6 Traits of Writing

1. 6 Traits of Writing Traits Basics, How to Incorporate into Writing Class, Some Techy Items, Research on Revision and Editing, and Resources on the Traits

2. Examples of technology to be used • -websites • -blogs • -apps • -sites and other applications that allow students to record presentations/speaking • -Podcasts to save for students to view on their own time as a resource • -Document cameras • -online penpals as authentic writing • Track Changes in MS Word

3. 6 Traits of Writing • Ideas-the piece is focused and conveys the message clearly to an audience • Word Choice-the author uses good words, strong verbs and adjectives etc. • Organization-the writing is organized into paragraphs and follows the form correctly • Voice-the piece sounds like the writer • Sentence Fluency-sentences that begin with a variety of words and are different lengths • Conventions-the nuts and bolts; grammar, punctuation and spelling

4. Lesson Ideas • Ideas-Mysteries of Harris Burdick-- For story starters • Word Choice-Salsa and Rice Cake Words • Organization-writing a strong last paragraph in a letter or On Demand • Voice-read an article with definite voice (like my Halloween article from a baby’s perspective); write a mini book from the perspective of a snowflake or Christmas present etc • Sentence Fluency-analyze paragraphs for number of words in a sentence (to find a mixture of short and long); look for same sentence starters • Conventions-Classroom of Editors

5. Examples of Great Websites • Brainpop.com • http://www.readwritethink.org/ • writingfix.com(link not working) • Sentence Creator Sentence Creator • http://www.english-online.org.uk/games/grofdoom/advisory.htm • Grammar of Doom-kids love this! • http://www.safeshare.tv/w/RjXVfBDYEZ

6. Websites with great 6 Traits Resources • http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/menu.htm great to show • http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20traits.htm also good to show • http://msjacoby.com/6traits.html • www.ttms.org/PDFs/05%20Writers%20Workshop%20v001%20(Full).pdf • http://www.literatelearner.com/6traits/page_template6t.php?f=main • http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/index.asp?topic=persuasive

7. Sites Cont’d • http://www.bcschools.net/bcps/Curriculum/ENGLISH%20LANGUAGE%20ARTS/ela/Content%20Curriculum/Writing/Traits%20of%20Writing/JanChappuis_minilesson_conv.pdf • (good Conventions activities) • http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=activities+for+6+traits+of+writing&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CEAQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksde.org%2FLinkClick.aspx%3Ffileticket%3DZKfUhJ19l-4%253D%26tabid%3D145%26mid%3D8025%26forcedownload%3Dtrue&ei=1uSTUIW2C8L00gHjyoDoAQ&usg=AFQjCNGoOtHcN-x-OjOGRRm9c6RSBpLPIA • http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/11/5-excellent-web-toos-for-creative.html?m=1 • (fantastic writing prompts) • educationnorthwest.org

8. Books that focus on Writing and the 6 Traits • Going Deep with 6 Trait Writing • Barry Lane’s book-Reviser’s Toolbox • Nonfiction Writing lessons • CASL-great resource • Razzle, Dazzle Writing

9. Apps • I found the following app for my iPhone 4 and think it’s pretty decent for voice to text • I use it for a student that has great ideas but can’t get them on paper although it does not put in punctuation so he has to spend more time editing to get his sentences set up the way he wants them to • Dragon Dictation-green with white lettering-Dragon

10. Pic of Apps

11. Apps cont’d • Idioms app-English Idioms Illustrated-by Robot Media-Free app but only gives the first 23 free and then you can buy the rest for a few dollars; App looks like a blue box with an abstract face using “ as eyes • I’ve shared this app with some students that are trying to spice up their writing and they found it useful • Grammaropolis

12. Podcasts • Podcasts are a great way to record information for students to view later. I’ve done many podcasts on difficult math topics so they can watch at home, hear my voice and the vocabulary I use in class and see how to solve a problem. • I’m beginning to use this in my language arts class and will make some grammar reviews along with project information. Research shows students will tune you out after about 3 minutes so keep it short! • Link to my webpage

