1. The first element of the 6 + 1 Traits
Ideas and Content
The first element of the Traits

2. What are ideas and content?
The ideas and content is what you have to say - the reason for writing your paper. Everything about your writing begins with that message.
-Northwest Regional Education Laboratory

3. So where do I get these ideas?
Use the ideas that are floating all around you!
Personal experiences
Something you know a lot about
Something important to you
An idea from your imagination
Something that interests you
Now let’s do some brainstorming!

4. Clear As Mud?
Once you have chosen a topic ask yourself a few questions.
Is my topic too LARGE for me to do a good job?
Do I know enough about my topic to share it with someone else?
What is the point of my paper or story?

5. Were our topics too large?
Is my topic too LARGE?
#1 RULE
Keep it small
If your topic is too large the reader will get lost.
Animals
Birds
Eagles
How the Eagle Became the National Bird
Were our topics too large?

6. Do I know enough about my topic?
If my topic is How the Eagle Became the National Bird
Do I know a lot about that topic?
Do I know details that most people wouldn’t?
If not, do I know where to find interesting details?

7. What is the point? Keep in mind Know your audience.
Have a clear plan for writing.
Answer any question the reader may have before they have to ask.

8. Put It All Together Choose a topic that you will enjoy.
Narrow your topic to a controllable size.
Add interesting details that may surprise people.
Have a clear plan for writing.

9. The second element of the 6 + 1 Traits
Organization
The second element of the Traits

10. What does organization mean?
When you organize your desk you put things in neat piles with each kind of book in a different pile. Then you put your supply box where it would fit best. So to organize means to put things together in an orderly way.
When writing we have to put our thoughts and ideas in their proper place. Everything fits together just like a puzzle.

11. So how do I organize my paper?
Introduction – Beginning of a paper
Transitions – moving from one subject to the next
Sequence – one thought following another in order
Pacing – the speed of moving from one thing to the next
Conclusion – the last section of the paper

12. Introduction Create an exciting first beginning
Give the reader a clue of what the piece may be about
Make it exciting so the reader will want to find out what will happen next.
Once upon a time an eagle lived in the country.
I want to talk about eagles.
An eagle soared over the green pasture keeping a close eye on the fox below.

13. Transitions
When moving from one paragraph to the next remember to do it like stairs. Don’t skip steps. One at a time!
If your piece moves too fast the reader will get confused.
If you spend too much time on one step the reader will get bored.

14. Sequencing
When you get ready each morning you don’t put your shoes on before you pants.
Things need to be done in order! When we write, events or information need to be told in order of how it happened.

15. Pace Yourself
As these boys run the race they can’t run too fast at first. They will run out of energy and not be able to finish. On the other hand if they take it too slow the crowd will lose interest and stop watching. We need to remember the same things in writing. Don’t move from one subject to the next too quickly. Although, don’t spend too much time on one subject.

16. Conclusion
If the beginning of the story hooks the reader, like a fisherman hooks a fish. The conclusion needs to be like the fisherman reeling in the fish and finding out what kind of fish is on the other end. The end of the story needs to answer any question and leave the reader thinking. Just as the fisherman thinks, “Where can I get another big one like that.”

17. Organize Yourself Introduction Transition Sequence Pace Conclusion
Unlike your desk or mine, organize the pieces of your writing.
Introduction
Transition
Sequence
Pace
Conclusion

18. The third element of the 6 + 1 Writing Traits
VOICE
The third element of the Writing Traits

19. How can you read VOICE? Voice is the author’s fingerprint on the page.
The writing sounds just like the author.
The reader knows the feelings and opinions of the author.

20. Can I hear your voice? When a paper is full of voice…
it makes the reader feel something.
shocked, upset, excited, giggly, or scared
sounds like the author enjoys writing.
you feel like the author is talking to you.
the author is not afraid to say what he/she feels.
you want to read the piece to someone else.

21. Don’t be afraid to let your voice be heard!
Share your thoughts and opinions
When you write pretend like you are talking to the reader
Don’t hide your true self
Have fun when you write

22. The fourth element of the 6 + 1 Writing Traits
Word Choice
The fourth element of the Writing Traits

23. What is word choice?
Word choice is choosing words that can make your writing a masterpiece.
An author needs to paint a picture in the mind of the reader. Word choice can add color to your masterpiece.

24. How do I make good word choices?
Change dull verbs into colorful ones.
Use nouns that create a picture.
Colorful verbs and specific nouns are best but use adjectives and adverbs to add flavor to your writing.

25. Colorful Verbs
Choose verbs that create a picture in the mind of the reader.
Stay away from is, are, was, and were
The day was hot.
The July afternoon was scorching, it burned my feet on the sizzling sidewalk.

