The Six Traits

1. Trait Introduction: Ideas The Six Traits The Six Traits of Writing represent the things that we can observe, assess, revise, and edit in any piece of writing.

2. Trait Introduction: Ideas Focus on Ideas Good ideas are clear, unique, and interesting thoughts carefully chosen to meet the needs of the reader.

3. Trait Introduction: Ideas Ideas tell Ideas can be thoughts, facts, opinions, or details. Who? My dog What? My dog escaped. When? My dog escaped this morning. Where? My dog escaped from the backyard this morning. Why? My dog escaped from the backyard this morning because I left the gate unlatched. How? My dog escaped from the backyard this morning because I left the gate unlatched. He just pushed it open with his nose, and away he went!

4. Trait Introduction: Ideas Details Details are additional ideas that tell more about the topic. Good writers add details to help the reader understand the topic better.

5. Trait Introduction: Ideas Details Read the following part of a rough draft. Are there enough details? The first time I flew in an airplane, I was a little scared. I looked out the window. I saw cars and buildings down below us. Later, we landed.

6. Trait Introduction: Ideas Details Now read the revised version of the same story. Can you identify some good details? The first time I flew in an airplane, I was only four years old. As the plane took off, I dug my fingers into my mom’s arm. I stared out the window in wide-eyed terror, watching cars shrink down to the size of ants. The huge buildings of the city looked like the tiny building blocks I kept in a box under my bed. After awhile, I relaxed. Mom seemed relieved when I let go of her arm. By the time the journey was over, I was having so much fun that I didn’t want to land!

7. Trait Introduction: Ideas Sensory Details Sensory details help the reader fully experience the topic. Sensory details relate to the five senses: Sight My dad set the huge, golden brown turkey on the table. Sound Forks and knives clinked and clanked against plates. Smell The rich aroma of cornbread dressing filled the air. Touch I unfolded the stiff linen napkin and placed it on my lap. Taste My lips puckered at the first mouthful of tangy cranberry sauce.

8. Trait Introduction: Ideas Ideas and Audience Good writers choose ideas based upon the needs of the audience. For example, if you were writing to tell a group of kindergarteners about tornadoes, you would include ideas they could understand. Tornadoes are strong funnels of wind that drop down from the clouds. They don’t last very long, but they can be very powerful. Tornadoes can even destroy whole houses!

9. Trait Introduction: Ideas Ideas and Audience On the other hand, if you were writing a report about tornadoes for your teacher in science class (who already knows a lot about the topic), you would include more specific and interesting ideas. Tornadoes form when a mass of cool air collides with a mass of warm air. A little-known fact about tornadoes is that they actually start spinning horizontally before they drop down vertically. They are also transparent until they begin to pick up dirt and debris. The winds inside a tornado can reach over two hundred and fifty miles per hour.

10. Trait Introduction: Ideas Remember! • Ideastell who, what, when, where, why, and how. • Details are additional ideas a writer uses to help a reader fully understand a topic. • Sensory details are ideas about sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. • Good writers think about their audience and choose ideas specifically to meet their needs.