves and see how they are used—their level of specificity, correctness, and originiality" (Culham, 2003). • When assessing for word choice, look for evidence that the student is reaching to find just the right word to create a vivid image in the reader's mind. • KEY Qualities of the Word Choice Trait TEACHERS SCORING RUBRIC • Look for these key qualities as you assess student writing for word choice: • The words paint pictures in the reader's mind. • The "just right" words make the message crystal clear. • The words are accurate, specific, and powerful. • The active verbs add energy and punch. • The words and phrases have a marvelous sound. • Keep students on track with word choice by providing them with the Student Resource: Word Choice Quick Check to refer to during writing. Also, teach students to use the Student Resource: Word Choice: Playing With Language to assess their own writing and their peers' writing. • COMMENTS ON WORD CHOICE

TEACHING WITH WORD CHOICE Use activities from the four teachable qualities of word choice to help students add lively and interesting words to their writing. I. Striking Language Descriptive writing makes events, people, places, and situations come to life. Try the activity "The More Detail, the Better" to teach students to use details and precise words to express meaning: • Ask students to observe the details of an object for a minute. If possible, use a live object, like an insect or small animal. • Give students another minute to write down all the details they recall about the object. • Ask students to share their details and record them on a class list. • Discuss which words or descriptors are the most memorable, accurate, or interesting. • Repeat this process with other objects until students see and record details with ease.

Exact Language Parts of speech play an important role in exact word choice. Consider these sample sentences with active and passive verbs: While jogging, Maria passed Jimmy. (active) While jogging, Jimmy was passed by Susie. (passive) Try the activity "Active and Passive Verbs" to show students how carefully chosen language helps get the reader's attention: Divide the class into two groups. Ask Group 1 to write a letter to an adult about a hot-topic issue. Tell students to punch it up with powerful, active verbs. Ask Group 2 to write the same letter using passive voice. Compare the two pieces of writing and discuss how active verbs add more energy to writing.

Natural Language • Using natural language can mean putting a fresh spin on familiar words, or using the right words in the right place. Guide students to think about interesting, textured, and delicious words with the activity "Your Personal Top Ten": • Partner students and ask them to make a list of 20 favorite words. • Challenge students to narrow the list down to their top ten favorite words and share with the class. • Direct students to keep their lists in their writing folders or writer's notebooks. • Encourage students to update their lists regularly, deleting a word if they add a new one, so it is always a succinct list of ten words. • Keep your own ongoing list, so students know that words are important to you too. • Beautiful Language • Guide students to choose words and phrases that are rich and colorful. • Try the activity "Yummy Words" to help students realize there are many ways to say the same thing: • Make a list of different ways to describe how people eat, such as "nibble," "gobble," and "munch.” • Give students an apple and ask them to demonstrate eating the apple in these ways. • Try the activity with a list of words to describe how people walk, such as "amble," "gallop," and "stride." Then ask students to act out these different ways of walking. • Tell students to keep in mind the numerous ways to say things to make their writing more interesting. • Word Painting Picture with Words LessonPicture Book Examples for Expanding Word

Selecting Mentor Texts • Selecting Mentor Texts Word Choice Scoring RubricWORD CHOICE LETTER • Consider these fiction books to use as models of effective word choice: • Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier • Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by James E. Ransome • Also, don't forget to share models of strong word choice in nonfiction. Try reading aloud Lincoln: A Photobiography written by Russell Freedman. • For a list of titles that work well as models of the word choice trait, see the Teacher Resource: Picture Books for Expanding Word Choice. • What You Can Do • Use a mentor text to help students learn how authors infuse beautiful language into writing: • Read aloud My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray. While you read, ask students to listen for words that capture their imaginations. • Write words that stick out in students' minds on the board. • Teach students about the literary device of alliteration. Alliteration is a repeated sound that occurs when several words begin with the same letter, such as "with a grin and a giggle" and "leaf-kicking leg-lifting hand-clapping.” • Read the book again, asking students to write down one or two phrases that are good examples of alliteration. • Guide students to add alliteration to their own pieces of writing.

ONLINE RESOURCES • Ideas For...Using Online Resources • TeachUsing Online Resources Teach students to use online resources to say things in new way or to get excited about learning new words. Try showing students how to use an online thesaurus, such as: • Roget's Thesaurus • Merriam-Webster Online • Visuwords (online graphical dictionary) • Try these sites for child-focused word games: • Merriam-Webster's Word Central Direct students to Word Central where they can build their own dictionary, learn a new word daily, and play word games. • Free Rice [freerice.com] Guide students to test their knowledge of words and donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program every time they are correct.

