Tackle the Traitsof WritingPresented by: Stephanie Ivory, D.Ed.

Saint Francis Universitysivory@francis.edu

KSRA Conference, 2014

Session Description

Do you fumble to find motivational techniques to incorporate writing into your elementary level curriculum? Cheer on the team as we share mini-lessons encompassing trade books, graphic organizers, and hands-on, interactive activities to build strength and competence in Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, and Sentence Fluency. Score a packet of resources ready for classroom use!

6 + 1 Traits of Writing *Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory*Ruth Culham

• Ideas

• Organization

• Voice

• Word Choice

• Sentence Fluency

• Convention

• +1 = Presentation

Conventions

Ideas

Organization

Word ChoiceVoiceSentence

Fluency

Building with the Traits

Ideas: solid base on which good writing develops (foundation)

Organization: structure of writing, sensible layout (house)

Conventions: essential to polished composition (roof)

Voice: you! Adds style and character

Sentence Fluency: phrases float through a piece of writing (clouds)

Word Choice: words writer selects has a profound impact on reader (sun)

Ideas~Heart of the message~Content of the piece

~Details that enrich and develop the theme

Children’s Literature to support Ideas• The Magic School Bus series (Joanna Cole)

• Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street (Roni Schotter)

Organization~internal structure

~thread of central meaning~pattern

~clear beginning, middle, and ending

Children’s Literature to support Organization• Alphabet City (Stephen T. Johnson)

• The Napping House (Audrey Wood)

• If you Give a Pig a Pancake (Laura Numeroff)

Voice~heart and soul of the piece

~the magic, wit, feeling, life, & breath~use of expression to voice personality

Children’s Literature to support Voice• Click, Clack, Moo, Cows that Type (Doreen Cronin)

• Stellaluna (Janell Cannon)

• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Scieszka & Smith)

• The Day the Crayons Quit (Drew Daywalt)

• Detective LaRue series (Mark Teague)

• By the Side of the Road (Jules Feiffer)

Word Choice~rich, colorful, precise language

~moves and enlightens the reader~clarifies and expands ideas

Children’s Literature to support Word Choice• Fancy Nancy series (Jane O’Connor)

• Chrysanthemum (Kevin Henkes)

• Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster (Debra Frasier)

• Some Smug Slug (Pamela Duncan Edwards)

Sentence Fluency~rhythm and flow of the language

~sound of word patterns~varying sentence structure

Children’s Literature to support Sentence Fluency• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Bill Martin Jr.)

• Black Cat (Christopher Myers)

Conventions~without proper conventions, the other 5 traits may

be overshadowed~piece’s level of correctness

~use of grammar and mechanics with precision~essential for a polished composition

Children’s Literature to support Conventions• Punctuation Takes a Vacation (Robin Pulver)

• The Perfect Pop-Up Punctuation Book (Kate Petty)

• Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky: More About Adjectives (Brian P. Cleary)

• Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective (Brian P. Cleary)

+1 = Presentation• Share the final product!

• How does the piece look?

• Good writers are aware of the importance of presentation!

• A final copy can serve as a welcome mat or as a barricade.

Grading with the Traits

• Checklists

• Rubrics

What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure

~Samuel Johnson

We write to taste life twice~Anais Nin