6 Trait and 6 1 Trait Writing

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6 Trait and 61 Trait Writing

• A Little Background, Some Definitions and Model
  Books, and A Look at Assessment Rubrics

By Carol J. Fox Library Media Specialist Montessor
i Magnet School Rockford Public Schools
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How to Sculpt an Elephant

• Take one block of marble
• Chip away anything that does not look like an
  elephant.
• Danny Kaye, circa 1955

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6 Traits History

• 1980s beginning at Northwest Regional Educational
  Laboratory in Portland, OR
• Ruth Culham and Vicki Spandel
• Developed through 15 years of research
• Useful tool to guide and assess student writing
• Especially powerful when used with process
  writing or writing workshop structures
• Some good writing reference texts are by
• Donald M. Murray
• Lucy Calkins
• Ralph Fletcher

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6 1 TraitsGuide and Assessment Tool

• Ideas and Content
• Organization
• Voice
• Word Choice
• Sentence Fluency
• Conventions Presentation

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Ideas and Content

• Clarity of thought about the topic
• Focus
• Theme, subject, content (Aboutness)
• Idea is manageable
• Precise and judicious use of detail
• Detail that supports the topic
• Detail that follows in an order
• Detail that adds color, flavor, action
• Detail that evokes a visual, emotional,
  relational aspect

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Ideas and Content

• In writing workshop, ideas are a writers own
  thoughts about the world. The writer uses three
  important means for accumulating information and
  memory
• Observation
• Experience
• Research

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Books That Exhibit Ideas

• Observation
• Barbara Parks Junie B., First Grader Cheater
  Pants
• Experience
• Elie Weisels Night
• Research
• Joanne Ryder and Lynne Cherrys The Snails Spell
• Memory
• Mem Foxs Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge
• These work in synthesis with
• clarity of thought and fresh detail.

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Organization

• Has a strong beginning, good middle, strong end
• Events and details are sequenced in some order
• Has an organizing structure
• Exposition provides information
• Alphabet, Numbers, Thematic
• Narrative- relates a story
• Introduction of setting, characters, problem
• Efforts to solve problem leading to rising
  tension
• Point of high tension in the climax
• Resolution in the denouement
• Fables, Fairy Tales, other genre
• Chronological order, flashback, memory

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Organization

• Persuasive
• Presents an argument, opinion
• Caring for endangered animals
• Taking care of the environment
• Working for peace
• Helping the homeless
• Teaching others to read
• Understanding special students

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Voice

• What the author has to say about the world
• The point of view of the author
• Authors theme or statement about world
• The perspective on the idea or subject
• Insight
• ----------
• Strong characters can also present the authors
  view of the world
• The Gardener
• Frederick
• Charlottes Web

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Word Choice

• Attitude toward the subject (Tone)
• Humorous, comedic, slapstick, whimsical,
  satirical, wise, witty, ironic, heroic, romantic,
  serious, dispassionate, tragic, innocent,
  experienced, urbane, countrified, critical . .
  .sentimental, trite, sensational, didactic
• Looking for
• Clarity
• Precise, purposeful, descriptive, action words
• Puns, poetic sound devices, repetition (older
  students)

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Sentence Fluency

• Style
• Hemingway - James Joyce - Gertrude Stein
• David Mamet Shakespeare Aristophanes
• Strong beginning, middle, end
• Details that make sense
• Sentences that work together
• Transitions
• Flow, continuity and congruity
• Audience
• Use of rhythm, metaphor, simile,
  personification, imagery, exaggeration,
  understatement, allusion, and symbol (older
  students)

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Conventions and Presentation

• Editing
• Use of grammar
• Capitalization and punctuation
• Paragraphing
• Layout on the page, size of type, white space,
  graphics and illustration

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Assessment

• Measured by maturity and experience of the writer
• What constitutes good use of
• Ideas and Content
• Organization
• Voice
• Word Choice
• Sentence Fluency
• Conventions Presentation
• At the preschool level
• At the first and second grade level . . .

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Assessment

• See various assessment rubrics for different
  grade levels to find criteria for assessment.
• District
• WriteTrait Classroom Kits (K-)

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What We Can Do To Help

• Learn the traits and associate them with literary
  traits we have learned.
• Recommend background books for teachers new to
  writing workshop and 6-Traits.
• Read with an eye toward helping teachers select
  books and master assessment.
• Use 6-Trait vocabulary in book talks to students
  and teachers.
• Find new resources for students and teachers.

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Works CitedProfessional Books

• Bellamy, P. ed. (2006) Picture books. (6th ed.)
  Portland, OR NWREL.
• Calkins, L. M. The Art of Teaching Writing. New
  ed. (1994) Portsmouth, NH Heinemann.
• Culham, R. (October 2006) The trait lady speaks
  up. Educational Leadership, 64(2), 53-57.
• Culham, R. (1998) Picture books. (5th ed.)
  Portland, OR NWREL.
• Fletcher, R. (1993). What a writer needs.
  Portsmouth, NH Heinemann.
• Lukens, R. (1995) A critical handbook of
  childrens literature (5th ed.) New York
  HarperCollinsCollegePublishers.
• Murray, D. (1985). A writer teaches writing. (2nd
  ed.) Boston Houghton Mifflin.
• McMahon, C. Warrick, P. (2005) Wee Can Write.
  Portland, OR NWREL.

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Works CitedBooks and Literature

• Brown, Margaret Wise. (1990, c1949) The important
  book. New York Harper.
• Der Manuelian, Peter. (1991) Hieroglyphics from A
  to Z. Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
• DiCamillo, Kate. (2000) Because of Winn-Dixie.
  Cambridge, MA Candlewick Press.
• Falconer, Ian. (2000) Olivia. New York Atheneum.
• Fox, Mem. (1987) Wilfrid Gordon McDonald
  Partridge. La Jolla, CA Kane/Miller.
• Hobbie, Holly. (1997) Toot Puddle. Boston
  Little, Brown.
• Krystal, Barbara. (1997) 100 artist who shaped
  world history. San Mateo, CA Bluewood Books.
• Lionni, Leo. (1967) Frederick. New York, Knopf.
• Lowell, Susan. (1997) Little Red Cowboy Hat. New
  York Holt.
• Lowry, Lois. (2004, c2002). Gooney Bird Greene.
  New York Dell-Yearling.
• Park, Barbara. (2003) Junie B., first grader
  cheater pants. New York Random House.
• Ryder, Joanne. (1982) The snails spell. New
  York Fredrick Warne.
• Shanley, John Patrick. (2005) Doubt, a parable.
  New York Theater Communications Group.
• Stewart, Sarah. (1997) The gardener. New York
  Farrar.
• Whelan, Gloria. (2001, c2000) Homeless bird. New
  York HarperTrophy.
• White, E. B. (1999, c1952) Charlottes web. Full
  color ed. New York HarperCollins.
• Wiesel, Elie. (2006) Night. Oprahs Book Club ed.
  New York Hill Wang.

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Created for Rockford Public Schools

• By Carol J. Fox
• Library Media Specialist
• Montessori Magnet School
• October 17, 2006