Sentence Fluency • "Teaching students how to write fluent sentences is more complicated than teaching them how to write correct sentences" (Culham, 2003). • Sentence fluency is not only about structuring sentences correctly, but about using the right words in the right place to create the right image. • What Is the Sentence Fluency Trait? • Sentence fluency is an auditory trait. A fluent piece of writing is easy to read aloud. The natural flow guides the reader through the words with ease. Focus on these three areas when teaching sentence fluency: • establishing pleasing flow, rhythm, and cadence, • varying sentence length and structure, and • constructing sentences that enhance meaning. • Why Students Struggle With Sentence Fluency • It is relatively easy to teach students to create sentences using standard classroom English grammar; the challenges come in deciding where to place words in sentences and where those sentences should be placed within the piece. The skills necessary to create fluent sentences can take years and years to perfect. Here are some of the reasons students have difficulty with sentence fluency:

Sentence Fluency • 1. Overemphasis on Correctness • Since the early primary grades, students have been taught to form correct sentences—first creating simple and compound sentences and then complex sentences as they became more sophisticated with language. The instruction was usually more about correct structure than meaning and flow. However, with sentence fluency, almost anything goes as long as the meaning of the piece gets through to the reader. The sentence must simply work! The goal here is to open your mind to what the words are saying and how terrific they sound, instead of focusing only on structure. • 2. Writing Classrooms Are Too Quiet • There is an odd stillness in the air of some writing classrooms. Teachers are surrounded by beautifully written books, yet too many teachers don't read those books aloud to their students. Even worse, students aren't reading their work aloud either! Classrooms should be buzzing with activity. Students need to hear examples of what good sentence fluency sounds like, how the words form sentences, and how phrases are crafted. Hearing sentence fluency aloud is how students best learn about this trait. • 3. It's Harder Than it Looks • People frequently assume that good writing should contain a wide variety of sentence types including simple, compound, and complex sentences—the more variety the better. In reality, each piece of writing has a different form and therefore the sentences need to be individualized for the piece to create a pleasing flow.

Fluency Guide • What You Can Do • Reading books aloud is an effective way to provide students with the chance to hear fluent sentences. Try this lesson to introduce the concept of sentence fluency to students. • Explain that books that flow smoothly when read aloud are examples of strong sentence fluency. • Read aloud a book with beautiful sounding sentences. Model and explain how the words guide you to read smoothly and rhythmically and fast or slow. • Send students to the classroom, school, or town library to find books that contain strong sentence fluency. • Ask students to read aloud some of the especially strong sentences they found in the books, reminding them to let the words and sentences guide them as they read. • Discuss the techniques used by the authors to create interesting phrasing in their writing. • Ask students to select one favorite line and write it on a sentence strip, including the title and author. • Display the strong examples of sentence fluency for students to use as reference. • Refer to these "Spectacular Sentences" throughout your study of the sentence fluency trait as examples of well-built, smooth-sounding, and easy to read sentences

Fluency Assessed • 6.2 Assessing Student Work for Sentence Fluency • "Fluent writing is graceful, varied, rhythmic—almost musical" (Culham, 2003). • When you assess student writing, read it aloud to listen for its natural rhythm and the ease with which each sentence flows into the next. • Key Qualities of the Sentence Fluency Trait • As you assess student writing for sentence fluency, look for the characteristics of these key qualities: • Words and phrases read smoothly and rhythmically. Teacher Scoring Guide • Sentences are correctly constructed. Teacher Resource: Comments on S.F. • Fragments, if present, are intentional and work as a stylistic effect. • Sentences begin in different ways. • Sentences are varied and have different lengths. • Guide students to incorporate the key qualities of sentence fluency in their writing with the Student Resource: Sentence Fluency Quick Check. Also teach students to assess their own writing with the help of the Student Resource: Sentence Fluency: Listening to the Sound Rubric.

