presentation writing trait

6 Traits of Writing

Characteristics, Definitions, and Activities for Each Component

Janelle Cox

• Classroom Organization
• Reading Strategies
• Becoming A Teacher
• Assessments & Tests
• Secondary Education
• Special Education
• Homeschooling
• M.S., Education, Buffalo State College
• B.S., Education, Buffalo State College

The six traits of writing model provides a recipe for successful prose writing. This approach defines the ingredients of effective writing for students to practice and teachers to assess, equipping both parties with tools for strategically analyzing written work.

Students can become self-sufficient and methodical writers when they learn to develop the following characteristics in their writing. To take advantage of this revolutionary model, learn what the six traits are and how to teach them.

What are the Six Traits of Writing?

The six key characteristics that define high-quality writing are:

Organization

Word choice, sentence fluency, conventions.

Please note that while this method is often called the 6 + 1 Trait Model, the plus one "presentation" trait is largely optional as it is a characteristic of the overall product and not the writing itself. This trait will not be described further here.

This writing component captures the main idea of a piece through detail. Only details that are relevant and informative of the main topic should be included. Strong writers have an awareness of how to use just the right amount of detail, using ideas that make the overall message more clear and leaving anything out that takes away from it.

How to Teach:

• Do an exercise with students where you tell a story using no detail while they close their eyes. Could they picture it? Ask them how to improve your story and introduce the concept that ideas need to be supported to be effective.
• Ask students to describe what is happening in a photograph. Have them do this in partnerships where only one partner can see the picture at a time and the other must convey the message of the photo in front of them.
• Have students compose a paragraph packed with as much supporting detail as possible. Tell them to choose a specific (true) event that happened to them and use their senses to describe it.

This trait describes how all ideas in a piece of writing must fit together within a larger message. The organizational structure of a written work needs to follow a clear pattern such as chronological order for narratives or logical order for informational writing. The writer needs to make strong connections from one point to another so that a reader can easily follow along. A sense of sequence is necessary for organizing.

How to Teach

• Take a piece of writing and cut it into chunks, having students piece the writing back together as best as they can.
• Jumble a list of directions and have students arrange the steps in order.
• Read two short informational books whose organization structures vary. Ask your students what is different about the organization of the books.

This trait describes the unique style of each writer. Through voice, a writer's personality permeates a piece but does not detract from the genre or message. Strong writers are not afraid to express their individuality and show readers their point of view. Good writing sounds like its writers.

• Discuss the personality traits of a few children's book authors, then read a variety of literature and have students try to identify the author by voice.
• Compare and contrast the voice in select fiction and nonfiction books.
• Have students write a letter to a grandparent about their favorite school subject. When they are finished, discuss how they cultivated their voice in the letter and whether they feel that their thoughts and emotions came through.

Word choice describes the effectiveness of each word in a piece of writing. Strong words enlighten readers and clarify ideas but too many large or misplaced words can muddle the message. Great writing is never verbose. Writers should be economical with their words and choose only the best ones because every word is important. Linguistic awareness and a robust vocabulary are necessary for effective writing.

• Keep a word wall, adding to and discussing it frequently.
• Show students a paragraph with words missing. Offer options for words to put in the blanks and explain why some of them are better than others.
• Introduce students to thesauruses. Teach that a well-rounded vocabulary is useful but caution against overdoing it by having them first replace as many words as they can in a paragraph and then only words that make sense to replace.

This trait describes the smoothness that sentences contribute to a piece. Fluent writing is rhythmic and forward-moving because its sentences are easy to read. Even more important to sentence fluency that correctness and grammar are meaning and variety. The best writers make sure that each of their sentences says precisely what it is supposed to say and vary their sentence structures so that they don't all resemble each other.

• Write a story where every single sentence begins and ends in the exact same way. Talk with your class about why this is problematic and have them help add variety to the sentence structures.
• Rearrange the sentences in a popular piece of writing. Have the students fix it and talk about why it matters that sentences flow easily into each other.
• Have students take a sentence in a piece of informational writing and flip the words around. Does it make more or less sense? Is their way better or worse?

This trait focuses on the correctness of a piece in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and other rules. Writing can only be great if it is technically correct. Great writers are proficient punctuators, capable spellers, and grammar savants. Conventions require time and patience to master but are easy to practice.

