Why do we all need to know SixTraits

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Why do we all need to know Six-Traits?

• Gives us all, students, teachers, parents,
  standardized tests-a shared vocabulary for
  speaking about and working with the texts our
  students create.

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Other Advantages?

• ? Captures the qualities of what good writing
  looks like
• ? Allows students to become self-evaluators
• ? Allows teachers to be consistent and
  accurate in assessing writing,
• so kids know what to expect
• ? Enhances our understanding of what our kids
  do/dont know

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Definitions

• IDEAS Ideas make up the content of the piece of
  writingthe heart of the message
• ORGANIZATION Organization is the internal
  structure of the piece, the thread of meaning,
  the logical pattern of the ideas.
• VOICE Voice is the soul of the piece. Its
  what makes the writers style singular, as his or
  her feelings and convictions come out through the
  words.
• WORD CHOICE Word Choice is at its best when it
  includes the use of rich, colorful, precise
  language that moves to enlighten the reader.
• SENTENCE FLUENCY Sentence fluency is the flow
  of the language, the sound of word patternsthe
  way writing plays to the ear, not just to the
  eye.
• CONVENTIONS Conventions represent the pieces
  level of correctnessthe extent to which the
  writer uses grammar and mechanics with precision.

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IDEA

• WyCAS Average
• School-2.2
• District-2.2
• State-2.3

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Idea

• Idea makes up the content of the piece. When the
  ideas are strong, the overall message is clear,
  not garbled.

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For students to arrive at good content, we must
help them

• ? select an idea (the topic, sometimes
  assigned, sometimes not).
• ? narrow idea (focus).
• ? elaborate on the idea (development).
• ? discover the best information to convey the
  main idea (details).

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Student Struggles

• WRITING IS COMPLEX
• writing is a way for students to discover what
  they KNOW, what they THINK, and what they have to
  SAY about it.
• STUDENTS THINK FASTER THAN THEY CAN WRITE
• its impossible for writers to capture all the
  things they want to say at the speed they think
  of them, and they end up getting frustrated. To
  be effective in IDEA, they must learn they cant
  write about everythingthey have to narrow their
  ideas down to those that are manageable. Then
  through the use of detail and elaboration, they
  bring those ideas to life.
• STUDENTS DONT WRITE FOR THEMSELVES
• they play the writing game in order to please
  us. They write what they think we want to hear,
  the way they think we want to hear it. They
  write what they perceive will give them a good
  score. Their writing is extrinsic, rather than
  intrinsic. It means nothing to them personally,
  rather they have the attitude of writing to
  finish and move onto the next required task.

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Tips to help with IDEA

• SHOW me, dont tell me
• HEART of the message-when you write about things
  you care about, ideas soar.
• R.A.F.T.S

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ORGANIZATION

• WyCAS Average
• School-2.2
• District-2.2
• State-2.2

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ORGANIZATION

• ORGANIZATION is the internal structure, the
  skeleton of the piece. Sequencing is logic and
  effective with a beginning middle and end.

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To ensure good organization we can remind
students to.

• Hook the reader with an inviting introduction.
• Use transitions to link key points and ideas.
• Use a strong, satisfying conclusion that wraps it
  all up (brings it back around to the beginning).

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Student Struggles

• ORGANIZATION IS REALLY HARD!
• it is the lowest scoring trait.
• WE WANT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL
• there are noneits process verses
• product, and we want them to focus on
  process.
• IT TAKES TIME
• because its a processand because students
  have grown up in an instant- gratification
  society.

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Tips to help with ORGANIZATION

• Revise, revise, revise
• Know transition words
• Have students read it out loud

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VOICE

• WyCAS Average
• School-2.5
• District-2.5
• State-2.5

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VOICE

• VOICE is the writers personality coming out in
  their writingit is the SOUL of the piece where
  the writer can share their feelings/convictions.

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To help students build strong VOICE we can remind
them to.

• Encourage (and allow) students to uncover what
  matters to themtheir passions, wonderings, and
  deepest concerns.
• Just writedont worry about organization,
  conventions, sentence fluency YET. Just write
  what they are thinking about the above.

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Student Struggles

• VOICE IS PERSONAL
• its not easy for them to write (or us to read
  sometimes), but they have to feel safe.
• VOICE is abstract, rather than concreteyou cant
  see it or touch it.
• SOME FORMS OF WRITING DONT REQUIRE VOICE
• not so! There HAS to be a connection between
  the reader and the writer, and voice is the only
  way to do this. It CAN soar in every kind of
  writing imaginable.
• TRADITION IS BESTBORING IS SAFE
• something that is boring to read is certainly
  boring to writewhy bother?

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Why Voice????

