Six+1 Traits of Writing
The Six Traits of Writing are commonly used when writing. It helps an author review his or her work to make sure that he or she is constructing it in the best possible way.
The Six Traits:
1. Ideas- what will this piece be about?
2. Organization- is it structured well?
3. Voice- Can the audience feel that the author put a personal tone in his or her piece?
4. Word Choice- Did the author include a wide range of vocabulary to bring across meaning?
5. Sentence Fluency- Do the sentences make sense and flow properly?
6. Conventions- Did the author use proper grammar skills to complete this piece?
7. Presentation- Did the author present the work well on the page?
In the 1980's, a group of teachers formed to identify the major characteristics of "good writing". They determined that students needed to be informed about their performance by more than single test scores or standardized tests. They came up with the Six Traits of Writing (mentioned above) after evaluating thousands of writing samples from students of various levels all over the country. Not everyone uses all six traits as their model, but the base of this model is widely used in many countries, not only in the United States. Today, the group that is associated with the Six Traits of Writing is named Education Northwest, and is based in Portland, Oregon.
The website below provides an in-depth definition of each of the Six Traits of Writing. It also is a great resource for teachers because it provides sample lesson plans and rubrics.
educationnorthwest.org/resource/503
The link below is to a pdf document of an informative Six Traits of Writing Workshop held in Buffalo, New York. It explains the Six Traits of Writing as well as an sample lesson and rubric idea. It is especially informative because it uses a lot of diagrams and pictures for explanations, so students will also greatly appreciate this document!
gse.buffalo.edu/org/writingstrategies/pdffiles/1_6Traits_Intro.pdf
Clicking on the link below will take you to a "crosswalk" of the Six +1 Traits of Writing with the Common Core State Standards, found on the Education Northwest website. it is a great way for parents, educators, and even students to see how the Six Traits of writing will adapt in accordance with the newer Common Core Standards.
Crosswalk Between 6-1 Traits and CCSS Writing and Language Standards.pdf (77,4 kB)