The Ultimate Guide to the 6 Traits of Writing | Smekens (2024)

Regardless of the grade level, you must decide which trait-based skills you want to target per unit and then identify the lessons that will best support your instruction.

Skills to Teach in a 6-Traits Mini-Lesson

Trait of Ideas mini-lessons

  • Knowledgeable writing topics
  • Writing for a purpose
  • Narrow topic
  • Details, development, & elaboration
  • Supporting ideas with examples
  • Develop plot, characters, setting
  • Trait of Organization mini-lessons

Pre-writing & planning

  • Beginning, middle, and end
  • Like ideas clumped together
  • Hook and ending components
  • Clear transitions
  • Sequential ideas

Trait of Voice mini-lessons

  • Writing to an audience
  • Reader-writer connection
  • Writer’s feelings about the topic
  • Voice expressed with type (NO, !!!, yuck)
  • Shifting attitudes within a piece
  • Perspective

Trait of Word Choice mini-lessons

  • Specific nouns (right word, right spot)
  • Adjectives (descriptions, 5 senses)
  • Action verbs
  • Imagery (show, don’t tell)
  • Synonyms (varied word choice)
  • Adverbs

Trait of Sentence Fluency mini-lessons

  • Complete thoughts; complete sentences
  • Different sentence beginnings
  • Sentence types (.!? simple, compound, complex)
  • Varied sentence lengths
  • Readability; easy to read aloud
  • Figurative language

Trait of Conventions mini-lessons

  • Proper use of capital letters
  • Paragraph indents
  • Grammar & mechanics
  • Punctuation (,;—’…”)
  • Readable spelling
  • Word spacing and wrapping

Organize your teacher resources by trait

Since every writing skill falls under one of the Six Traits, it makes the most sense to organize your lesson materials and resources by trait—not by writing unit.

  • If you are looking to organize digital documents, then establish six folders on your computer—one per trait.
  • If you prefer organizing paper-based resources, create an old-fashioned filing system with six folders or a set of six three-ring binders. (We developed Six-Traits mini-lesson labels to adhere to the outside of expandable hanging file folders. Use the list of skills printed on the label as a guide for collecting and organizing trait-based mini-lessons.)

Regardless of the organizational method you choose, house individual lesson plans, resources, and writing samples within their broader trait categories for easy access.

How to deliver a Six-Traits mini-lesson

Each writer’s workshop begins with a mini-lesson. This time of direct, whole-class instruction is important, but it needs to be short. After all, students’ writing doesn’t improve by listening to the teacher. They get better experimenting with the skill during writing time.
With this in mind, make it a priority to keep your daily mini-lessons mini—10-15 minutes long.

Best-practice mini-lesson instruction always contains four essential steps.

STEP 1: Introduction

Announce the day’s target skill. Remember to keep the focus small. For example, rather than teaching different types of sentences, focus only on combining ideas into compound sentences. Within this introduction, identify which trait this skill impacts.

STEP 2: Instruction

This next step provides the meat of the lesson. This is where the teacher demonstrates how to do the skill through modeling, examples, and Think Alouds. The goal of instruction is to intentionally teach students how to execute a particular reading or writing skill. In this step, the teacher works alone to demonstrate and explain the skill specifically.

More than just telling students what to do, this is when the teacher shares her expert thinking to reveal when, where, how, and why you do it. This personal journey of thoughts accompanies the teacher’s live demonstration of the skill. It’s the pre-planned, one-person monologue, where the expert captions every action being demonstrated. This added component reshapes this teacher-demonstrated portion to include I do, you watch and listen.

The Ultimate Guide to the 6 Traits of Writing | Smekens (2)

When teachers execute Think Alouds, students learn that the skill is not executed in a neat, simple, linear, step-by-step recipe. Rather, students see that reading and writing are complex processes that require problem-solving and decision-making.

To ensure efficient and effectiveThink Alouds, apply these tips:

1. Announce lessons will include an I do portion. This is the time where the teacher demonstrates, and students watch and listen. (For those eager to share, remind them not to help you but to assess if they are thinking what you are thinking.)

2. Do not make eye contact with the students. Instead, look above them, beyond them, or through them. This reinforces that the I do is a one-person monologue.

3. Speak in the first person. Rather than questioning What could you do? speak about what I could do. Use only I, me, and my statements during a Think Aloud.

4. Plan out every Think Aloud. Although teachers know how to execute various writing skills, most don’t know how they know how to do it. They just do it!

