6 Traits Writing

Explanation of Sources for Ideas:

Cheri Summers comments:

I compiled these mini lessons for a class that I am teaching for second grade teachers. But I think that many of them would work for first and third grade as well.

The lessons are grouped by writing trait, which I think could be used as a kind of structure for teaching. The groups are based on a 6 Trait writing model. The lessons are those that I have received from Deb Smith, from Barry Lane (the author of the Reviser's Tool Box), from Vicki Spandel (the developer of the 6 Traits model), and a few that I have used in the classroom myself.

I have revised some of the lessons that I got from the teachers and authors mentioned earlier to fit the needs of my class. The good ideas are those of the teachers and authors cited, the frailties are the product of my revisions of the original.

If I have neglected to give you credit for a lesson that is yours let me know and I will fix it.

Mini-Lessons

These lessons are just examples of things you can do. Use some of the ones you like or make up your own. Many of the lessons will need to be done over and over before students start to understand the concept well enough to use it in their own writing. Don't get discouraged. Once you have introduced a concept, look for examples of students using the concept in writing and bring it to everyone's attention.

Ideas

Organization

Voice

Word Choice

Sentence Fluency

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