• Where did people ever get the idea that when
  children write reports they should sound like
  miniature environmental experts who work for the
  U.S. Government?
• Ralph Fletcher

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Tips to help with VOICE

• Just as in the words that come out of their
  mouths, the ones that come from their hands have
  their own personal identityremind them to USE
  IT!
• Encourage individuality risk taking.
• Have them read it out loud.

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WORD CHOICE

• WyCAS Average
• School-2.3
• District-2.3
• State-2.2

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WORD CHOICE

• WORD CHOICE is beautiful languagerich, colorful,
  and precise language, not the same boring words
  used over and over and over.

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To help students use strong WORD CHOICE we can
remind them to.

• One word.THESAURUS!
• BIG words, dont necessarily mean BETTER words
  (especially if neither they nor us know what it
  means).
• The first word or phrase that comes to mind is
  seldom the best way to say something just
  right. Tell them, First is worst!
• If a word is used more than once in a paragraph
  (except the little words like and, the, etc)

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Student Struggles

• Slang
• Words have so many different meanings these
  days
• Prior-Knowledge (or lack thereof)
• Vocabulary has traditionally been taught in
  isolation
• Memorization of vocabulary WILL NOT create
  meaning for students, rather, it can cause them
  to hate any form of vocabulary, which is the
  direct opposite of what we are trying to do
  with WORD CHOICE
• They get WORD DRUNK
• Refer to previous slidebigger isnt
  necessarily better!

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Tips to help with WORD CHOICE

• Whatever you are working on, make it
  MEANINGFUL.without connections to their own
  lives, content will be meaningless to them.

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Tips to help with SENTENCE FLUENCY

• Read beautifully-written pieces to students. Let
  them listen to how a good piece sounds, as well
  as what it says. Use the vocabulary so they know
  what you are talking about
• PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

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SENTENCE FLUENCY

• WyCAS Average
• School-2.2
• District-2.2
• State-2.2

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SENTENCE FLUENCY

• SENTENCE FLUENCY is the way the writing flowshow
  it sounds to the reader rather than how it
  looksit is the auditory trait.

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To help students with SENTENCE FLUENCY we can
remind them to.

• Begin sentences in different ways
• Vary length and structure (simple vs compound
  sentences)
• Read it out loud
• Each individual sentence has power and punch

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Student Struggles

• Writing is too quiet
• Students must HEAR it in order to determine if
  it flows.
• Overemphasis on correctness
• if we as teachers dont get hung up on whether
  or not a sentence is always perfect and follows
  all rules, it allows them to be more creative.
  As long as the sentences WORK, allow for
  creativity.

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CONVENTIONS

• WyCAS Average
• School-2.2
• District-2.2
• State-2.2

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CONVENTIONS

• CONVENTIONS are the good table manners of
  writing. They are important, but NOT the MOST
  important.

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To help students with CONVENTIONS we can

• MODEL correctness
• dont get caught up in the do as I say and
  not as I dothey know.
• EXPECT correctness
• on any final copy turned inuntil then, its OK

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Student Struggles

• They dont see the POWER of CONVENTIONS
• they can be used to assist in different
  traitsIF we allow them to experiment.
• How theyve been taught in the past
• we hate it, and we teach them to hate it.
• We dont encourage them to take risks
• it doesnt have to be perfectnot even for
  standardized tests. It just needs to be
  understandable and not hamper the readers
  ability to understand (it CAN help it).

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THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE TRAITS The
important thing about Ideas is the details. Ideas
narrow the topic, and make the piece
original. They fill it with freshness that brings
it to life. They share knowledge or experience on
the topic. But the most important thing about
Ideas is the details.
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The important thing about Organization is
that youd get lost without it. You
couldnt cook a meal write a book plan a trip,
or rule a country without it It isnt
chaos but it is a combination of time, space,
sequence and ideas, flowing together to achieve
a goal. The thing about Organization is that
youd get lost without it.
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The important thing about Voice is that it
paints a picture of the writer You cant see
her, but she knows youre there. You can feel
her. You can experience her magic, Such passion,
so alive, Heart and soul on paper. But the
important thing about Voice is that it paints a
picture of the writer.
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The important thing about Word Choice is that
words convey the intended message. They are the
image makers the idea spinners the precision
strikers the lure that causes you to linger
longer. But the important thing about Word
Choice is that words convey the intended
message.
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The important thing about Sentence Fluency is
that it makes the writing flow. A rhythmic river
that doesnt ramble Singing a special song that
swells into a meaningful crescendo, Not choppy,
awkward, or unnatural. It moves like a tender
breeze. The important thing about Sentence
Fluency is that it makes the writing flow.
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The important thing about using Conventions is
that it makes a paper easier to read. Its like
a signal for your train of thought It guides the
way a paper should sound. Its a series of
signposts mapping effective communication, Touch-u
p paint on an almost finished picture. But the
important thing about using Conventions is
that it makes a paper easier to read.