QUICK REFERENCE     What are the Six Writing Traits?

Ideas:

The ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece, the main theme, together with the details that enrich and develop that theme.

Organization:

Organization is the internal structure of a piece of writing, the thread of central meaning, the logical and sometimes intriguing pattern of the ideas.

Voice:

The voice is the heart and soul, the magic, the will, along with the feeling and conviction of the individual writer coming out through the words.

Word Choice:

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

Fluency:

Sentence fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of work patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ear - not just to the eye.

Convention:

Conventions are the mechanical correctness of the piece - spelling, grammar and usage, paragraphing, use of capitals, and punctuation.

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What Can Parents Do To Help?

The traits are not new. A trait can be defined as a quality or characteristic critical to successful performance. Just as there are traits for good ice skating, like balance, grace, technical skill and so on, there are traits for good writing. The traits for good writing include ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Traits give the writer a clear picture of what to do to revise their writing - making it the best it can be.

The ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece, the main theme, together with the details that enrich and develop that theme.

A paper with good ideas is clear, focused, and holds the reader’s attention. Ideas are the heart of the message. They are the reason we are writing.

Parents can suggest that their children ask the following:

Is my message clear?

Do I know enough about my topic?

Is it interesting?

Is my topic “small” and focused?

Did I show what was happening?

Organization is the internal structure of the piece of writing, the thread of central meaning, the logical and sometimes intriguing pattern of the ideas.

Organization gives direction to all writing by drawing the reader in. It enhances and showcases the central theme or storyline. Everything fits together like a puzzle, leaving the reader with something to think about.

Parents can suggest that their children ask the following:

Does my paper have a good opening that captures the reader’s attention?

Are my ideas in the best order?

Does my paper have a strong ending?

The voice is the heart and soul, the magic, the wit, along with the feeling and conviction of the individual writer coming out through the words.

Voice gives writing personality, flavor and style. In a paper with strong voice, the writer speaks directly to the reader and is sensitive to the reader’s needs.

Parents can suggest that their children ask the following:

Does this writing sound like me?

Did I say what I think and feel?

Does my writing have energy and passion?

Is it appropriate for my audience and purpose?

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

Word Choice enriches our writing and makes it almost come alive. Precise words add energy and clarity. Words convey the intended message in a clear, interesting and natural way.

Parents can suggest that their children ask the following:

Will my reader understand my words?

Were my words accurate, original, and just right?

Did I use energetic verbs?

Did I use language that painted a picture?

Sentence fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, the way in which writing plays to the ear—not just to the eye.

Sentence Fluency gives our writing rhythm with an easy flow when read aloud. Sentences are well built with strong and varied structures. Sentences are clear and powerful. As our writing skills grow, we learn new ways to “sculpt” our writing.

Parents can suggest that their children ask the following:

How does my writing sound when read aloud?

Do my sentences begin in different ways?

Are some sentences long and some short?

Conventions are the mechanical correctness of the piece—spelling, grammar and usage, paragraphing, use of capitals and punctuation.

Once our writing is revised, we are ready to edit and proofread. It’s like wrapping a package - we want to prepare our writing so others can read and enjoy it. Conventions deal with fixing our work (e.g. grammar, capitalization, punctuation, usage, spelling, paragraphing) so that our work is as error-free as possible.

Parents can suggest that their children ask the following:

Did I paragraph correctly?

Is my spelling correct?

Did I correctly use periods, question marks, commas, quotation marks, and other punctuation marks?

Did I use capital letters correctly?