Teaching With the Sentence Fluency Trait • "The writing classroom should be humming with activity, pausing now and again as students listen to the teacher, another student, or themselves. To teach sentence fluency, there must be sound" (Culham, 2003). • Focus instruction on the three teachable qualities of the sentence fluency trait. This complex trait requires skills and understanding that occur over time and with lots of practice. • Establishing Flow, Rhythm, and Cadence • Students become fluent writers when they listen to how their writing sounds and learn to judge how the words work together in a sentence. Writers need to use their eyes and ears to succeed with sentence fluency. Create a fluency phone to encourage students to read aloud in a way that offers some privacy for those embarrassed that others might hear: • 1. Make a simple sound-amplifying device with a few short pieces of three-inch PVC pipe from a home improvement store. • 2. Assemble the PVC pipe into the shape of a phone receiver, curving from the mouth to ear. • 3. Ask students to read into one end and listen at the other. • 4. Even the quietest students can hear how their writing sounds and then think of ways to improve it.

#5 Sentence Fluency Assignment • Sentence Fluency • The way the words and phrases flow throughout the text. • ACTIVITY: Music to Our Ears Use the music of classic works such as Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals to develop sentence fluency skills. Play a piece of music for your students to enjoy. Then play it a second time and ask them to pick a section and write a description of what they think is happening. Challenge them to capture the fluidity of the music in their writing. From Peter and the Wolf, one sixth-grade student wrote: “I could really tell when the scary part was coming. The music sped up and I felt myself tensing up until BAM, the wolf pounced.”

Varying Sentence Length and Structure How a sentence is constructed has a profound effect on the way it sounds. Teach students to create sentences that are grammatically correct, consist of different lengths, and are made up of different sentence patterns. Try the lesson "Sentence Stretching" to teach students to vary sentence length: 1. Write a short sentence on a piece of paper. 2. Pass it around to five or six students and ask them each to add or change one word to make the sentence more specific and interesting. 3. Have each student read the sentence aloud before passing it to the next student. 4. Discuss how adding descriptive words can help turn a short sentence into a more meaningful and pleasant-sounding Student Resource: Creating Fluent Sentences

Constructing Sentences That Enhance Meaning • The way sentences are constructed can help or hinder meaning for the reader. Sentences with too many unnecessary words can be confusing, but sentences with too few words can lead to choppy, non-descriptive sentences. Try the activity "Lean and Mean" to teach students to eliminate wordiness by editing wordy sentences. Demonstrate how to remove or amend words without changing the meaning of the sentence. Try this example: • Original:Thestadiumhas ample parking space available for fans' automobiles. • Revision:The stadium has ample parking space. • Send students on a hunt for examples of wordy sentences in books, newspapers, and magazines and use their finds as places to practice eliminating wordiness. • Punctuation Lesson

Connect to Reading • "One of the best ways to teach fluency is to read beautifully written pieces to students. Let the sounds linger and resonate in their heads as you talk together about why the piece is fluent" (Culham, 2003). • Because sentence fluency is an auditory trait, reading aloud beautifully crafted text is especially helpful for students. Not only does it expose them to well-built sentences, but it provides a chance to hear how fluent sentences sound. • Focusing on Sentence Fluency • Picture books are intended to be read aloud. Reading them to your students is an effective way to model the sound of fluent sentences. You'll find marvelous examples in poetry and prose, fiction and nonfiction. Listen for sentences with a smooth flow and then stop to share passages as you discover them.

Selecting Mentor Text • Provide plenty of examples of sentence fluency. For example, read the picture book Dogteam by Gary Paulsen to emphasize beautiful language: • "Through the trees, in and out the sled whipping after them, through the trees with no sound but the song of the runners, the high-soft-shusshh-whine of the runners.” • Also, share sentences that are constructed to express meaning. Read this passage from The Land of Elyon: The Tenth City by Patrick Carman to show how sentences can create action and anxiety. • "No sooner had the words left his mouth than the winds became more violent, the waves crashing against the ship and pushing it toward the cliffs. Rain came tumbling out of the sky like no rain I'd ever seen before. It felt as though the sky above us had waited for our arrival and held on to more and more water, month after month, only to drop it all on the Warwick Beacon."

What Can you do • Students can learn to hear language by participating in choral readings and reader's theater. Try this lesson based on the nonfiction book Bat Loves the Night, by Nicola Davies, a lyrical text containing two different forms of sentence fluency: • Ask students to write down everything they know about bats on index cards. • Read Bat Loves the Night aloud stopping, to show students how the author weaves together descriptive and expository writing to create a smooth, flowing text. • Divide the class in half and assign one group descriptive text and the other expository text. Point out where each section of text is found on the pages. • Pass out books to each group and ask them to practice reading their sections orally as a group, in pairs, or alone. • Encourage students to practice their part until they feel comfortable reading it aloud. • Allow each group to read their parts to the other group. Afterward, discuss how their plan for reading worked. • Discuss how reading aloud affected the sentence fluency of the piece. • Connect this trait back to the ideas trait by asking students to look at their index card from the beginning of the lesson and add any information they learned about bats. • For an extended list of titles to help teach sentence fluency, see the Teacher Resource: Picture Books for Building Sentence Fluency.