26. Specific Nouns Nouns are used to show who, what, or where.
When using nouns be specific
Dog – Dalmatian
Building – School
When using nouns think, could I be more specific?

27. Adverbs & Adjectives Adverbs show where, when, or how.
nearly, slowly, fast, badly
Adjectives describe a noun.
red, fat, strong, old, colorful
Use adverbs and adjectives to add color to your writing!

28. Make a Masterpiece!
Make a masterpiece using words. Think of words as the paint and the paper as the canvas. By choosing the most colorful and exciting words your writing can be a work of art!
What would happen with no color?

29. The fifth element of the 6 + 1 Writing Traits
Sentence Fluency
The fifth element of the Writing Traits

30. What is sentence fluency?
We all know what a sentence is. Right?
Fluency is when something moves with smoothness and ease.
Sentence+Fluency=
Sentences that flow smoothly together.

31. Variety is good! Variety – different kinds and numbers of things.
Variety in sentence fluency is a number of different lengths, beginnings, and kinds of sentences.
Give an example of something with a lot of variety.

32. Lengths Use different sentence lengths. long and stretchy sentences
A long time ago, at Christmas time, every year my whole family would go all the way down to Colorado to go to aunt Angie’s house.
short and snappy sentences
Every Christmas we had a great time.

33. Sentence Beginnings Start sentences with a variety of beginnings
I am really happy to be your teacher. I hope we have fun this year. I will teach you many new things. I am happy you are in my class.
How would you change this paragraph?
I am thrilled to be your teacher. This year will be full of fun and learning. It is exciting to have you in my class.

34. Kinds of Sentences There are different kinds of sentences.
simple – one independent thought
A cow eats grass.
compound – two or more simple sentences
The cow eats grass and moos at the dog.
declarative – statement
Cows and dogs don’t get along.
interrogatives – question
Do cows live in the city?
exclamatory - exclamation
I am so excited about seeing a cow!
imperative – command
Don’t feed the cows in this pasture.

35. Read your writing aloud and listen
Sentence Fluency
Read your writing aloud and listen
to it’s rhythm.
Do you use a variety of sentence lengths?
Do you use different sentence beginnings?
Are there different kinds of sentences in your writing?
As you flow down the river of your writing, is it choppy and rough or does it flow in a natural rhythm?

36. The sixth element of the 6 + 1 Writing Traits
Conventions
The sixth element of the
6 + 1 Writing Traits

37. What are conventions? Spelling Punctuation Capitalization Grammar
Paragraphing
Having correct conventions means that the reader can pay more attention to your creative thoughts and ideas.

38. Spelling Look it up in the dictionary Ask a friend
I don’t know how to spell!
I am a bad speller!
You just tell me how to spell it!
These excuses will not work. What should you do if you don’t know how to spell a word?
Look it up in the dictionary
Ask a friend
Look at the resources around you

39. Punctuation Know the different types of punctuation. period . comma ,
question mark ?
exclamation point !
colon :
hyphen –
ellipse …
parentheses ( )
How are all of these punctuation marked used?

40. Capitalization When do I use capital letters?
Names of people – Christopher Columbus
Words used as names – Grandpa
Titles used as names – President Bush
Abbreviations – NFL
Proper Nouns – New York City
Historical Information – Civil War
Organizations - Republican

41. Capitalization continued
Geographic Names – Agusta, Maine
Nationalities – Egyptian
Languages – Spanish
Titles – Freckle Juice
First Words – The sky is blue.
Days & Months – Monday, January
Holidays – Easter
Greetings – Dear Charlie,
Closings – Your friend, Margo

42. Grammar Check all your sentences. Do your subjects & verbs agree?
One cool fall day Tom, Bill, and Bobby.
One cool fall day Tom, Bill, and Bobby went to go fishing they caught only on fish all day.
Do you have sentence fragments or run-on sentences?
Do your subjects & verbs agree?
Bill walk to the fishing hole.
Tom, Bill, and Bobby loves to go fishing.

43. Paragraphing
A paragraph is a group of sentences that concentrate on one topic.
Indent each time you begin a new topic.
Each paragraph should include a…
Topic sentence – tells what the paragraph is about
Body – detail sentences that back up the main idea
Closing sentence – sums up the big idea

44. Conventions Check everything Check it again Read it out loud
In order to be good at editing you need to develop an eye for mistakes.
Check everything
Check it again
Read it out loud
Have a friend check it
It is hard to edit your own paper because you know what you want to say. Although that may not be what is written on the page.
Conventions is the most important of the traits.

45. Presentation
Zeros in on the form and layout of the text and its readability
The piece should be pleasing to the eye

46. The
End