• Give your students a word to correctly work into a sentence. Begin with simple sentence parts such as subjects and verbs and progressively get more difficult with adverbs, adjectives, and more.
• Teach students to peer review each other's work for correctness. They do not need to correct every tiny detail. Rather, focus on one skill at a time (punctuation, capitalization, etc.).
• Use curriculum materials such as handouts and mini-lessons to teach conventions.
• Nast, Phil . “6 + 1 Trait Writing.”  National Education Association .
• “What Are the Traits?”   Education Northwest , Dec. 2012.
• 7 Buzzwords You're Most Likely to Hear in Education
• The Writer's Voice in Literature and Rhetoric
• 10 Learning Strategies to Use in Your Classroom
• 6 Steps to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay
• 11 Quick Tips to Improve Your Writing
• Sentence Variety Composition
• How Dyslexia Impacts Writing Skills
• How to Teach Topic Sentences Using Models
• How to Teach English Using Newspapers
• Cartoon Strip Social Interactions
• Stylistics and Elements of Style in Literature
• revision (composition)
• What Is Tone In Writing?
• Activities to Practice Decoding Skills for Reading
• Tips for Teaching Vocabulary to Students with Dyslexia
• Conceptual Meaning: Definition and Examples

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

Partner Center

How a Shared Vocabulary Provides a Foundation for Primary Student Writers

It’s just flat-out confusing to students at any age when we use new terminology to describe something they have already learned. Imagine if we taught our primary students how to “add” and “subtract” one year, and then taught them how to “plus” and “minus” the following year. Wouldn’t most students think they were learning something completely new? Using new terminology from year to year doesn’t help students move toward deep understanding.

Using consistent terminology also gives teachers something we desperately crave: time. We save a great deal of time when we don’t have to reteach the same concepts over and over. Instead of starting at square one every year, we can review and quickly move to new work that is challenging and interesting to students.

In my book,  6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Primary Grades , I outline a common vocabulary that captures the key characteristics of writing—specific traits that can be used as a foundation for writing instruction. Those traits include:

• Ideas : the meaning and development of the message
• Organization : the internal structure of the piece
• 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
• Presentation : the overall appearance of the work

We also must remember that the writing process is just that, a process. Its beginning, middle, and end flow like a river, always going somewhere but often taking its own sweet time to get there. As a result, we need to show primary students what it’s like to be a writer and how to think aloud on paper. We also need to open the door to possibilities in writing, giving students topic choices, teaching them skills, showing them how to work through problems, and allowing them time to arrive at solutions. We need to show them the steps that successful writers follow so they can follow those steps in their own work.

The writing process can be broken down into teachable and manageable steps, which, as I mentioned earlier, need not be followed in lockstep fashion, especially by primary writers.

• Prewriting : The writer comes up with ideas for the work.
• Drafting : The writer gets the ideas down in rough form.
• Sharing : The writer gets feedback on the draft from a reader or listener.
• Revising : The writer makes reflective choices based on the first five traits.
• Editing : The writer “cleans up” the piece, checking for correct capitalization, punctuation, spelling, paragraphing, grammar, and usage.
• Publishing : The writer goes public!

Every time our primary writers put pencil to paper, we want them to realize that they have choices—that the writing process is a series of flexible steps for them to use to help them write well.

To learn more about  6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Primary Grades , you can purchase the book  here .

About the author:

Ruth Culham, Ed.D.,  has published more than 40 best-selling professional books and resources with Scholastic and the International Literacy Association on the traits of writing and teaching writing using reading as a springboard to success. Her steadfast belief that every student is a writer is the hallmark of her work. As the author of  Traits Writing: The Complete Writing Program for Grades K–8  (2012), she has launched a writing revolution.  Traits Writing  is the culmination of 40 years of educational experience, research, practice, and passion.

6 Ways to Set the Stage for Teaching Conventions to Primary Writers

As teachers, we must set the stage for teaching conventions by first remembering 2 rules of thumb:

• Teach skills one at a time and in the context of their own work.
• Let them do the editing, no matter how simple.

