Transcript 1 Traits of Writing - Troup 6

6 + 1 Traits of Writing
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What are the 6+1
Traits?
Ideas
Organization
Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Conventions
AND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRESENTATION
Advantage of
adding this
puzzle piece is
that we have a
shared
understanding
of what is
expected!
Ideas – “Digging for
Sapphires”
Why students struggle with ideas:
• Students think faster than they can
write.
• Students write what they think we
want to hear. They do not write for
themselves.
IDEAS. . .
• Ideas make up
the content of
the piece of
writing.
• Ideas are the
“heart of the
message.”
ORGANIZATION
Organization is the
internal structure
of the piece.
Organization is the
“thread of
meaning or the
logical pattern.”
Organization
Ideas with focus and details galore…In
your head, on paper, on the computer
and more.
Time to think about order, how to get
it down right, There are so many
options, you can get writer’s fright.
The ideas need purpose, direction,
and shaping, Decisions on how . .will
be all to your making.
Thoughts Continued. . .
Reason and logic, compare and
contrast, Detailed analysis, or
present to past. Information
you’ve given in just the right
doses, Events proceed logically –
no hocus pocus.
Organization is the name of
this trait,
From beginning to end and a
middle, top-rate.
Transitions, pacing, sequencing,
too; There’s plenty to think
out, lots of writing to do.
Five-paragraph themes may seem
ever so neat, But as a way to
organize, they’re hardly complete.
Formula writing is nothing so hot,
Try writing with insight,
freshness, and thought.
If you think that it’s easy, we’ll just
see about that, Getting it right is
like herding cats.
The ideas are out there—now grab
them and shake, Good organization
takes skill and imagination to make.
--Ruth Culham
The Organization Trait
Organization is the anchor of
good writing.
“It assures the reader that all
is well at the helm.”
Ruth Culham
VOICE . . . .
Voice is the
Writer’s
“Soul.”
Word Choice
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Rich, Colorful,
Language
“Moves and
enlightens the
reader.”
Student Voices Need To Be
Heard
“Be
yourself. Above all, let who
you are, what you are, what
you believe shine through
every sentence you write,
every piece you finish.”
John Jakes
Why do Writers Struggle with
Voice?
• Voice is hard to define.
• “Boring is good???”
• It’s a Bit Too Personal!
• Fallacy – Some forms of
writing don’t require voice???
SENTENCE FLUENCY
“The way the
writing appears
to the ear, not
just to the
eyes”
Sentence Fluency
“It’s fine writing that keeps
the audience rapt: it’s
carefully honed cadences:
it’s the marvelous
satisfaction of the sensual
rhythm of perfect prose.”
Mern Fox
Why is sentence
fluency a challenge?
• Overemphasis on correctness
• Writing classrooms are too
quiet.
• It’s harder than it looks!
“Very few sentences come out
right the first time.”
CONVENTIONS
• Level of
Correctness
• Grammar and
Mechanics
Conventions
“There seems to be little value in
marking student’s papers with
corrections of mechanics apart
from actual writing, and even less
value in teaching grammar in order
to instill these conventions.”
Constance Weaver
Why learning conventions
is a challenge?
• Students don’t see the
connection.
• We’re always searching for the
answers ourselves.
• We don’t encourage risk-taking.
• We put too much emphasis on
programs that teach conventions.
Address Parental Concerns
about Conventions:
• It takes several drafts to work to
correctness.
• Be sure that parents see the work
while it is in progress, as well as
the final product.
• Be sure that parents know what is
being marked on a paper.
• Parents need to realize that good
writing is more than just good use
of grammar.
Presentation
Form and Layout
“Is this piece of
writing pleasing
to the eyes?”
Presentation is
Everything!
• Handwriting matters!
“Presentation is like rolling out
the welcome mat to invite the
reader into your world.”
Presentation of the Paper
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Uniform spacing
Legible and consistent writing
Appealing use of white space
Use necessary bullets, side
headings, and other markers
• Effective integration of text with
illustration, charts, graphs, maps,
and tables.
When Assessing a Paper. .
Neatness Does
Count!
Consistent and Shared Ideas
of Writing help us as
teachers to
• develop a shared understanding of
what “good” looks like.
• use a common vocabulary to
describe qualities of writing.
• practice assessing with
consistency and accuracy.
So we can:
• Use assessment results to
provide meaningful feedback to
students.
• Align assessment with
instruction to enhance our
teaching of writing.
Write, Write, Write
• Writing is maybe the single most important
skill that we can teach our students.
• Writing helps students to grow in other
subject areas as well as ELA classes.
• Writing what is on one’s heart helps a
person to grow spiritually and emotionally.
Performance Tasks
• Provide opportunities for students to
express themselves in other ways than the
traditional class assignments
• Provide opportunities for students to work
collaboratively and individually
• Provides varied assessments of learning.