Six Trait Writingfor assessment and instruction
Jen MadisonEducational Service Unit No. 6
[email protected]://esu6writing.wikispaces.com
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
What makes writing work? Record one specific characteristic of good writing.
Musical Cards– Trade cards while the music plays.
– When the music stops, partner with the person currently trading with you.
– Read each card and together distribute 7 points between the two cards to represent the degree of importance and relevance toward the question: What makes good writing work?
THE 6+1 TRAITS
Ideas
Organization
Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Conventions
Presentation
The heart of the message
The internal structure of the piece
The feeling and conviction of the writer
The precise language chosen to convey
meaning
The rhythm and flow of the language
The mechanical correctness
How the writing looks on the page
Purpose of Traits “an answer to the question: What makes writing
work?” consistent “writer’s language that opens the door
to revision” (a how to for revision) a way to
– organize and clarify good writing instruction– encourage consistent assessment– empower and motivate young writers– encourage thinking skills and self-monitoring
NOT meant to replace instruction of writing process!
(Spandel, Creating Writers, 2005, p. 1-2)
Trait-based Writing Form and language Vision of success
“If we had called them the six keys to good writing, people likely would have made the instructional connection immediately. This is where the true power of trait-based instruction lies—showing students the keys to writing well.”
Spandel, V. (2008). Creating Young Writers
“…the keys to writing well:” Have a strong, clear idea.
– Use details and pictures to paint a picture in year reader’s mind.
Write with authority and voice. Organize your information so that a reader can
follow it. Use words that make sense—and that are lively
as well. Write with fluency and variety—the way good
dancers dance. Make your conventions as strong as you can so
that readers can figure out your message.(Spandel, 2008, Creating Young Writers, p.
7)
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
What do you notice?• I can just see it. I feel like I’m in
that car.• I love the line “her eyes were as big
as her fists.”• He’s having a good time [most
readers assume the writer is male].• I know these people.• Lively!• I sympathize with Mom-- I hate mice
too!• I like the pickle jar-- I can even
smell the pickles.• Great images-- love Dad backing
into the tree and mom in her nightgown.
• You get every point of view- even the mouse’s!
What do you notice? Boring-- it put me right to
sleep. Flat, empty. Safe. She was writing just to get it
done. Mechanics are pretty good. It doesn’t say anything. The organization isn’t too bad. What Redwoods? The title
doesn’t go with the paper. She (he?) seems like a nice
kid- I want to like it. It’s not that bad for fourth or
fifth grade-- I assume that’s what it is right?
Rubrics and Scoring Guidesa few ideas
A Developmental Continuum for Early Writing– Pre-K to K
K-2 Illustrated Beginning Writer’s Rubric– Pre-K to 2 (or until student
consistently scores 5 or 6)– Education Northwest,
2010
6+1 Traits Condensed 5-Point 3-12 Writer’s Rubric (“One-Pager”)– 3-12– Education Northwest,
2010
My First Scoring Guide (Student-Friendly Scoring Guide Primary)– K-2– Ruth Culham,
http://www.culhamwriting.com/library.html
Student-Friendly Scoring Guide Grades 3-5– Ruth Culham,
http://www.culhamwriting.com/library.html
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing
Read the proficient level descriptions for ideas/content– Note the words that best define the trait characteristics
(the criteria) and proficiency levels.
Read the writing thoroughly:– Look for strengths– Score traits– Discuss reasons for your score(s)
Holistic vs. Analytic Scoring
Holistic
One overall score
Intended to generalize overall effect
Cannot provide specific, needs-based feedback
Usually reserved for summative assessment (after instruction and practice)
Analytic
Each trait scored separately
Provides more detailed feedback to guide instruction and monitor progress
Used for most classroom practice and formative assessment (during instruction and practice)
Using Rubrics:One Way to Respond &
Assess Many formats and varieties
– Thoughtfully select traits for assessment informational/technical writing creative/personal writing
– Have students help create indicators– Provide student friendly versions – Engage students in activities using rubrics– Be consistent– Score certain traits
Using RubricsOne Way to Respond &
Assess Always read the entire paper first Refer to the scoring guide often Stronger or weaker? Score each trait separately Remember:
– 1 indicates beginning performance, not failure– top score represents strengths and proficiency, not
perfection Watch out for rater bias
Objectivity Issues and Sources of Bias
Physical characteristics Personal reaction to particular tones, content,
or students Length Positive-negative leniency
– Tendency to be too hard or too easy on everyone Fatigue Skimming Sympathy “Self-scoring”
– Score the writer’s work, not your skill of putting the puzzle pieces together.