Sadly, teachers work many hours editing student papers, only to find that students do less and less editing on their own over time, not more. Moreover, if we edit for them, they don’t internalize skills or apply them consistently every time they write. The only way to help students gain skill in conventions is to show them how to edit, one skill at a time, and hold them accountable for using that knowledge when they make final copies.

Additionally, a child may actually be able to put capitals on the first word of ten sentences on the worksheet, but the more important question is, Can this same child actually write a sentence? And if she can, does she put a capital at the beginning? Does she know how to use space between words in the phrase or sentence? This is where our time should go when teaching conventions—not in the isolated skill-and-drill exercises but making sure students can create text that shows what they know about editing.

In my book,  6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Primary Grades , I offer a few more ideas to help set the stage for teaching conventions to primary writers. These 6 strategies will help you create your own conventions-ready classroom:

1.     Post easy-to-read conventions rules with examples so that students can refer to them as they write.

2.     Create a poster of editing symbols for use by students as they edit.

3.     Create an editing center with highlighter markers, paper, pens, pencils, tape, scissors, and copies of the student-friendly guide to assessing conventions.

4.     Use word-processing software that allows students to highlight problems in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as they draft.

5.     Make personal word lists and dictionaries to assist students with spelling.

6.     Keep simple style guides handy for reference.

Teaching conventions is important. When students are not using conventions to help readers understand the writing, they fall at the bottom of the Primary Scoring Guide for conventions. When they can spell simple words correctly, use basic punctuation marks such as periods, and differentiate between upper- and lowercase letters, they fall in the middle range. When their spelling is accurate even on a few challenging words and their basic capitalization and punctuation usage are correct, they are at the top of their game. You may even see paragraph-indenting and standard grammar in the writing.

Find more tips and ideas for teaching writing to primary students with  6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Primary Grades . You can purchase the book  here .

• Career & Technical Education
• Early Learning
• English Learners
• Equitable Learning Environments
• Equity & Diversity
• Native Education
• Postsecondary Success
• School System Improvement
• Youth, Family & Community
• Applied Research
• Continuous Improvement
• Equitable Evaluation
• Implementation & Coaching
• Professional Development
• Research Partnerships
• State & Federal Technical Assistance
• Training & Curriculum Development
• Virtual Learning Development
• Senior Fellows
• Board of Directors
• Nelson Scholarship

6+1 Trait Writing Resources

As schools and districts increasingly take a cross-curricular approach to improving student writing skills, it’s more important than ever that students get clear, consistent feedback from all their teachers. Support students and teachers alike by training your entire staff to use the 6+1 Trait® model thoughtfully and systematically. Our recorded presentations are a high-quality but inexpensive tool to scale training across your entire team.

Even if you or your teachers have attended a 6+1 Trait Writing training before, you will benefit from these highly practical virtual tools. In response to teacher requests, we regularly add updated presentations to make sure this bank of resources is timely and relevant.

How to Use Text Sets to Build Students’ Writing Skills

Many teachers already use text sets (groups of texts on the same topic) as alternatives to textbooks and one-size-fits-all curriculum. In this 30-minute presentation, an expert trainer examines how teachers can also use text sets to enhance students’ writing skills through activities like exploring a writing style or scaffolding student practice using textual evidence. By the end of the session, you or your teachers will be able to:

• identify where to find text sets (or get guidance on creating your own)
• examine how text sets can support writing instruction

Download Resources List

How to organize online writing contests.

This 75-minute presentation outlines how to organize an online classroom or school-wide writing contest based on 6+1 Trait Writing. An expert coach discusses how to develop a strong prompt, select scoring criteria connected to your curriculum, and provide students with student-friendly rubrics and the skills to score their peers’ writing accurately. We will also provide a short virtual consultation to help you plan your contest.

Download Guide

Our new service line implementing the science of reading.

Through our literacy leadership trainings, educators build the capacity to implement powerful literacy programs. Our trainings draw on decades of research to deliver job-embedded, ongoing, relevant, and content-driven professional development. We incorporate participants’ personal experiences and explore how educators can adapt each strategy to their unique contexts.

Share This Post

Building a clear path toward equitable education for all, together, never miss the latest resources and insights.