Activities in the Modes at HOme • Share these ideas with the parents and caregivers of the students in your class to provide extra practice with writing in different modes. • Have your child start a writer's notebook to record observations, quotes, favorite words, unfamiliar words, things that he or she feels strongly about, and interesting ideas to write about. • Have your child write an expository piece (observing and reporting) to explain the rules of a favorite sport or the steps in a favorite hobby. Allow your child to read the piece aloud and then discuss the information. • Challenge your child to write a persuasive piece (building an argument that will convince you to watch his or her favorite television program instead of what you normally watch. Then, watch it together! • Encourage your child to keep a daily journal to record thoughts, feelings, and happenings in a narrative style. Remind him or her that each entry will need a beginning, middle and ending with setting and characters. • Have your child write an imaginative piece (creating a new way of seeing things) focusing on where your family might take its next vacation. Encourage him or her to use lots of unusual details and include a few twists and turns. • Challenge your child to write a descriptive piece (creating a picture with words) about an event, a feeling, a thought, or a favorite item. Encourage him or her to create a picture in your mind that will linger past the reading. • Have your child write a narrative piece (telling a story) about the best thing that ever happened to him or her. Write your own piece about the best thing that ever happened to you. Then share the pieces by reading them aloud. • Ask your child to write an expository piece (observing and reporting) to show you how to do something that you may not know how to do, such as play a video game, do a science experiment, or download information from the web. • If you and your child have a disagreement, challenge him or her to write a persuasive piece (building an argument) to convince you that he or she is right. Then read it aloud, discuss the points, and consider the options.

Conventions • "Students in classes where conventions are valued over everything else get a distorted view of writing. They see work as "finished" because it's polished, when in reality the writing is never finished" (Culham, 2003). • Good writers know the importance of conventions to guide the reader through the text and make ideas readable. Working with conventions comes at the end of the writing process, after writing has been shaped and clarified. • What Is the Conventions Trait? • The conventions trait is all about editing. It is different than the previous five traits—the revision traits—which concern creating meaning. When students learn about conventions, they learn to clean up the text and prepare it for an outside reader. As writers edit, they work with spelling, capitalization, punctuation, paragraphing, and grammar and usage. • Why Students Struggle with Convention • 1. Students Don't See the Power of Conventions • When you talk to someone, you get visual clues that he or she understands what you are saying. In writing, that luxury does not exist. The words and the writing must stand on their own. Help your students understand that conventions are a powerful tool to make the message clear and understandable for the reader. • 2. We're Always Searching for the Best Way to Teach Conventions • There are many ways to teach conventions. Teachers are often confused whether to teach with skill-focused lessons, from a constructivist's view (errors are opportunities for instruction), or a traditionalist's view (errors are indicators of failure). It's helpful to use a balance of skill-based lessons while also providing time for students to practice conventions in their own writing. • 3. We Don't Encourage Risk Taking • Frequently, if "correctness" is overemphasized than writing loses energy and turns bland. Teach accuracy as well as risk taking. Encourage students to try new conventions and then use their errors to guide your instruction and individual conferences with students.

Introducing Conventions • Try this activity to demonstrate the importance of the correct use of conventions. • Rewrite a short piece of published text by omitting all punctuation, capitalization, and indentations. • Ask students to work in small groups to add conventions to the text, making it readable and understandable. • Ask students to write their newly-edited version on chart paper and share the changes with the class. • Compare the edited and original published versions, examining any discrepancies. Students may be surprised that they thought of interesting uses of conventions that the author did not consider in the original version. • Discuss how hard it was to read the text without conventions and how they are an important part of writing well and making the message clear. • After completing this activity, discuss the conventions that students feel ready to tackle. Display the list of conventions so students can check as they edit their work in the future.

