6-Trait Writing Instruction and AssessmentHow Did You Learn to Write? I always did well on essay tests. Just put everything you know on there, maybe you‘ll hit it. And then you get the paper back from the teacher and she‘s written just one word across the top of the page, ―vague.‖ I thought ―vague‖ was kind of vague. I‘d write underneath it ―unclear,‖ and send it back. She‘d return it to me, ―ambiguous.‖ I‘d send it back to her, ―cloudy.‖ We‘re still corresponding to this day . . . ―hazy‖ . . . ―muddy‖ . . . ~Jerry Seinfeld, SeinLanguage ―Nothing frustrates a young writer – or an older writer – more than looking at a finished piece and knowing it isn‘t very good, but not knowing what to do about it.‖ ~ Tommy Thomason Questions to Consider do we teach students—and how do students learn—to write well? What do we look for when grading students‘ writing, and how do we explain those grades to students? How do we teach students to revise their own writing? How do we show them specific ways to improve? How What do we value in writing? Read ―Redwoods‖ What do you notice about this student‘s writing? Identify its major strengths and weaknesses. Share your observations with a partner. Discuss what advice you would give this writer. What grade level is this writer? What was the prompt? 11th grade Write about a memorable place. What grade level is this writer? What was the prompt? 7th grade Write about your summer vacation. Share your observations with a partner.What do we value in writing? Read ―Mouse Alert‖ What do you notice about this student‘s writing? Identify its major strengths and weaknesses. Discuss what advice you would give this writer. . . Learn the language of the six traits Learn how focus lessons can be used to help students improve their writing trait by trait Understand how the six traits relate to the writing process Understand how the six traits create an important link between assessment and instruction . .Objectives: In the next 60 minutes . to create an assessment rubric to be used across all grade levels Evaluated thousands of papers (all grade levels) and identified ―common characteristics of good writing‖ Those qualities became the ―six traits‖ . and 17 teachers Purpose: to develop a consistent vocabulary for defining good writing/writing instruction.The Six Traits: A Brief History Originated in Oregon in the 1980s Vicki Spandel. NWREL researchers. The Six Traits of Good Writing Ideas Organization Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions (+1) Presentation . (NWREL) . (Culham) The ideas are the heart of the message. together with the details that enrich and develop that theme. the content of the piece.Defining Ideas Ideas make up the content of the piece of writing—the heart of the message. the main theme. Details are not wallpaper. .‖ ~Barry Lane . .―When I was in school I thought details were just extra words to add in a story to make it better. they are walls. I thought detail was decoration or wallpaper . we must help them: Select an idea (the topic) Narrow the idea (focus) Elaborate on the idea (development) Discover the best information to convey the idea (details) .Teaching Ideas For students to arrive at good content. F.Narrowing the Idea: R. author of the delightful novel.A. stands for . . Stargirl. R. .T. .A.T.F. Role of the writer Audience for the piece of writing Format of the material Topic or subject of the piece of writing Example: You are Jerry Spinelli. Design a three-part advertising campaign that will assist you and your publisher to convince one of the major movie studios to buy the movie rights and make a feature film based on the book. The listeners do not comment. they write down three questions they have (things they want to know more about) and give them to the writer. Instead. . This helps the writer become more aware of details he or she might want to add during revision. students take turns reading their writing aloud to the group.Elaborating on Ideas Ask Me a Question In groups of three. the logical and sometimes intriguing pattern of the ideas. (Culham) Organization is the internal structure of a piece of writing. (NWREL) . the logical pattern of the ideas. the thread of meaning.Defining Organization Organization is the internal structure of the piece. the thread of central meaning. ‖ ~Ernest Hemingway .―Good prose is architecture. and effective sequence Controlling the pacing Closing with a satisfying conclusion . purposeful.Teaching Organization Strategies for effective organization include: Beginning with an inviting and focusing introduction Providing thoughtful links between key points and ideas Employing a logical. last? How do you know? If students disagree. a magazine article. etc. Cut the text into pieces so students can move them around like a puzzle. second. discuss the different ways students have organized the parts. Ask students. to put the parts in order. Are they logical and effective? . a short story. Which comes first.Sequencing: Mix It Up Choose a short piece of text—a poem. in groups. third. Matching Openers and Closers . Variations: Sorting Leads.Introductions: Share Examples Use mentor texts to show students a variety of ways to begin. and post a list on the wall. A thought-provoking question A hint of the conclusion An anecdote An indication of main points A dramatic or eye-opening statement A quotation Encourage students to add to the list as they discover additional models in their independent reading. along with the feeling and conviction of the individual writer coming out through the words. (Culham) The voice is the heart and soul. as his or her feelings and convictions come out through the words. the magic. the wit.Defining Voice Voice is the soul of the piece. (NWREL) . It‘s what makes the writer‘s style singular. the way we see. of using our voice as we perform many writing tasks.