• Areas of Work
• Case Briefs

Education Northwest 1417 NW Everett St, Suite 310 Portland, OR 97209 Phone: 503.275.9500

Satellite Office 322 E Front St., Suite 200 Boise, ID 83702

Copyright Education Northwest © 2023 | Terms of Use

• Workshop Calendar
• The 5 Critical Classroom Strategies
• Supporting EAL/D Students
• Supporting Students in Reading
• Prep to Year 6 Reading 'The Big Six'
• Year 3-6 Reading 'The Big Six'
• The Science of Reading
• Introduction to the 6 Traits of Writing
• All Workshops

In-school Services

Consultancy services, demonstration lessons.

We demonstrate lessons with students while your teachers and support staff observe. Modelled teaching supports educators to action the teaching approaches discussed at workshops.

Build a common understanding of approaches to teaching literacy across the primary school. Assist educators to extend their knowledge and expertise to produce the best possible outcomes for students.

Face-to-face delivery customized for your school

Practical Strategies for Teaching Comprehension

Angela Ehmer will deliver 'Practical Strategies for Teaching Comprehension' to Teachers' Aides on 22 March 2023

• Webinar Calendar
• Intervention Strategies (R & W)
• Prep to Years 6 Reading: 'The Big Six'
• The Six Traits of Writing
• Introduction: 6 Traits of Writing
• The Art of Teaching Writing

Video Presentations

• Guided Reading
• Guided Writing
• Prep to Year 3 Reading: 'The Big Six'
• Primary Writing Workshop
• Teachers' Aides Reading
• Teachers' Aides Writing
• The Writing Process
• Top Level Structures

Short Courses

• Literature Circles
• Reading Stamina
• Shared Reading

Angela Ehmer, presenting the Top Level Structures component of the Primary Writing Workshop.

• Mind Maps, Organisers & Planners for Writing
• Multiple Intelligences Response Cards
• Planners and Organisers for Writing
• Supporting Readers and Writers
• The Bookmark Book
• The Daily Chat
• The Daily Write
• The Daily Write (Early Years)
• The Task Card Book
• The Comprehension Toolkit (5-8)
• Mind Maps & Organisers Reading
• Comprehension Charts
• Top Level Structures: Graphic Organisers
• Top Level Structures: Signal Words
• Writing TEEL or PEEL Paragraphs
• Writing: Text Types
• Writing: Reviewing and Editing

Prompt Cards

• Active Reader Cards
• Comprehension Card Set
• Literature Circle Role Cards
• Reciprocal Teaching
• Vocabulary Activities
• Vocabulary Cards

Six Traits of Writing

• Blank anchor charts - Ages 5-11
• Blank anchor charts - Ages 9-16
• Detailed Wall Charts - Ages 5-11
• Detailed Wall Charts - Ages 9-16
• Six Traits Overview
• Picture Charts - Ages 5-11
• Picture Charts - Ages 9-16
• Rubric Scorer (App)
• Simple Chart Set - Ages 5-11
• Simple Chart Set - Ages 9-16
• Single Chart - Ages 5-11
• Single Chart - Ages 9-16
• Sorting Task Headings
• Sorting Task Prompts
• Sensory Details Chart

Other Resources

• Bookmarks (high frequency words)
• Book Reviews
• Literacy Glossary
• Popular Rhymes
• Read Aloud Books (Recommended)
• Reading Strategy Bookmarks
• Reading Strategy Bookmarks for Younger Readers
• Short videos to support parents
• Tic Tac Toe: Games
• Transition words

Lesson Guides

• 'Have Your Say' Writing Prompts
• Compare / Contrast

The Comprehension Toolkit (Ages 5-8)

The Comprehension Toolkit (Ages 5-8) is a 240 page publication including more than 80 reading lessons to help busy teachers deliver high quality comprehension lessons.

Literacy survey closes today!