Since the skill is so automatic, it requires teachers to slow down and carefully consider their thinking process before attempting to teach it to students. If the Think Aloud isn’t planned out ahead of time, it’s easy to overgeneralize the process and return to telling and cease truly teaching.

The Think Aloud portion of a lesson provides the explicit teaching students need. It showcases an expert’s thinking while students watch and listen.

STEP 3: Interaction

If Step 2 is the I do, then Step 3 is the We do. During this part of the lesson, the whole class works together to apply the skill with the teacher providing support.

Although this interaction step includes student participation, it’s important not to lose control. Rather than calling on individuals during the mini-lesson, engage all students with opportunities to think through the skill. to let students know when to pool their thinking with a peer and when to return their attention to instruction.

The challenge of getting every student involved in the learning is not a new one. The fact of the matter is, some students don’t have the desire, the confidence, or the skill set to actively participate collaboratively.

During our professional development for teachers, we have long encouraged the “Turn & Talk” strategy to engage students in peer collaboration as they respond to a question prompted by the teacher. However, this procedure needs to be taught, practiced, and fine-tuned.

The “Turn & Talk” and “Back to Me” code phrases are essential ways to manage time and increase engagement during a mini-lesson. They allow for all students to experience 2-3 examples orally, which is significantly better than only 2-3 students each experiencing a single written example at the board.

STEP 4: Closure

Step 4 closes the mini-lesson and sets students up for a response activity. After the I do (Step 2) and the We do (Step 3), it’s time for the You do(Step 4). Identify what you want students to do with the skill on their own. While writing today, I’d like you to. . .

Remember, the students don’t get better during the lesson—it’s after the lesson when they practice the skill that they improve their abilities. Consequently, keep the lesson short.

How do I make trait-based writing lessons more engaging?

Boost engagement with concrete triggers

Increase student engagement during a Six-Traits mini-lesson by incorporating a trigger. Not only do visual aids add a level of energy and excitement, but they also help students remember the purpose and function of specific writing skills.

When identifying a mini-lesson trigger, first consider the function of the writing skill. The key is to really understand the purpose the skill serves within writing. When do writers use the skill? Where do writers use the skill? What’s the impact of the skill on the message?

Then, with that knowledge, brainstorm an object in the real world that functions similarly.

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The Power of Physical Triggers

For example, when teaching students to write about a narrow topic (or focused thesis statement), the goal is to show them how to go from a large, broad subject to something smaller, more finite. It’s all about shrinking the topic.

Everyday items that get smaller are Russian stacking dolls, Tupperware, and nesting boxes. Reveal one of those objects within the lesson to demonstrate how a large subject can be narrowed down to a smaller, more focused topic.

Integrate mentor text

Step 2 of a mini-lesson often includes revealing examples of the skill in action. Although workbooks and worksheets include examples, they are typically contrived and formulaic and lack the quality and sophistication of authentic sentences.

Mentor text reveals the skill within real-world writing.

  • Consider sharing picture books with your students to demonstrate a specific trait. Even middle school and high school students enjoy picture books!
  • Look for excerpts from chapter books and novels that exemplify a specific writing skill.
  • Collect authentic text (e.g., newspaper articles, websites, cartoons, etc.) to show students that current trends in writing include the traits in writing.
  • Use student anchor papers to convey what “good” writing looks like for a specific assignment.

Do I teach a new skill every day?

No, you do not teach a new skill every day. You teach a mini-lesson every day, but the same skill will be taught across multiple days.

Teach one skill across 3+ days

Students don’t learn everything in a single 15-minute mini-lesson. Consequently, plan multiple mini-lessons to teach a specific skill. This requires slowing down instruction—and expectations. Provide opportunities for students to first recognize the skill in mentor text before expecting them to try it and apply it within their own writing.

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Mini-Lesson Planning Template

With this slower approach, each day of a mini-lesson series serves a different instructional purpose.

DAY 1

First, reveal excerpts of authentic text where the skill appears. Think Aloud about how the excerpt impacts the reader’s comprehension. This is the concept of Notice & Name It. If students don’t recognize the skill in action, then they can’t apply it intentionally.

DAY 2

The first mini-lesson focused on studying the skill as a reader. Day 2 transitions to Try It as a writer. Instruction must include the teacher modeling how to return to a previous draft and insert the skill in context. This will again require Thinking Aloud during the lesson.