Assessing Conventins • "No matter how old students are, they should know and be able to demonstrate control over those conventions that are appropriate to their age/grade level" (Culham, 2003). • When assessing student writing for conventions, score holistically, keeping in mind all five key qualities at once. • Key Qualities of the Conventions Trait • As you assess student writing for conventions, look for characteristics of these key qualities: • The punctuation guides the reader through the text. • The capitalization is handled well. • The spelling is mostly correct. • The grammar contributes to clarity and style. • The paragraphs are in the right places. • Teach students to keep track of their success with conventions by using the Student Resource: Conventions Quick Check • Help students assess the spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing in their writing with • Student Resource: Conventions: Editing. • Teacher Resource Scoring Guide for Conventions

Feedback on Conventions • "When students are doing well they should hear from us, their teachers, exactly what makes their pieces effective. If they are struggling, they depend on us to show them what isn't working and what to do about it" (Culham, 2006). • Independent writing time provides students the chance to edit their work and time for you to check progress and engage them in short conferences. Try these three techniques for conferring with students. • The Walk-By • If you walk by a student who has good control over conventions and you notice a small mistake, write a comment on a sticky note and put it on their paper. Give the student a hint about the mistake, but also leave positive feedback. For example, consider this comment to guide students in the right direction, "Great work adding punctuation and capitalization to dialogue! You're really making progress with conventions. I do see one misspelling in the third paragraph. See if you can find it and spell it correctly.” • The Stop-and-Go • Use this technique with students who are about halfway there, but still need your guidance to fully understand conventions. Stop at a student's desk and scan their paper. If you see some problems that the student could easily fix, point out a specific area to improve and direct them to a resource that could help them. Consider saying, "I noticed that you are using dialogue in your story—remember to punctuate it correctly. If you need help, look at the punctuation chart in your writing folder. I think you can fix this on your own, but if you get stuck let me know and we can figure it out together.” • The Stop-and-StayUse this technique with students who are experiencing challenges with their writing. Engage struggling writers in conversations about the challenges they face in their writing. Work together to develop a plan to improve the piece. Then schedule a follow-up conference to assess progress and offer additional feedback. For example, if a student's use of conventions interferes with your ability to read the piece, tell him or her what you see as a stumbling block. Then ask the student which part of conventions they want to tackle first and work with the student to clarify the issue. Follow up with another conference to check on the student's progress, offer more guidance if necessary, and make sure he or she is moving in the right direction. • For more examples of comments for the conventions trait, see the Teacher Resource: Comments on Conventions.

Teaching Conventions • "Conventions is an important trait to teach, but not as an isolated group of skills. Rather, it should be taught as a way to make the meaning behind the words clear to the reader" (Culham, 2003). • When teaching students about conventions, you want to prompt them to ask the question "why?" Why is this word capitalized? Why do we need a comma here? Your goal is to help them answer these questions so conventions make sense. • Editing for Spelling: • Help students spell difficult words with the activity "Practice Makes Perfect." Pick a high-frequency word or frequently misspelled word. Review the correct spelling with the class and ask students to spell it correctly throughout the day. For example, asks students to spell the word before they turn in a paper, ask a question, or leave for the day. • Editing for Capital Letters • Try the activity "Bouncing Ball" to help students check the use of capital letters in their writing. • Divide students into groups of three and give two students tennis balls. • Ask the third student to read aloud a paragraph from his or her writing. Instruct students to bounce their balls every time there should be a capital letter. • If both balls bounce at the same time, the reader should keep reading. If only one person bounces the ball, students should pause to discuss whether or not the word should be capitalized. • Trade roles until all students have a chance to check the use of the capital letters in their pieces.

Editing for Punctuation/Grammar • Editing for Punctuation--Help students realize the importance of punctuation to indicate a pause, complete thought, or a particular tone with the kinesthetic activity "Punctuation Walkabout." Have students walk around the classroom while reading one of their drafts. When they hear a spot where a period belongs, they should stop and stamp their feet. Add new motions for other punctuation, such as shooting a hand in the air for an exclamation point or curling one arm around their head for a question mark. • Editing for Grammar--Like the other conventions, grammar is best taught in context of the student's own writing. There are a lot of misconceptions about teaching grammar to students. Contrary to popular belief, the separate teaching of grammar does not improve the quality or accuracy of student writing or help students score better on standardized tests that include grammar, usage, and punctuation (Weaver, 1996).