In-Person Services

• Consultancy Services Overview
• Demonstration lessons We demonstrate lessons with students while your teachers and support staff observe. Modelled teaching supports educators to action the teaching approaches discussed at workshops.
• Coaching Build a common understanding of approaches to teaching literacy across the primary school. Assist educators to extend their knowledge and expertise to produce the best possible outcomes for students.
• Workshops Face-to-face delivery customized for your school

Online Learning

Home > Blog >

Monday, 31 August 2020 at 9:29 am

The Six Traits of Writing is an approach for planning, teaching, and assessing students’ writing. The approach has gathered momentum over past decades due to the explicit teaching of writing skills and behaviours for students of all ages, teaching at all stages of the writing process, active involvement of students in assessment and monitoring and clear and consistent metalanguage. The Traits is not a program and as such aligns with any existing program or curriculum content.

Based on decades of research, the Six Traits are those qualities deemed characteristic of ‘good writing’. Building on research into both the writing process and assessment scales, it was the research by Beaverton School District (1984) which ultimately led to the development of the Traits. Though other small studies followed, it was the study by Arter, Spandel, Culham and Pollard (1994) which remains the most rigorous and noteworthy to date. Not only did the study measure the effectiveness of the Traits, but it included:

• randomly assigned treatment and control groups
• classes in rural and urban settings
• students from varying socio-economic backgrounds
• small and large class sizes.

What are the Traits?

The Six Traits of Writing are:

• ORGANISATION
• WORD CHOICE
• SENTENCE FLUENCY
• CONVENTIONS

Within each Trait, teaching is narrowed to specific skills as these relate to writing tasks. Central to all instruction is attention to purpose and audience.

Key features of Traits-based learning are the use of quality texts, construction of meaningful assessment tools and data-driven instruction. Foundations for teaching the Traits include:

• learning to recognise the Traits in the writing of others
• aligning teaching content to diagnostic tools (rubrics)
• matching teaching content to specific learners
• guiding students to apply specific skills
• writing frequently
• using descriptive feedback
• engaging students in goal setting and accountability

Whether adopted by individual teachers, schools and school districts, Traits-based instruction supports teachers to plan meaningful lessons, isolate and identify specific text features, develop a metalanguage to talk about writing and support students to develop self-reliance and writing-improvement strategies.

Rubrics are the most common way to assess the quality of student writing samples when using Traits-based instruction.

You can learn much more about the Traits through our online video presentation ‘ The Six Traits of Writing ‘.

To read more:

Arter, Judith, Spandel, Vicki, Culham, Ruth, and Pollard, Jim. (1994) . The Impact of Training Students to be Self-Assessors of Writing. New Orleans. Paper presented at AERA. Bangert-Drowns, R.L., Hurley, M.M., and Wilkinson, B. (2004) . The effects of school-based writing-to-learn interventions on academic achievement: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, Vol 74(1), 29–58. Collopy, R.M.B. & Marshall-Arnold, J. (2017) . Adoption of the Six Traits Analytic Writing Model with a Low-Income Student Population: A Comparative Study of Improvement in Student Writing. International Journal of Educational Reform. Vol 26, (4). Coe, M.T. (2000) . Direct writing assessment in action: correspondence of six-trait writing assessment scores and performance on an analog to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning writing test. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Culham, R. (2003) . 6+1 traits of writing: The complete guide, grades 3 and up. New York: Scholastic Professional Books. Grundy, T. , The Writing Program in the Beaverton School District. (1986). Oregon School Study Council Bulletin, Vol 30 (2). Graves, D.H. (1975) . An examination of the writing processes of seven-year-old children. Research in the Teaching of English, Vol 9, 227-241. Jarmer, D., Kozol, M., Nelson, S., & Salsberry, T. (2000) . Six-Trait Writing Improves Scores at Jennie Wilson Elementary. Journal of School Improvement, Vol 1, (2). Spandel, V. (2008) . Creating Young Writers: Using the Six Traits to Enrich Writing Process in Primary Classrooms. Boston: Pearson. Tompkins, G.E. (1993) . Teaching Writing: Balancing process and product. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Macmillan. Coe, M.C., Hanita, M., Nishioka, V., Smiley, R. (2011) . An Investigation of the Impact of the 6+1 Trait Writing Model on Grade 5 Student Writing Achievement. U.S. Department of Education.

by Angela Ehmer

Tags: Six Traits of Writing

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2020 at 9:29 am and is filed under Writing . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.

Search our blog archives

Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS) .

Mrs Fintelman Teaches

6+1 traits of writing mentor texts: voice.