Sources of rater bias– Pet peeves, such as….
– Big LOOpy writing (with stars and hearts)– Teeny, tiny writing– Writing in ALL CAPITALS– Tons! Of exclamation (!!!) points!!!!– – Mixing it’s and its– The End (like I couldn’t tell)– Total absence of paragraphs
Objectivity Issues and Sources of Bias
What’s one of your pet peeves?
Using Rubrics More opportunities
– Create with students– School-wide– Collect anchors/samples – Subject or genre specific– Student self-assessment submitted with writing– Some traits
e.g., always ideas & conventions, randomly select one other
A note about grading… Focus on feedback
– Recognizing improvements & strengths (to replicate)– Providing appropriate instruction & challenges
Translating to grades…be careful!– Be certain that the percentage you assign is appropriate
for the rubric rating!3
= 21/30
= 70%
YIKES!
= 21/6 (#of criteria)
= 3.5 or 85%
MORE APPROPRIATE
43353
RawAvg.
%
+ 1% for each additional .1
5 1004 903 802 701 60
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait: IDEAS
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
IDEAS: Look for the following… Clarity and Focus of the Content Rich and Vivid Details Clear Sense of Purpose Accuracy Fresh and Original Thinking Quality not Quantity
“Too many scoring systems reward students for including merely more arguments or examples; quantity is not quality, and we teach a bad lesson by such scoring practices.”
-Grant Wiggins
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing Read the proficient level descriptions for the trait
– Underline/highlight the words that best define the characteristics of proficient
– Mark (?) descriptors requiring clarification
Read the writing thoroughly:– Look for strengths– Score each trait– Prepare to discuss reasons for your score
Ideas Take Out the Details
– Take the details out of a known story. – “What’s missing? What makes the original
better?”
Graphic Organizers– Make expected content explicit– Model transfer from organizer to writing
Snapshot– “I want to see it, like a photo in an album.”– What would I see if I would “zoom in” on this part?
Teach the Genre– How do writers express the main idea?– How do they support the main idea (e.g.,
characterization, examples, explanation, facts, logic, sensory details)?
Lesson Ideas
“Don’t say the old lady
screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.”--Mark Twain
Teaching the trait of Ideas Talk about where ideas come
from.
Model differences between generalities and good details.
Read aloud from books with striking detail or strong imagery.
Use questions to expand and clarify a main idea.
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait: ORGANIZATION
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
ORGANIZATION: What to look for…
Enticing Lead Sentence – The first sentence and introduction should be engaging.
Thoughtful Transitions – One paragraph should set the scene for the next
paragraph. Logical Sequencing
– There is a systematic approach to exploring topic. Controlled Pacing
– Details are provided in the right amounts. Satisfying Conclusion
– The piece should have meaningful ending.
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing Read the proficient level descriptions for the trait
– Underline/highlight the words that best define the characteristics of proficient
– Mark (?) descriptors requiring clarification
Read the writing thoroughly:– Look for strengths– Score each trait– Prepare to discuss reasons for your score
Organization Study Logical Order
– Separate sentences/paragraphs from a writing– Ask student to put classify them, put them in
order, and identify key phrases.
Compare Leads or Endings– Find different examples in children’s books,
content text, your own (not so great) examples, brainstorm examples with students.
– Which do you like best? Why?– Host a “Bad Leads Awards Ceremony.”
Teach transition and signal words appropriate for the type of writing.
Lesson Ideas
The shark’s jaw is located back beneath his long snout, but this does not prevent him from biting directly into the flesh. When he opens the jaw, the lower jawbone is thrust forward while the snout is drawn back and up, until it makes almost a right angle with the axis of his body. At this moment, the moth is located forward of the head and no longer beneath it. It resembles a large wolftrap, equipped with innumerable sharp and gleaming teeth. The shark plants this mechanism in the body of his victim and uses the weight of his own body in a series of frenzied convulsions, transforming the teeth of the jawbones into saws. The force of this sawing effect is such that it requires no more than an instant for the shark to tear off a splendid morsel of flesh. When the shark swims off, he has left a deep and perfectly outline hole in the body of his victim. It is terrifying and nauseating to watch.