‖ ~Donald Murray. But to make that voice effective we must develop it. Write to Learn . extending our natural voice through the experience of writing on different subjects for different audiences.―We must teach ourselves to recognize our own voice. the way we care. We want to write in a way that is natural for us. that grows out of the way we think. Teaching Voice Voice emerges when the writer: Allows the writing to sound like him/herself Shows that he/she really cares about the idea Writes with energy and enthusiasm Writes with the reader in mind Takes risks to make the writing memorable Matches the writing to its audience and purpose . and read them aloud. Have students discuss what they think they know about the writer (or narrator): Is the writer young or old? male or female? What feeling does the writer want to communicate? Does the writer care about this piece of writing? What kind of audience is the writer addressing? How do you know these things? What aspects of the text led you to these conclusions? .Learning to Hear Voice in Literature Collect short passages that exemplify strong or distinctive voice. put them on overheads. ) and invite them to add as much voice as possible. textbook. sentimental. sincere.More Ideas for Teaching Voice Greeting Cards: Collect a variety of birthday cards. Read the two versions aloud and discuss the differences. cute. Try it the other way. etc. Voice In. Voice Out: Give students a piece of text that lacks voice (instruction manual. sarcastic. . New Voices. New Choices: Have students write the first sentence of a letter (on the same topic) for five different audiences. too— have students remove the voice from a strong piece of writing. memo. and have students sort them: romantic. etc. precise language that moves and enlightens the reader. colorful. precise language that moves and enlightens the reader. (Culham) Word choice is the use of rich. (NWREL) .Defining Word Choice Word choice is at its best when it includes the use of rich. colorful. Bring her on and let her scream!‖ ~Mark Twain .―The difference between the almost-right word and the right word is really a large matter—it‘s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.‖ ―Don‘t say the old lady screamed. precise nouns. and accurate modifiers Natural Language: Making it sound authentic Beautiful Language: Choosing colorful words and phrases ~Ruth Culham. 6+1 Traits of Writing .Teaching Word Choice Teaching word choice involves: Striking Language: Sharpening students‘ descriptive powers Exact Language: Using lively verbs. Descriptive Limits Put this prompt on the board: ―Write about a moment when you were unbelievably scared. After students have time to write. discuss possible ways to approach the topic. and teeth chatter are all off limits. fearful. blood run cold. startle. spook. fear. frighten. What did they discover? How did this activity make them more (or less) creative in their word choice? . debrief the experience. When everyone seems ready to begin writing. hair stand on end.‖ As a class. dread. tell them that the words scare. surprise. terrify. terror. shock. terrorize. turn pale. fright. cold sweat. panic. afraid. He is unable to sit still. I am confident. You are choosy. I am energetic. She is fussy.The Game of Connotations I am selective. Challenge students to come up with their own examples. He is conceited. . Your are self-assured. You are jumpy. . My shoes were tight. The house was empty. Have students use vivid verbs. and precise nouns to rewrite sentences such as: The dog was hungry. The rain came down. The wind fumed and shrieked about the house. My sister got mad. colorful adjectives. yanking at the loose shingles.‖ Notice the difference between these two sentences: The wind was strong.Expanding Small Phrases into Bigger Ones ―You can‘t support an elephant on a step ladder. windows. . etc. Words Everywhere Use ―Word Walls‖ and more to create a ―printrich‖ classroom environment: Keep strips of colored paper handy so students can record ―cool‖ words they discover during reading and writing activities.Words. energetic verbs. Words. descriptive adjectives. ceiling. Color code them according to parts of speech: precise nouns. Post them on the walls. (NWREL) Fluent writing is graceful. and powerful. the sound of word patterns.Defining Sentence Fluency Sentence fluency is the flow of the language. not just to the eye. varied. the sound of word patterns—the way the writing plays to the ear. (Culham) Sentence fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language. . the way in which the writing plays to the ear—not just to the eye. rhythmic. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time. or even the third time. On Writing Well .―Writing is hard work.‖ ~William Zinsser. words. and phrases to create patterns Create writing that can be read aloud with ease .Teaching Sentence Fluency Helping students improve their sentence fluency means teaching them to: Use a variety of sentence lengths Use a variety of sentence beginnings Use a variety of sentence structures Use repetition of sounds. After the paper has been passed to 10-12 people. Students write their revised sentences on the board for all to see.Sentence Stretching Ask each student to write a simple sentence of 4-5 words at the top of a sheet of paper.) Students pass the paper to the next student who must add or change one element to make the sentence more specific and interesting. it is returned to the original owner. (Example: Matthew ate a pizza. . (adjective) . roll it. (adverb) If you roll the stone.End With a Noun Experiment with one of your sentences. Try ending it with different parts of speech. (verb) If you are concerned about moss gathering on a stone. Decide which is the most effective. A rolling stone gathers no moss. hardly any moss with be gathered. the moss will become smooth. roll the stone quickly. (noun) If a stone rolls. (pronoun) When trying to rid yourself of moss. (Culham) Conventions are the mechanical correctness of the piece— spelling. (NWREL) Conventions include anything a copy editor might deal with. paragraphing. grammar and usage.Defining Conventions Conventions represent the piece‘s level of correctness—the extent to which the writer uses grammar and mechanics with precision. The whole purpose of this trait is to enhance readability—to make the writing enticing and accessible to the reader. and punctuation. . use of capitals. ‖ ~Mark Twain . all you have to do is cross out the wrong words.