This post is part of a series of posts on mentor texts I recommend for showing students how authors use the 6+1 Traits of Writing.

What is the voice trait?

The writing trait of voice is “the tone and tenor of the piece – the personal stamp of the writer, which is achieved through a strong understanding of purpose and audience”. Ruth Culham (Traits of Writing Scoring Guide for Grades 3-8, 2010)

In her book 6+1 Traits of Writing Grades 3 and Up, I think Ruth Culham lets her own writing voice shine when she describes this trait. She says “it is the heart and soul of the writing, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the life and breath. It is flashes of spirit.”

The key features of a writer using the voice trait are:

• Establishing a Tone: The writer cares about the topic, and it shows. The writing is expressive and compelling. The reader feels the writer’s conviction, authority, and integrity.
• Conveying the Purpose: The writer makes clear his or her reason for creating the piece. He or she offers a point of view that is appropriate for the mode (narrative, expository, or persuasive), which compels the reader to read on.
• Creating a Connection to the Audience : The writer speaks in a way that makes the reader want to listen. He or she has considered what the reader needs to know and the best way to convey it by sharing his or her fascination, feelings, and opinions about the topic.
• Taking Risks to Create Voice: The writer expresses ideas in new ways, which makes the piece interesting and original. The writing sounds like the writer because of his or her use of distinctive, just-right words and phrases.

Mentor Texts for the Voice Trait

The voice trait can feel a little vague compared to other, more concrete traits such as word choice and conventions, but the best way to create clarity in the voice trait is to provide your students with wonderful mentor texts that have an obvious, clear voice. Below are some of the texts where I think the voice of the author jumps off the page in a way that your students can identify and learn from.

The Waterhole – Graeme Base

Establishing a tone – 10 different animals get a chance to establish a tone in this text. From the committee-forming, business-like ladybirds, to the wise and cautious snow leopards, Graeme Base conveys personality and life to each animal in only a few words. As readers we are compelled to read on to see how the next animal is portrayed as they react to the decreasing water supply.

Conveying the purpose/Creating a connection to the audience – This is a book with a strong message – it gets students thinking about water as a global resource, climate change and global warming, and the impact of diminishing resources on animals. But I think the beauty of it is that the book doesn’t preach these messages; It simply presents them in a form that the audience can easily connect to… interesting and unique animals across the world. 

Taking risks to create voice – There’s no doubt Graeme Base has tried something new and different here. The text unfolds with a lot of layers – the narrative text that ties it all together, animal sounds and their English ‘translations’, as well as multiple features in the images that provide more meaning. Even the cut-out waterhole that gets smaller and smaller as each page turns could be a great way for students to explore unique, meaningful presentation techniques.

Edward the Emu – Sheena Knowles and Rod Clement

While written in third person, Edward the Emu, our main character, has a personality that leaps off the page. As readers we can easily infer his personality and thoughts from the careful descriptions… It is easy for the reader to immediately root for Edward from the very first page.  

Establishing a tone – The protagonist in this book is energetic and passionate. Is it impossible for the reader not to get swept up in the excitement and enthusiasm of Edward the Emu.

Conveying the purpose – There is a very clear message coming through in this text (sometimes, we all feel like we want to be someone else, but there’s value in being yourself!). The mode chosen (a gorgeous, vibrant narrative) communicates this message very clearly and memorably as we see Edward wholeheartedly trying to be a seal, a lion and a snake in turn but learning that for some an emu is “the best thing I’ve seen since I came to the zoo!”. 

Creating a connection to the audience – Because the message of the text is such a universal experience, it is easy to connect with.

Bonus: this text has a notes from both the author and illustrator at the end, in which they convey – in detail – how much they love the character Edward, and why. It would be a great discussion point to ask children how they think the author and illustrator wanted their main character to come across, and then compare what they actually said about it.

Cicada – Shaun Tan

Establishing a tone – The direct, matter-of-fact style of storytelling of this text is unique and compelling. Our titular character ‘Cicada’ is an office worker who is underappreciated and treated poorly but the Cicada never complains, it just explains. From the first page (‘ Seventeen year, No promotion. Human resources say cicada not human. Need no resources. Tok! Tok! Tok!’) it is clear that the author knows a story that needs to be told and wants to tell it in a way true to the character.