Students must hear how an expert discerns when, where, and how to incorporate the skill within his own writing.

DAY 3

The third day of a mini-lesson series transitions to lifelong acquisition. Teach students how to incorporate the skill while composing a first draft (rather than as a revision technique as practiced the previous day). This kind of instinctive application demonstrates mastery.

Follow the Notice it/Name it, Try it, Apply it progression within a mini-lesson series on possessives.

The Ultimate Guide to the 6 Traits of Writing | Smekens (2024)

FAQs

The Ultimate Guide to the 6 Traits of Writing | Smekens? ›

This research reveals that all “good” writing has six key ingredients—ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. These key components provide teachers and students with a common understanding for how to compose, revise, and assess all types of writing.

What is idea in the 6 traits of writing? ›

Ideas are the content of the writing piece. They are the “heart and soul” of good writing. It is important for students to remain focused on the writing by selecting the idea or topic, remaining focused on the idea, elaborating on the idea, and using details and information to further develop the piece of writing.

What grade levels do the 6 traits of writing support? ›

All of the traits will be addressed in age-appropriate ways at every grade level, K-8. Common terminology, visual icons, and instructional strategies will provide continuity and alignment of instruction as students advance to new grade levels and work with different teachers.

What are the 6 1 writing traits sentence fluency? ›

Voice: the tone of the piece—the personal stamp that the writer brings to it. Word Choice: the specific vocabulary the writer uses to convey meaning. Sentence Fluency: the way the words and phrases flow throughout the text. Conventions: the mechanical correctness of the piece.

What are the 6 writers traits? ›

The Six Traits of Writing are rooted in more than 50 years of research. This research reveals that all “good” writing has six key ingredients—ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

What does voice mean in the 6 traits of writing? ›

Voice the individual sense of tone that a writer brings to their writing. It is where a lot of emotion and meaning comes from in a piece of writing. Voice can be affected by things like modality, which is the amount of authority and conviction in the word choice used.

What is the 6 traits writing rubric for kindergarten? ›

This writing rubric includes Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions. Each section clearly states expectations in student friendly words.

What is level 6 writing? ›

You will need to be more careful and rigorous in your writing: to make sure that your words and phrases convey exactly what you mean to say. You will have longer assignments and being accurate will be more important, so you'll need to give yourself plenty of time for proof-reading.

Which of the following is not one of the six traits of writing? ›

The correct answer is D. inspiration. The six traits of writing are: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

What are conventions according to the 6:1 traits of writing? ›

Conventions refer to the mechanical correctness of the piece—spelling, paragraphing, grammar and usage, punctuation, and use of capitals. Presentation zeros in on the form and layout of the text and its readability; the piece should be pleasing to the eye.

How does a person become a good writer? ›

If you want to become a better writer, a great way to get going is to write just a little but often. It can provide a ton of practice while you're waiting for your workload to pick up. Try committing to a “write every day” challenge to improve your discipline. Platforms like WriteEveryDay.

Why is effective writing important for everyone? ›

Why is writing important? It's the fuel that drives communication, and communication serves as a framework for society. Clear communication—and hence, good writing—is critical because it facilitates coworker collaborations, business transactions and interpersonal interactions.

What is a good example of sentence fluency? ›

The following is a strong example of sentence fluency that combines simple and complex sentences to create a fluid text: "She walked slowly to her car. Deep down, she was sad because it was her last day. Her new job will begin on Monday." Note that each sentence was varied and began differently.

How to make sentences fluently? ›

By using compound sentences, two independent ideas forming one sentence, you can improve your sentence fluency. By adding a cooordinating conjunction, a big word for a little thing that can connect your sentences, you can vary your sentences.

What is the idea in writing? ›

The main idea of a paragraph is the author's message about the topic. It is often expressed directly or it can be implied. Knowing how to find main ideas allows you to understand and think critically about what you're reading.

What is idea generation in writing? ›

Idea Generation: Brainstorming

The most standard and tested ways of moving ideas from your head to your paper are through Brainstorming and Freewriting. These are exercises we use to just get out our ideas. They do not require you to consider grammar, spelling, or content.

What are the six purposes of writing? ›

The eleven different types of purpose include the following: 1. to express; 2. to describe; 3. to explore/learn; Page 3 4. to entertain; 5. to inform; 6. to explain; 7. to argue; 8. to persuade; 9. to evaluate; 10. to problem solve; and 11. to mediate.

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