(from Jacques-Yves Cousteu, The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea, p. 37)
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait: VOICE
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activity
Statewide Writing Assessment
VOICE: Look for the following…
Expression of individuality
Reader wants to keep reading
Commitment to the topic
Suits the audience
Fits the purpose
Voice Creative Writing
– Feelings– Enthusiasm– Individuality – Passion
Technical / Research Writing– Perspective– Level of Formality– Level of
Objectivity
Voice is often the reason I
read!
Voice in Informational writing
Confident Knowledge-driven Inspiring
“The Cosmos is a very big place.”
“If we were randomly inserted into the Cosmos, the chance that we would find ourselves on or near a planet would be less than one in a billion trillion trillion (1033, a one followed by 33 zeroes). In everyday life such odds are called compelling. Worlds are precious [1980, p. 5].”
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing Read the proficient level descriptions for the trait
– Underline/highlight the words that best define the characteristics of proficient
– Mark (?) descriptors requiring clarification
Read the writing thoroughly:– Look for strengths– Score each trait– Prepare to discuss reasons for your score
Voice Write voice IN or OUT
– Take the voice out of a passage and have students put their own in.
Bored vs. Excited?– What do these look like? (Students demonstrate kinesthetically.)– “I want to see an ‘excited’ face in my mind when I read your
writing.”– Show them two sample paragraphs using the same facts. Which
was written by an “excited” writer? How can you tell?
Read aloud from works that have strong voice.
Help students identify an audience.
Lesson Ideas
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait: WORD CHOICE
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
Word Choice: What to look for
memorable words and phrases
accurate use of words
awareness of different ways to say things
appropriate choices for the purpose and audience
not inflated or overused
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing Read the proficient level descriptions for the trait
– Underline/highlight the words that best define the characteristics of proficient
– Mark (?) descriptors requiring clarification
Read the writing thoroughly:– Look for strengths– Score each trait– Prepare to discuss reasons for your score
Word Choice Study connotation (subtleties of word variation)
– Put related words on a continuum– said, whispered, barked, exclaimed, shouted,
screamed, commented murmured, declared, mentioned, hollered
– Apply movement to variations of verbs & discuss differences
Trash overused words & display interesting, lively, or content appropriate words– Use wall displays, bulletin boards, etc.– Brainstorm appropriate alternatives.
Show students examples of writing in your content and together analyze words.– Identify specific nouns and strong, active verbs– Identify powerful, meaningful words– Rate level of formality and objectivity
Lesson Ideas
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait: SENTENCE FLUENCY
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
Sentence Fluency: What to look for Rhythm and flow
Varied sentence structure– Length– Beginnings
Reading ease…not just punctuation
Sentence Fluency ChartAnalyze the mode,
genre, author’s style:
How long are sentences?
How do sentences begin?
What kind of verbs are prevalent?
What kind of sentences are used?
What is the purpose of each sentence?
# of words first 3 words
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing Read the proficient level descriptions for the trait
– Underline/highlight the words that best define the characteristics of proficient
– Mark (?) descriptors requiring clarification
Read the writing thoroughly:– Look for strengths– Score each trait– Prepare to discuss reasons for your score
Sentence Fluency
Read fluent passages out loud– “Do you like the way this sounds? – “How many different ways does this writer begin sentences?”– “Describe the lengths of the sentences. What effect does this
create?”
Mentor Sentences– Collect powerful sentences to use as models of specific
techniques– (prepositional phrases…a strong way to add detail) “Over
bushes, under trees, between fence posts, through the tangled hedge she swoops untouched” (Davies, 2004, p. 12).
Chart expert and student writing fluency– Analyze a passage for sentence lengths, beginning variety,
and other characteristics.