Taking risks to create voice – This text is immediately unusual for its genre and is a great mentor text to show students how authors take risks and try new things. Cicada is a narrative but there is no touchy-feely about it. Instead the writing is completely factual and expresses little to no emotion – yet we feel absolutely connected to our main character. The author has steered clear of many of the usual ways of telling a story (the five senses, beautiful similes, adjective-laden descriptions and dialogue to name a few) and instead given us only a few clipped matter-of-fact sentences or sentence fragments and a Tok! Tok! Tok! at the end of every page (a phrase which somehow seems to elicit a whole raft of new emotions for the reader on each page).

Note: I would suggest only reading this book with students Grades 4 and up as it can get quite distressing. Read it yourself first to judge whether it is a good fit for your students.

Diary of a Wombat – Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

Establishing a tone – Fun! Cheeky! Playful! Carefree! Diary of a Wombat oozes tone. The story is told as a series of diary entries of a wombat as she sleeps, eats, plays and terrorises a family through a week. From the carefree, relaxed tone at the beginning (‘ Monday Morning: Slept. Afternoon: Slept. Evening: Ate grass. Scratched. Night: Ate grass. Slept.’) to the indignant rant later in the book (‘Why would I want carrots when I feel like rolled oats? Demanded rolled oats instead.’) author Jackie French shows she knows wombats – inside and out. (A quick Google search of her name will tell you and your students loads about years of Jackie’s encounters with wombats).

Taking risks to create voice – The author has definitely told this story in a new way – rather than a narrative about a wombat who bothers a family, she has used the diary format to tell it from the perspective of the wombat and in a way that lets that wombat’s voice come to life. This is a great text for demonstrating how we can think about unique ways we can tell a story.

Horrible Histories Series – Terry Deary and Martin Brown

Establishing a tone – The Horrible Histories books are thick with humour and truth.It is clear that the author Terry Deary cares about his topic, knows a lot about it, and wants others to love it. There is a blunt honesty to this series, balanced with A LOT of jokes that make the (aptly-named horrible) content palatable and the tone fun and mischievous: ‘How did those prehistoric people survive and get to the top of the animal kingdom? By being more horrible than anything the world had ever seen.’

Conveying the purpose – Terry Deary makes clear in a lot of these books that reader should know about history, and that there are many perspectives on historical events and he incites the reader to read on, find out and see for themselves what to believe. The mix of narrative, factual and comic styles are engaging. These books are a great discussion starter on how an author knows what they want to share, and has to think about the best way to do it for their audience.

Creating a connection to the audience – By the writer speaking directly to the reader in Horrible Histories, the reader feels as though they are the direct recipient of Terry Deary’s passion for his topics. There are lots of additional features that create interaction with the reader, especially questions and quizzes.

Taking risks to create voice – Kids will notice how different these books are compared to most historical texts they encounter. As well as the joking style and tone of the books, the author is also distinctive in his choices of very informal, conversational words and phrases ( ‘Beware! The nasty Neanderthals became extinct around 30,000 BC. Not very surprising if they went around eating one another. ’)

What are some of your go-to mentor texts for teaching the writing trait of Voice?

Share this:.

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

2 thoughts on “ 6+1 Traits of Writing Mentor Texts: Voice ”

‘Em, I love your work. I am a massive fan of the 6+1 traits for writing and you convey your passion with fantastic mentor texts. Your enthusiasm and clarity has helped me get back to the way I love teaching. Thanks Ken

Hi Ken, Wow – this is such a lovely comment. I’m so glad my little contribution has been useful! I’ll have to get going to and write a post on the other traits! Emily

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

6 + 1 Writing Traits

Jul 27, 2014

220 likes | 480 Views

6 + 1 Writing Traits. Lindsey Shreck Towson University Spring 2012. Objectives. Participants will… Use words and pictures to define the 6 + 1 traits of writing Identify strategies to use in the classroom to support the 6 + 1 traits of writing

Share Presentation

• small group members
• early childhood educational
• group members
• northwest regional educational laboratory
• age tutoring
• word choice