Conventions With Mentor Texts • "All picture books, to some degree, can be used to teach about conventions. They are prime examples of how authors flex their editing muscles, using conventions with style and accuracy" (Culham, 2004). • Published texts are excellent resources for teaching students about conventions. Not only do they go through several rounds of editing for accuracy in punctuation, spelling, and grammar but they show creative uses of conventions. • Focusing on Conventions • Reading mentor texts aloud, especially picture books, exposes students to accurate and innovative uses of conventions. Students can look to picture books for models of correct capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and paragraphing. Almost any book can serve as a mentor text since they are all subject to extensive editing. Simply pick one of the five key qualities of conventions to focus on and go for it! • In the last few years, a variety of picture books have been published that focus on understanding and using conventions well. While any book can serve as a model of strong conventions, having a text whose central message is about conventions can motivate student editors and help clarify the importance of the trait. • Selecting Mentor Texts • The series books listed below contain excellent content about using conventions. Share one or two of the books with students and let them explore the others on their own. • Words Are Categorical series written by Brian P. Cleary, about parts of speech; • World of Language series, written and illustrated by Ruth Heller, about parts of speech and elements of grammar; • Teacher Resource Picture Books Examples • Letter Writing Lesson Plan

Presentation • +1 Presentation • The overall appearance of the work. Is the essay cleanly presented with appropriate margins? Does it have eraser marks on it? Are the pages clearly numbered? • When teachers bring the Traits into their classrooms, piece by piece, day by day, the whole picture of how to create strong, imaginative text is revealed. The Traits allow students to practice revision in small, manageable pieces, building toward competence and independence as they go. • Imagine this scenario: Julio gets his paper back from his teacher. He knows that the word choice in the piece is strong because he went through and changed passive verbs to active ones. He looked for dull, uninteresting words and changed them as he worked with his writing group. Now he reads what the teacher wrote on his paper: “Julio, the words in this paragraph are particularly strong. It really works when you write, ‘The grasses swayed in the summer breezes like the curtains at my open window.’ Good work with verbs, too. Now, let’s talk about getting some sentence variety in your next piece.”

Spotlight Presentation • "How the paper looks influences our reaction to it, no matter how hard we try to keep it from creeping into our overall assessment—all the more reason for us to teach our students the importance of presentation" (Culham, 2003). • Presentation is the ability to make writing visibly appealing and is related to fine motor skills. For this reason it is not a full-blown trait, but is considered so that you can help students finalize their work and get it ready for the reader to enjoy. • What Is the Presentation Trait? • First impressions mean a great deal, and experienced writers know that when they finalize their work, they should pay attention to what readers might think if it's sloppy, carelessly written, has tears and smudges, or is hard to decipher. You want your reader to focus on what you have to say, so spending time at the final stage of writing to create a clean copy is very appreciated by readers. • Qualities of Presentation • Look for these characteristics when assessing for presentation: • Uniform spacing. • Legible and consistent handwriting, or the appropriate use of fonts and sizes. • Appealing use of white space. • Where necessary, bullets, numbers, side headings, and other markers that help readers access content. • Effective integration of text and illustration, charts, graphs, maps, and tables.

Assessing Presentation • Students need to know what makes a piece of writing "finished." Give students the Student Resource: Presentation: How the Writing Looks on the Page so they understand what you will be looking for in their writing. Also share the Student Resource: Presentation Quick Check so students can keep track of the presentation elements they've included in their writing. Assess a student's ability to create polished pieces which are ready to be enjoyed by others with the Teacher Resource: Scoring Guide for Presentation. • Student Resource: Presentation: How the Writing Looks on the Page Student Resource: Presentation Quick Check Teacher Resource: Scoring Guide for Presentation. Teacher Resource: Comments on Presentation. Presentation Letter Traits Writing Letter Focusing on Presentation To introduce presentation to students, lead a discussion about what makes writing clear and readable. Ask questions like, What helps a reader understand a graph or photo? or How can a writer include a lot of information on one page without overwhelming the reader? Use books, magazines, and newspapers to find examples of successful presentation, as well as pieces that are not presented effectively. Providing Feedback Help students understand how they are succeeding with presentation and how they can improve their writing using specific feedback. For example, consider this comment about presentation: You've made your text stand out nicely on the page because of the way you use the white space. I can read all of your letters even though some of the shapes are not standard. Please revise them so everyone can read them. For more examples of comments to help you discuss presentation, see the Teacher Resource: Comments on Presentation.