Lesson Ideas
Agenda Welcome! Introducing the Traits
– What Makes Writing Work? – Qualities of Writing
Using Rubrics and Student Papers Trait by Trait: CONVENTIONS
– Language of the trait– Scoring student work– Teaching and learning activities
Your students should ask…
(beginning writers) Did I leave spaces between words? Does my writing go from left to right? Did I use a title? Did I leave margins on the sides? At the bottom? Did I use capital letters? Why? Did I use periods? How about question marks? Did I do my best on spelling? Could another person read this?
Your students should ask…
(more mature writers) Have I used fragments or run-ons only for a
conscious effect? Do I have agreement (subject-verb, pronoun-
antecedent, etc.) Does my punctuation accurately guide the
reader? Have I used the correct spellings for
homophones?– Their/there/they’re
Is the format appropriate? (Does it meet the expectations of the audience?)
Have I cited sources appropriately?
Exploring the Traits Through Student Writing Read the proficient level descriptions for the trait
– Underline/highlight the words that best define the characteristics of proficient
– Mark (?) descriptors requiring clarification
Conventions Teach & model (I do it. We do it. You do it.)
– Editing marks– Editing with text that’s not their own– Editing their own before publishing with scaffolding– Process for spelling a word (i.e., spell it the way it
sounds, look it up, ask someone else)
Demystify Students: display, explain, and provide alternatives for your pet peeves
Focused Peer Editing– “Circle all of the second-person words (i.e. you,
your). Help your partner find two alternatives for each.”
Lesson Ideas
What do you know about the traits?
A. Ideas / Content
B. Organization
C. Voice
D. Word Choice
E. Sentence Fluency
F. Conventions
Modeling and Examples
Write with your students!– Live writing– Think-aloud– Allow students to contribute to revision decisions – Exaggerated writing
Use appropriate literature– Passages from known literature– Make the text visual
Use student writing– Stress strengths, specific skills/craft techniques
Strategies for Better Instruction TEACH the language to speak and think like writers. MODEL specific craft techniques.
– Name it. Describe it. Explain why it’s good.
READ, SCORE, and JUSTIFY scores on anonymous sample papers.
Provide focused PRACTICE for REVISION. WRITE. (Yes, you.) READ and DISCUSS strengths and weaknesses in all kinds of
writing. DEMYSTIFY writing in your class. Provide thoughtful, effective PROMPTS
Recognizing Craft Techniques:
One Way to Respond Be a collector of the recognizable, replicable, small things
that effective writers do.
Example or Description
Specific Craft Why is it good?
I was sad. inside sentences reader can understand how the author feels
boats, trains, airplanes, and cars
using commas in a series
reader understands that items are separate
Band-Aid box brand name gives an extremely details image in only a few words; can also evoke familiarity or nostalgia
Hale, Crafting Writers K-6, 2008
R.A.F.T.S: a way to prompt Role of the writer
– helps writer decide on point of view and voice.
Audience – reminds writer he/she must communicate ideas to someone else: helps
determine content and style
Format of the material – helps writer organize ideas and employ format conventions for letters,
interviews, story problems, and other kinds of writing
Topic or subject – helps writer zero in on main idea and narrow the focus
Strong verb – directs writer to the writing purpose, e.g. create, defend, analyze, persuade,
evaluate, etc.
Building R.A.F.T.S. Use writing to help students explore a concept from
different perspectives and through different formats.– Role– Audience– Format– Topic– Strong Verb
More Examples:– You are a vegetable plant in a garden. Write a letter to the sky
to explain why you need rain and sunshine.– You are a semicolon. Write a journal entry to a student writer
beginning with “I wish you understood where I really belong.”– You are a kidney in the human body. Write a letter to your host
to explain what you need to stay healthy and why the host will be better off if you ARE and STAY in tip-top condition.
A Few Resources Northwest Regional Laboratory (NWREL). (2007). 6+1 Trait
Writing. Retrieved October 2008 from http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/department.php?d=1.
Spandel, V. (2008). Creating young writers: Using the six traits to enrich writing process in primary classrooms. Boston: Pearson, Allyn and Bacon.
Spandel, V. (2005). Creating writers: Through 6-Trait Writing Assessment and Instruction. Fourth Edition. Boston: Pearson, Allyn and Bacon.
Two Stars & a Wish
Please record two of the most important and/or relevant ideas you heard.
Please record something you wish about this session.