6 Traits Writing
Assessment:
An Overview
What is “6 Traits”?
• A model for teaching and assessing
• Developed when researchers asked the
question, “What are the traits of good writing?”
• 6 Traits is flexible and standards-based,
allowing you to evaluate each LEP student
against his or her own progress.
Introducing: The Traits
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ideas
Organization
Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Conventions
Idea: The Content
• Select an idea (the topic)
• Narrow the idea (focus)
• Elaborate on the idea (development)
• Discover the best information to
convey the idea (details)
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt
embarrassed.
Fish
Cheeks
Who was in
the story?
Ask students to
tell you who
was in the
story.
Mother
Father
Cousins
Robert
His family
My
Personal
Narrative
Who will be in
my story?
Ask students to
write down the
characters for
their story.
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
What
happened?
Amy was
embarrassed
by her family.
What
happened?
What
happened to
you?
Organization:
Organization is the internal structure of the piece, the
thread of central meaning, the pattern of logic.
• An inviting introduction gets the reader started
and gives clues about what is to come.
• Thoughtful transitions link key points and ideas.
• Sequencing should be logical, purposeful, and
effective.
• Pacing – speeding up for wide angle and
slowing down for close-ups – should be under
control.
• A satisfying conclusion wraps it all up, yet leaves
the reader with something to wonder about.
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
Amy felt
embarrassed.
Write about a
time when you
felt embarrassed.
Amy’s parents
invited the
preacher and his
family to dinner.
Beginning
Amy’s mom
prepared and
hosted the dinner.
Middle
The guest leave
and Amy’s mom
gave her a gift.
End
When working with your students, you will allow time for them to work on a draft.
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
After students complete their first draft, you
would scaffold their writing to modify the
draft, by working on voice, word choice,
sentence fluency, and finally conventions.
Using the next slides will assist you in using the
model text to assist students in revising the
text.
Voice:
Voice is the golden thread that runs through a piece of
writing. It’s how the reader knows it is really you.
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Where the writer reveals their personality
Very difficult to teach
Use quality writing for examples
Seems to be best achieved through honesty
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At minimum, writing should evidence an awareness of:
Audience
Context
Significance of the topic
Attempting to connect the audience to the writing
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
Fish
Cheeks
Find an example
of Amy tan
expressing her
voice in the text.
“You only shame
is be ashame.”
My
story
Identify a place
where can add
your voice to
your story.
Word Choice:
… the use of rich, colorful, precise language that
communicates not just in a functional way, but also in
a way that moves and enlightens the reader.
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Precision
Clarity
Variety
“grade-level appropriateness”
• An area of weakness for our students
• Strong vocabulary is developed through reading
• That vocabulary can be wonderfully reinforced through its application
in writing
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
Word Choice
Fish
Cheeks
Can you identify a
place in the text where
the author used
interesting word
choice to describe an
event?
The kitchen was
littered with
appalling mounds
of raw food.
My
Story
Identify a place in
your story where you
can add interesting
words to describe
and event.
Sentence Fluency:
Fluent writing is graceful, varied, rhythmic – almost
musical.
It’s easy to read aloud.
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Is best described by what to avoid:
Repetitive sentence structures
Short, choppy sentences
Incorrect sentence structures
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LEPs need to work on this trait
Overtly teach varied sentence structures
On rewrites, challenge students to use the same words
in new ways
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
Fish
Cheeks
A slimy rock cod
with bulging fish
eyes that pleaded
not to be thrown
into a pan of hot
Tofu, which
looked like
stacked wedges
of rubbery white
sponges.
My
Story
Identify a place in
your story where
you would like to
expand a sentence.
Conventions
Almost anything a copy editor deals with comes under
the heading of conventions: punctuation, grammar and
usage, capitalization, and paragraphing.
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Punctuation
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
Teach using a
dictionary.
Peer Editing
Model using spell
check or other
software to check
work.
Model how to edit
work using editing
conventions.
Sentence lifting on the
Smart Board to model
corrections.
Rereading to make
final checks.
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
Assessing Student
Work
Writing a Personal Narrative:
Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
• There are rubrics for each trait.
• Please allow students to use the
rubrics to evaluate their work.
• Evaluate one trait at a time.
Ideas Rubric
2 – Emerging
3 – Developing
Thesis, main idea
or main theme is
emerging. Details
are present.
Thesis, main idea
or main theme is
apparent. Details
are present,
although not always
necessarily relevant
or appropriate.
Content area
concepts are
reflected, but
perhaps not at
grade-level level of
comprehension.
4 – Expanding
5 – Bridging
Thesis, main idea
Ideas are strong
or main theme is
and original. Thesis
clear. Details are
or main theme is
accurate and
clear and
relevant. Details at compelling. Details
least tangentially
are accurate,
support the thesis,
relevant and welltheme or main idea.
chosen. Details
Content material
clearly support the
approaches being
thesis, theme or
appropriate to
main idea. Content
grade-level and
material is
intended audience.
appropriate to
grade-level and to
intended audience.
Organization Rubric
2 – Emerging
3 – Developing
4 – Expanding
5 – Bridging
An
organizational
structure to the
writing is
starting to
emerge with
either a
beginning, an
end, or perhaps
both present.