13. Example from Going Deep Book

14. Rubric from Going Deep Book and WritingFix website

15. Community of Editors (from Going Deep)

16. From Reviser’s Toolbox

17. My research on Revising and Editing • Extensive research over the summer for my graduate classes taught me that students need modeling again and again. They also learn best by looking at writing and a model that needs to be improved rather than one that’s nearly perfect. • Students need to connect with their audience and prompt. If they haven’t connected with them, their writing won’t be great. • Students learn best by being given feedback that centers around not just what to fix but also that focuses on skills that they want to improve upon. • Students that do not have great problem-solving skills will not easily revise. Those students that know how to think critically of their own or others’ work will be better revisers. • Students need to find ownership in their writing. If teachers only demonstrate surface-level changes (grammar, punctuation, spelling etc) then that’s all students will do. If teachers model thinking and questioning the placement of sections etc, students will start to look at their piece as a whole instead of surface-level changes.

18. How to incorporate the Traits into Writing Class • There are many ways to incorporate the Traits. One of the authors of a fantastic website (Corbett Harrison’s Always Write) says that he does a Trait a month beginning with Ideas in August then moving to Word Choice etc. If students aren’t ready, he doesn’t go on. I’m guessing he does 5-10 specific Traits lessons a month on that Trait. • Another idea is to teach a Traits lesson or two for each major writing piece. This year I am doing that for my Rank 1 work. With the personal narrative in October, I taught each lesson once and added an extra Word Choice lesson in. I did the same thing for my On Demand work in December and January. • Still another strategy would be to introduce each Trait in September and then add only those lessons that are needed (based upon student writing samples) for each of the genres covered. educationnorthwest.org

19. Conventions • One of the best ideas I’ve found for Conventions work (which is an area of weakness for my school and district) is to do a Classroom of Editors. Each child gets to show their specialty within editing by signing up for a category (spelling, commas, grammar etc) and then students meet with different children over the course of editing to get their piece read by a collection of experts.

20. Ways to improve revising and editing in your classroom • Many things that you are probably already doing such as reading student work ahead of time to see what skills and sub-skills are needed and by whom. Then pulling just those students (or everyone if it’s the majority of the class) to introduce or revisit a lesson and topic. • Pulling students in small groups, then talk to one or two at a time about what they’re excited about and what they want to improve upon in their writing piece. You are trying to improve the writer, not just the writing! • Having conferences where everyone else (or at least a small group of children) can hear is valuable. They will learn from overhearing your conversation. • Student goals: let students write goals for themselves for a unit of writing, the semester or the whole year. Students often have a good sense of their strengths and weaknesses and this is a great way for them to take ownership of their learning! (show the writing example of this!!!!!) • Discuss the learning targets during conferences with students • Model, model, model! Write up some so-so writing pieces for them to mark up. They will love it!

21. Ways to improve Revising and Editing Cont’d • Have students look at published work and discuss how it could have been made better by revising and/or editing. It’s amazing the mistakes you can find! • Revising for a specific skill or Trait. Some of the great work (especially on writingfix.com) works with a mentor text which could be a picture book, part of a novel etc that asks the children to do something while they listen to it and that leads to a discussion of a Trait. When children understand that Traits are good things that should be in writing, they can work to being better at doing that Trait. Such joy when they do! • Traits Strategies List- this is my most prized project this year! • Have students mark in the margins of someone else’s (or their own) work what Traits the piece is strong and/or weak in. When students see what Trait to focus on, they can look at their list of strategies or ask someone else and they know what to focus on. • Have students look for 2 P’s and 1 Q when they do a peer review (2 bits of praise and a question); this really seems to work well! • Use a self-assessment rubric like the ones included in Going Deep

22. Feedback • I would love to get feedback from you about the Traits. How are you using them? What difficulties are you having? • I’d love to hear from you this time next year if you use the Traits next school year. What is different about your class this year from last year?