Comparing Writing Over Time • "Organizing materials, providing quick and effective feedback, and keeping accurate records is a big part of a writing teacher's reality" (Culham & Wheeler, 2003). • In order to truly gauge a student's progress over a school year, compare writing samples from the beginning, middle, and end of the year. • Tracking Student Progress • Teacher writing folders are a perfect place to keep track of each student's writing progress throughout the year. Create a folder for each student and fill it with information that clearly shows how each student is progressing. In the folder, include the Teacher Resource: Year-Long Writing Assessment Form to record each student's progress with the traits. Also include three writing samples, from the beginning, middle, and end of the year. Keep a copy of the scoring guide, so you can easily refer to it when looking back at the body of work. • Discuss the contents of the folder with each student, talking about areas where they made progress and areas that still need work. Help students set writing goals for the remainder of the current school year or for the following year. These records also enable you talk about student writing progress with parents, administrators, and other teachers. Discuss the information in the folder and share the student writing plan so that parents and teachers can assist students as they work to strengthen their writing. • Individual Growth • Students and teachers work together to use the language of the traits to discuss what is successful and what needs improvement. Good assessment leads to specific instruction, with improved student writing as the end result. Although individual student performance will vary from task to task, the use of highly refined scoring guides coupled with focused instruction will allow all students to move, by leaps and bounds, through the writing curriculum. And most importantly, they will become writers for life—a skill that will serve them well regardless of their choice of occupation in later years. • Teacher Resource: Year-Long Writing Assessment Form

Using The Traits Throughout the Year • "The traits are never really separated. It's just that revision is such a big task, it's helpful to student writers if we allow them to break it into manageable pieces." (Culham, 2003). • Good writers use all of the traits, all of the time. Teachers usually introduce traits individually, but it's critical to put that trait back into the mix and move on to another trait so students can start considering all of the traits in their writing. • All Together Now • It's no surprise to teachers that revision is a sticking point for students. They don't like to revise and in many cases were never taught how, either. The 6 Traits Writing Model breaks down each trait into its key qualities to make the revision task manageable for students as well as the teacher. Students will use the language of the traits each year as they get better at the revision process. • Revision still requires thinking, and that's not something that can be served up like soup. The traits make it possible to bring a big pot of revision to the table and let the aroma fill students' noses with all the best writing scents. And who knows? Maybe students will grab a big serving spoon and dig in. • When commenting on more than one trait, make sure to comment on a writing strength and an area that could lead to change. Also, try to comment on an area that supports the student's work in one of the revision traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, or sentence fluency) as well as commenting about one of the elements of conventions. Only comment on presentation when a student submits a final copy.

Self and Peer Assessment • To help students build confidence in the traits, teach them how to assess their own work and the work of a peer. You'll know that students understand and use the traits to help them as writers when they begin to apply them to their own work. Remember to use the student-friendly scoring guides to keep students on the path to constant self-assessment. • Using quick checks is another way to help students look at their writing or that of their peers to make sure it is on track. Quick checks do not contain the same amount of detail as the scoring guides, so they have limited assessment value. Teach students to use the checklists to guide them through their work as they focus on the traits. Once students have been introduced to all of the traits, guide them to use the Student Resource: All Traits Quick Check to check that they their final piece of writing is strong in all of the traits • The Big Picture--The 6 Traits Writing Model is driven by assessment. The scoring guides are not just rubrics but are a language for assessment. After you assess student writing with the trait-specific scoring guides, you will know how students are doing and be able to plan purposeful lessons that address their needs. You'll also have the information to provide effective feedback to move students in the right direction with their writing. Remember, when planning instruction and conferring with students, it all comes back to the scoring guides! • One last piece of advice: Be fearless, have faith in yourself and your students, and believe that anything can happen. The next thing you know...it will! • Student All Traits Quick Check • Student Examples of Scored Essays with 6 + Traits

Lesson Overview: Objectives/Overview: Civil Rights Warriors is a fun way to incorporate the teaching of research and biographies. Students will research a person connected to the civil rights movement and create a trading card on their researched person. Students will identify through research the qualities of a person from history and their connection to the Civil Rights Movement. Time Needed: three 45-minute class sessions. Writing skills (traits) to stress while teaching this lesson:Idea Development (writing with a clear, central idea or theme in mind; and putting researched ideas into one’s own words) Word Choice (using precise nouns to assist the reader’s understanding; incorporating interesting adjectives into the writing; and using strong verbs to keep the sentences interesting) Conventions (spelling skills; and capitalizations skills) Handouts: 1

Six Traits of Writing