An obvious
organizational
structure is
present,
although may
be simplistic or
“cookie-cutter”,
and not strictly
ideal for the
content.
Transitions may
be minimal or
lacking.
An obvious
organizational
structure is
present; a
beginning,
middle, and an
end are present
and all
connected with
logical
transitions. The
structure bears
an appropriate
relationship to
the content.
A creative,
strong flow to
the writing
results from an
internal
organization
that draws the
reader in and
then moves
him/her through
the piece from
beginning to
end.
Voice Rubric
2 – Emerging
3 – Developing
4 – Expanding
5 – Bridging
Struggles with
word choice and
sentence fluency
limit most
displays of voice,
both as a
representation of
the student’s
personality, and
as an attempt to
address the
audience in an
appropriate
register.
The student
attempts to
engage the
audience and
address the
purpose, but fails
to make a
perceivable
connection.
Writing may be
somewhat
lifeless,
mechanical.
The response
shows an
awareness of the
purpose and
audience for this
prompt. The
student reveals
their personality
or engagement to
the topic to some
degree.
Response is
engaging and
appropriate to
purpose and
audience. The
writer reveals a
style that clearly
reflects his or her
personality.
Word Choice Rubric
2 – Emerging
3 – Developing
4 – Expanding
5 – Bridging
English words
relate to
prompt. Word
choice is weak
and at times
inaccurate. A
heavy
dependence on
high-frequency
words and
phrases limits
expression.
English words
address prompt.
Word choice is
simplistic and
basic. Attempts
are made to
employ contentspecific
vocabulary, with
varying degrees
of success.
English words
respond to
prompt. Word
choice includes
synonyms and
words that are
more complex.
Technical and
content-based
vocabulary
emerges and is
used with some
accuracy.
A varied
vocabulary is
employed to
express
concepts clearly
and vividly.
Technical and
content-based
vocabulary is
used
appropriately
and with
confidence.
Sentence Fluency Rubric
2 – Emerging
3 – Developing
4 – Expanding
5 – Bridging
Two or more
complete
sentences are
present, but
there are
problems with
grammar or a
repetitive
sentence
pattern.
Two or more
complete
sentences are
present and are
grammatically
correct. There is
variation in the
sentence
structures.
Two or more
complete and
correct
sentences are
present, there is
variation in
structure and
that variation
enhances the
flow and
readability of the
piece.
A variety of
sentence
structures are
employed in a
manner that
enhances the
material and the
flow and
readability of the
piece. Complex
syntax structures
are handled
deftly and used
appropriately.
Conventions Rubric
2 – Emerging
3 – Developing
4 – Expanding
5 – Bridging
Some words are
capitalized,
spelled or
punctuated
correctly; most
are not.
Capitalization &
punctuation are
mostly correct.
Spelling is
usually right.
Grammar &
usage are still
very weak.
Capitalization,
punctuation,
spelling, and
grammar usage
are strong and
usually correct.
Little editing
would be
required to make
this piece
perfect.
Appropriate
conventional
structures, such
as letter
greetings or
bulleted lists, are
attempted and
recognizable.
Capitalization,
punctuation,
spelling, and
grammar usage
are correct.
Appropriate
conventional
structures, such
as letter
greetings or
bulleted lists, are
employed in the
correct format or
style.
Types of Writing
Optional Writing Assignments for Fish
Cheeks
narrative
short
story
poems
Writing
Essay
journals
letters
Write a letter to Amy
and share a time
when you were
embarrassed.
Create a pamphlet
pamphlet about Chinese foods
or advertising a
Chinese restaurant.
notes
Write an essay to
support Amy’s
embarrassment or
why she should not
have been
embarrassed. Cite
evidence from the
text.
Remember, each type of writing must be modeled for students.
Supporting ELs with Writing
Sentence Frames with or without word-level support
Example:
Question: What lesson did Tan learn over time?
Answer: Over time, Tan learned
_____________________.
Supporting ELs with Writing
Paragraph Frames with or without word-level support
Example:
Question: Based on the text, how does the author
describe Robert in the text?
According to the text, the author describes Robert
in __________ ways. First, in paragraph 1, the author
says __________________. Next, in paragraph 5 the
author used the words ______________ to describe
Robert. Finally, in paragraph 6, the author says
_____________. Based on the text, I think Bobby is _list
of character traits to refer to .
Color Coded Paragraph Frames
Topic Sentence
Supporting Details plus transition
Elaboration
Supporting Details plus transition
Elaboration
Supporting Details plus transition
Conclusion
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Color Coded Paragraph Frames
Why was the author embarrassed during dinner?
The author was embarrassed during dinner several times.
The first time she was embarrassed was when her relatives licked the
ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. They put their
chopsticks into the plates of food. Secondly, she was embarrassed
when her father poked his chopstick into the eye of the fish. She
said she wanted to disappear after he said, “Amy, your favorite.” The
final straw to her embarrassment, was when her father belched at
the table. Even though he explained the custom, she was “stunned
into silence”. The author was embarrassed many times during dinner
because her culture was different from that of her guest.
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Keys to Success in Teaching
Writing
• Allow time for oral discussion before
writing.
• Give students time to write as a group.
• Provide sentence frames or paragraph
frames.
• Provide graphic organizers.
• MODEL for your students.