6 + 1 Traits of
Writing? What is that you may ask?
According to a document that I read on “6 + 1 Traits of
Writing (geneva304.org)”, “the 6 + 1 traits of writing is a way of
teaching, modeling, and assessing the instruction of writing.” According to R.
Culham, (2018), these traits are used to assist students to learn specific
skills that are necessary to make their writing ‘work’. The 6 + 1 traits of writing is a model that
teachers can use as a guideline to help their students become better writers.
Teachers can also use this model to identify students’ weak areas of writing.
The model can also be used to provide students with direct and specific
feedback after assessing their writing piece.
Learning about this writing model I became a little hopeful. Why hopeful? When I attended school I hated writing and as an adult I grew with a block on writing. However, in learning about this traits of writing model I myself can use it to model the writing process for my students so that they can become better and effective writers.
There are 7 Traits of Writing (6 + 1). These traits are: Voice, Ideas, Presentation, Conventions, Organization, Word Choice and lastly Sentence fluency. Want to be able to remember these traits? How about using the acronym: VIP COWS. While researching information about the different writing traits I came across the acronym VIP COWS which for me seems quite helpful in order to remember each trait.
The ideas, according to “6 + 1 Traits of
Writing (geneva304.org)” are the ‘heart and soul’ of good writing. The ideas
are what the writing piece will be focusing on. They are like the foundation
when building a house. The ideas of a
writing piece should be interesting as it moves from the general to specific
details so that readers become hooked to the writing and want to read more.
For
example: if a group of students are given a teddy bear to observe and write on
then their writing piece will be focused on the teddy bear. The description and
details should speak about the teddy bear.
After students have gathered their ideas, of course they
must organize them. When building a house there must be a structure or
framework in place to give it its shape and support. The writing trait organization is the internal
structure of a writing piece. It is the frame work that allows students to
place their ideas in a sequence so that the writing piece will flow smoothly
for readers to follow.
Word choice is another essential writing trait. The selection
of words is similar to the selection of materials for when building a house.
For a house to be properly built the contractor must carefully select the best
materials. This writing trait allows the writer to carefully select his/her
choice of words so that he/she can effectively and accurately capture what they
wish to portray. The writer’s choice of words also helps to keep the readers
hooked to the writing piece.
Sentence fluency is the flow of the language. For example: in
building a house, a contractor must decide the length of each piece of steel,
how they should be bent and where they should be placed. It is the same when
students are constructing sentences. Students must take into consideration: the
length of the sentences, the structure of the sentences, and whether or not
each sentence begins differently. This
trait is one of the most essential as it helps to eliminate distractions for
the readers and allows reader to feel the flow and rhythm of the written piece .
Voice 
In a written piece, the voice depicts the expressions, writing style and tone of the writer. This can be compared to the construction of a house based on the home owner's ideas or house plan. The expressions and personal tone of the writer helps to bring the writing piece to life so that the readers can be able to identify with writer's experiences.
The writing trait convention is like putting the finishing
touches onto a house. Before presenting the final writing piece students should
ensure that: punctuations are used and placed correctly, capital letters were
used and placed where needs be, and that there are no incorrectly spelt words. This trait
also guides students to use proper grammar.
Presentation
The final writing trait which is known as the plus 1 is the
presentation. After a contractor has finished building a house, they must ensure
that it is clean and pleasing to the owners. Well it is the same in writing.
Students must ensure that their writing piece is presentable. The presentation of
the writing piece includes the overall appearance of the piece, neatness, and legible
hand writing. The presentation of a writing piece can sometimes include the integration
of pictures along with the text.
With all that’s said, when I return to the classroom I am looking forward to introducing the 6 + 1 traits of writing to my students
so that they may become better and effective writers. The use of the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing model will definitely increase my students' writing ability and help me as a teacher to better be able to assess my students' writing pieces.
Mohanie, I agree in blending the writing process with the 6+1 traits of writing as it will be a significant help for teachers and students alike. Students struggle with writing on a regular basis, and I think that as teachers, we should integrate the 6+1 writing traits into our writing lessons to assist students in improving their writing.
ReplyDeleteThis concept is new to me and exciting to try. The 6 +1 is a way of encouraging students to write more as a way of self expression. Although we as teachers have been using these steps all along, teaching writing using this method may allow us to reach more students 😀👍
ReplyDeleteMohanie, this week's blog on the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing is indeed food for thought. It is interesting to note that good writers must follow these traits in order to produce writing that is as close to perfect as possible.
ReplyDeleteMohanie, your take on the 6+1 Traits on Writing is very intriguing and it really helped me understand ways which we can encourage students with different backgrounds of learning. To me your explanation on the 6+1 Traits of Writing and the different terms to explain them will help students to further express themselves which I find very fulfilling. This information and new learning tools will help me to grasp my students attention and will open their mind to be more interested in the lessons and they will learn and discover writing tools which can influence them in the future.
ReplyDelete