6 + 1 Writing Traits

1. 6 + 1 Writing Traits Lindsey Shreck Towson University Spring 2012

2. Objectives Participants will… • Use words and pictures to define the 6 + 1 traits of writing • Identify strategies to use in the classroom to support the 6 + 1 traits of writing • Use the 6 + 1 traits rubric to assess sample writing pieces Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

3. Pre-Assessment Turn and Talk: • What process do your students complete to create a writing piece? • How do you conference with your students during writing? • Do your students use checklists during writing? If so, describe its purpose? • How do you assess your students’ writing? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

4. Background Research • Choice, time, and feedback are important elements in teaching children to write effectively (Higgins, Miller, & Wegmann, 2006). • To address the need for effective feedback, an analytic scoring system was developed by a group of teachers in the early 1980s. The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004) identified six key qualities that define strong writing. These qualities are ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

5. WRITING TRAITS • Voice • Is my writing different from everyone else’s? • Have I added some sparkle? • Does the writing sound like you? • Ideas • Did you choose an interesting topic? • Did you support your ideas with juicy details? • Are your ideas clear? • Organization • Does it have a clear beginning? • Does it have a middle where details are in clear order? • Does it have an ending? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

6. WRITING TRAITS • Sentence Fluency • Does the writing flow? • Does each sentence have a subject and verb? • Does each sentence begin with a different word? • Word Choice • Is my writing different from everyone else’s? • Have I added some sparkle? • Does the writing sound like you? • Conventions • Is the spacing correct between the letters and words? • Is the spelling readable? • Are capitals at the beginning of sentences and punctuation at the end? • Presentation • Is it neat and legible? • Is their balance between text, pictures, and white space? • Are there margins around the edges of the paper? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

7. 6 + 1 Traits in Action Watch and Ponder: • What language did the teacher use • What resources did the teacher use? • What were the children doing? • Video clip of sentence fluency mini-lesson ( I will be attaching a video clip of myself modeling a lesson) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6BEyUmtUZ4 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yldtbXSAd5Y Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

8. Research Support • “Beginning writers benefit from trait-driven instruction because the traits are specific, are easily taught and reinforced, and make sense.” (Culham, 2005, p. 15). • Through mini-lessons, students are taught how to assess their writing by the definitions of the six traits (Higgins, Miller, & Wegmann, 2006). Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

9. Why Teach 6 + 1 Traits? • It is imperative for students to have specific and constructive feedback in the writing classroom so that they are knowledgeable about what their strengths are and what areas need improvement (Culham, 2005). • Creates consistency • Common language • Students think critically and self-assess their writing Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

10. How are you feeling? • Look around the room. There are colored posters hanging up. • Stand next to the colored poster that best describes how you are feeling about 6 + 1 traits of writing at this moment. • Turn and talk with the people at your poster and explain your color choice. • Say “Hello” to your group members for the small group activity. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

11. Small GroupIdeas Trait • Draw a picture or a symbol to define the ideas trait. • Open up the envelope in your group’s basket. • Read the directions and complete the activity. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

12. EnvelopeActivitiesIdeas Trait I’m Making Dinner… Begin by asking, “I’m sure making dinner and what do I need?” Then come up with a word that begins with the letter A, such as apple. Write the word on the board and select a student to do the next letter. Continue onto the next student until everyone has had a turn. Ask students to pick their favorite two or three and write them in their notebooks. Tell them to record at least three details they know about each word. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

13. EnvelopeActivitiesIdeas Drawing the Idea Select a common activity, such as grocery shopping. Ask students to draw a picture of what the activity looks like. Help them set the scene by asking, for example, “What is the name of this grocery store? Who are you with? Who else is around? Are you happy to be there? Are you taking your time or rushing?” Collect all the pictures and show them to the class one at a time, pointing out that even though everyone wrote about the same idea, each person did it differently. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

14. EnvelopeActivitiesIdeas Trait Picture This Find a picture from a magazine showing a person expressing a strong emotion: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, worry, and so on. Put the picture up for all students to see and ask them to tell you the person’s story: Who is the person and why is he or she feeling the emotion? Jot down your responses on the overhead and have students use them as starting points for stories about the person. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

15. AssessingIdeas Rubric Directions: • Read the sample writing piece • Use the Ideas Rubric to score the writing piece • Discuss the score with your small group members Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

16. Sample Writing PieceIdeas Trait Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

17. Ideas Rubric Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

18. Future Professional Development • Book Club • Classroom Demonstration Lessons • Small Group Meetings • Observations and Feedback • Coaching Sessions Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

19. Available Resource • 6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide For The Primary Grades (Culham, 2005) • This book will be used in the Book Club • All participants will receive a copy • Each trait is defined, along with sample activities, lists of children’s books, scoring rubrics, and more! Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

20. Evaluation • Please take a few minutes to complete the workshop evaluation • Please be honest with your feedback as it will be used to help plan future professional development sessions/activities! Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

21. Minute Reflection • What challenges do you face in implementing this concept/strategy in your classroom? • What support or assistance do you need to implement this concept/strategy in you classroom? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

22. References • Culham, R. (2005). 6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide For The Primary Grades. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. • Culham, R.(2006). The Trait Lady Speaks Up. Educational Leadership, 64(2), 53-57. • Gibson, S. A. (2008). An Effective Framework for Primary Grade Guided Writing Instruction. The Reading Teacher, 62(4), 324-334. • Higgins, B., Miller, M., Wegmann, S. Teaching to the test…not! Balancing best practice and testing requirements in writing. The Reading Teacher, 60(4), 310-319. • Jacobson, J. R. (2005). Six Traits Writing Using Literature as a Model. Book Links, 14(5), 44-47. • James, L. A., Abbott, M., Greenwood, C. H. (2001). How Adam Became a Writer: Winning Writing Strategies for Low- Achieving Students. Teaching ExceptionalChildren, 33(3), 30-37. • Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004). Experimental Study on the Impact ofthe 6 + 1 Trait Writing Model on Student Achievement in Writing. Portland, Oregon: Kozlow, M., Bellamy, P. • Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2011). An Investigation of the Impact of the 6 +1 Trait. Portland, Oregon: Coe, M., Hanita, M., Nishioka, V., Smiley, R. • Paquette, K. (2007). Encouraging Primary Students’ Writing through Children’s Literature. Early Childhood Educational Journal, 35(2), 155-165. • Paquette, K. (2009). Integrating the 6 + 1 Writing Traits Model with Cross-Age Tutoring: An Investigation of Elementary Students’ Writing Development. Literacy Research and Instruction, 48(1), 28-38. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012