―Editing is easy. Teaching Conventions Teaching students the correct use of conventions includes lessons that focus on: Spelling correctly when publishing work Applying basic capitalization rules with consistency Using appropriate punctuation marks to guide the reader Using appropriate grammatical structures to communicate ideas clearly and convincingly . Teach the skills that are developmentally appropriate for students to add to their repertoire of conventions. time to experiment. . Hold students accountable for the specific skills for which they have an understanding. Use wall charts and mentor texts. Allow for plenty of practice. and opportunities to apply the new skills in their writing.Tips for Teaching Conventions Get a good sense of what students know and what they still need to learn. layout is effective. Handwriting or font is legible and clear. (Culham) Presentation makes the piece easy to read: Presentation Margins are even.Presentation (the + 1) zeros in on the form and layout— how pleasing the piece is to the eye. Everything contributes to the effectiveness of the writing. Illustrations are appropriate and well-placed. . It provides consistency in writing assessment and a shared vocabulary for giving feedback to students. .Why Use the Six Traits? It provides a common language for teachers and students to use in teaching and learning about the craft of writing. It provides a guiding focus for writing instruction and the tools students need to revise their own writing. Why is the 6+1Trait Model an Effective Teaching Tool for Writing Instruction? Defines good writing in a specific way for the teacher and the student Provides a way to delineate areas of individual strengths and areas of challenge Allows for greater consistency and accuracy in assessment Provides a common vocabulary for vertical and horizontal alignment of instruction Develops all of the traits evaluated in state assessment Provides a clear link between reading and writing Enables students to become self-assessors . ‖ ~Ruth Culham .―The writing process is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Voice Ideas.The Traits and the Writing Process Prewriting Drafting Revising Editing Publishing Ideas. Organization. Voice. Sentence Fluency All traits except conventions Conventions Presentation . Word Choice. Organization. Voice. Organization.Two Groups of Traits Revision Traits: Individual. complex. Word Choice. . most editing should occur after revision of ideas occurs. and exacting Conventions. creative. and messy Ideas. Sentence Fluency Predetermined. correct. Presentation Editing Traits: Coach students to keep conscious editing out of the prewriting and drafting process. ―Good assessment always begins with a vision of success.‖ ~Richard Stiggins. Student-Centered Classroom Assessment . ―We must constantly remind ourselves that the ultimate purpose of evaluation is to enable students to evaluate themselves.‖ ~Arthur Costa . all the traits To assess: The 6-Trait rubrics can also be used as: A tool for vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment An instrument for grade-level. 6-Trait Writing is all about revision! Assessment is not the end of the writing process. teacher A single trait. . or district measurement It is the bridge to revision. school. peer. a group of traits.The Traits and Assessment The 6-Trait rubrics can be used by: Self. . it is central to the growth of writing. . And they need to know the criteria by which their own writing will be judged.‖ ~ Marjorie Frank . Even before they write. Kids can learn to evaluate their own writing. They must take part in this . they need to know about what makes writing strong or effective.―Assessment is not the private property of teachers. assessment. Use the vocabulary of the traits when reading and discussing texts. ―We‘re teaching our students to write. 6+1 Traits of Writing) . preferably one at a time.‖ (Ruth Culham. Focus your mini-lessons. not to trait.Where do I begin? Establish a writing community in your classroom based on the whole writing process. and revision on the traits. model writing and let students coach you . use self-assessment in revising and goal setting Share strong and weak examples from many different sources (including literature and student writing) to illustrate each trait Use focused lessons that target each trait.The Traits and Instruction Introduce the concept of the writing traits Immerse students in writers‘ language Teach students to be assessors of their own and others‘ work: guide them through analysis of anonymous sample papers. include hands-on activities to help students develop skills and deepen their understanding Provide numerous opportunities for students to practice focused revision and editing of their own work as well as the work of others. ‗Be that one teacher for a child. I say to teachers.‘‖ ~Donald Graves . Most people can name one or two.―Think of how many teachers you had who actually helped you with your writing. 2005. Spandel. 2001. http://www. .‖ San Antonio. Vicki. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.org/assessment/ Spandel. Creating Writers Through 6-Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction. Vicki.nwrel. 2003. New York: Addison Wesley Longman. 3rd ed. New York: Scholastic. ―Write Traits: 6-Trait Instruction and Assessment. 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide. Ruth.Resources Culham. 24-26 Oct.