TRAITS OF WRITING

June PreszlerTIEAug. 21, 2007

TODAY’S PLAN

Revisit the traits Three-Minute Write Think-Ink-Pair-Share Summaries The Picture Worth a Thousand Words RAFTS Create a trait lesson that you can use

during the first weeks of school

REMEMBER THE TRAITS?

There are six of them. How many can you name and explain?

Three-Minute Write: List the traits and provide a

definition for each one.Returning teachers: What two

traits did your building choose to focus on during the 2006-2007 school year?

IDEAS

Ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece.

IDEAS AND DEVELOPMENT

Clarity and control Focused and relevant Details that matter Fresh and original Substance and accuracy

ORGANIZATION

Organization is the internal structure, the thread of meaning, the pattern of ideas.

ORGANIZATION

An inviting introduction Thoughtful transitions Logical sequencing Pace is under control A satisfying conclusion

VOICE

Voice is the heart and soul, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the conviction of the writing.

VOICE

Individual and engaging “Aches with caring” Honest, committed, responsive Suits audience and topic Strong interaction with the reader

WORD CHOICE

Word choice is the use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and enlightens the reader.

WORD CHOICE

Lively Verbs Original and deliberate choices Special moments Visual Specific and precise

SENTENCE FLUENCY

Sentence fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language…the way writing plays to the ear—not just the eye.

SENTENCE FLUENCY

Rhythm, flow, and natural cadence Smooth phrasing Well-built sentences Sentence length enhances meaning Varied sentence beginnings

CONVENTIONS

Conventions represent the mechanical correctness of the piece.

CONVENTIONS

Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar/usage, and paragraphing (indenting)

Ready for a public audience Control brings out style and enhances

ideas Experimentation that works well Shows more than just the basics

PRESENTATION (+1)

Presentation focuses on the form and layout of the text; the piece should be pleasing to the eye.

COUNTING COUP

Think-Ink-Pair-Share

THE ENEMY IN FRONT OF US

Not a person But a thing “The biggest enemy our children have

are those things sitting in front of you and they’re called books.”—Gerard Baker

THE WARRIOR

“What do you do with your enemies? You conquer them.”

“We have to redefine our enemies and conquer them.”

COUNTING COUP

“We have to count coup on books.”

--------------------------------------------------Think-Ink-Pair Share

WRITING SUMMARIES

Getting to the heart of the matter

CREATING PICTURES

RAFTS

R=Heart (Role) A=French Fries (Audience) F=Complaint (Format) T=Effects of fat in the diet (Topic) S=Warn (Strong Verb) You are Heart and are concerned about your

good health. Write a letter of complaint to the French Fries warning them of the effects of fat in the diet.

RAFTS

Dear French Fries,I’m writing to give you a warning. You are killing me! You may not realize that one small serving of you contains more saturated fat than I can handle in an entire day. I’ve had it with your high sodium, fat, cholesterol, and artery-clogging ways. Your value-meal family may be easy on the wallet but you are really costly to me.

Clean up your act,The Heart

RAFTS

Dear Mary,It is important to use punctuation. Why aren’t you usingpunctuation? Punctuation marks are periods, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, and so on. When you write you should always use my marks or people won’t know what you mean. I know your teacher has shown you how to use my marks. Please use them everyday.Thank you,Peter Punctuation

Ruth Culham, 6+1 Traits of Writing: Professional Study Guide

FUTURE PLAN

During the first month of school, use the trait lesson you designed

Use a trait scoring guide to assess student work

Be prepared to discuss student work at our next meeting (bring it along)