Presentation Transcript

6 + 1 Writing Traits Lindsey Shreck Towson University Spring 2012

Objectives Participants will… • Use words and pictures to define the 6 + 1 traits of writing • Identify strategies to use in the classroom to support the 6 + 1 traits of writing • Use the 6 + 1 traits rubric to assess sample writing pieces Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Pre-Assessment Turn and Talk: • What process do your students complete to create a writing piece? • How do you conference with your students during writing? • Do your students use checklists during writing? If so, describe its purpose? • How do you assess your students’ writing? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Background Research • Choice, time, and feedback are important elements in teaching children to write effectively (Higgins, Miller, & Wegmann, 2006). • To address the need for effective feedback, an analytic scoring system was developed by a group of teachers in the early 1980s. The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004) identified six key qualities that define strong writing. These qualities are ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

WRITING TRAITS • Voice • Is my writing different from everyone else’s? • Have I added some sparkle? • Does the writing sound like you? • Ideas • Did you choose an interesting topic? • Did you support your ideas with juicy details? • Are your ideas clear? • Organization • Does it have a clear beginning? • Does it have a middle where details are in clear order? • Does it have an ending? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

WRITING TRAITS • Sentence Fluency • Does the writing flow? • Does each sentence have a subject and verb? • Does each sentence begin with a different word? • Word Choice • Is my writing different from everyone else’s? • Have I added some sparkle? • Does the writing sound like you? • Conventions • Is the spacing correct between the letters and words? • Is the spelling readable? • Are capitals at the beginning of sentences and punctuation at the end? • Presentation • Is it neat and legible? • Is their balance between text, pictures, and white space? • Are there margins around the edges of the paper? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

6 + 1 Traits in Action Watch and Ponder: • What language did the teacher use • What resources did the teacher use? • What were the children doing? • Video clip of sentence fluency mini-lesson ( I will be attaching a video clip of myself modeling a lesson) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6BEyUmtUZ4 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yldtbXSAd5Y Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Research Support • “Beginning writers benefit from trait-driven instruction because the traits are specific, are easily taught and reinforced, and make sense.” (Culham, 2005, p. 15). • Through mini-lessons, students are taught how to assess their writing by the definitions of the six traits (Higgins, Miller, & Wegmann, 2006). Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Why Teach 6 + 1 Traits? • It is imperative for students to have specific and constructive feedback in the writing classroom so that they are knowledgeable about what their strengths are and what areas need improvement (Culham, 2005). • Creates consistency • Common language • Students think critically and self-assess their writing Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

How are you feeling? • Look around the room. There are colored posters hanging up. • Stand next to the colored poster that best describes how you are feeling about 6 + 1 traits of writing at this moment. • Turn and talk with the people at your poster and explain your color choice. • Say “Hello” to your group members for the small group activity. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Small GroupIdeas Trait • Draw a picture or a symbol to define the ideas trait. • Open up the envelope in your group’s basket. • Read the directions and complete the activity. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

EnvelopeActivitiesIdeas Trait I’m Making Dinner… Begin by asking, “I’m sure making dinner and what do I need?” Then come up with a word that begins with the letter A, such as apple. Write the word on the board and select a student to do the next letter. Continue onto the next student until everyone has had a turn. Ask students to pick their favorite two or three and write them in their notebooks. Tell them to record at least three details they know about each word. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

EnvelopeActivitiesIdeas Drawing the Idea Select a common activity, such as grocery shopping. Ask students to draw a picture of what the activity looks like. Help them set the scene by asking, for example, “What is the name of this grocery store? Who are you with? Who else is around? Are you happy to be there? Are you taking your time or rushing?” Collect all the pictures and show them to the class one at a time, pointing out that even though everyone wrote about the same idea, each person did it differently. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

EnvelopeActivitiesIdeas Trait Picture This Find a picture from a magazine showing a person expressing a strong emotion: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, worry, and so on. Put the picture up for all students to see and ask them to tell you the person’s story: Who is the person and why is he or she feeling the emotion? Jot down your responses on the overhead and have students use them as starting points for stories about the person. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

AssessingIdeas Rubric Directions: • Read the sample writing piece • Use the Ideas Rubric to score the writing piece • Discuss the score with your small group members Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Sample Writing PieceIdeas Trait Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Ideas Rubric Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Future Professional Development • Book Club • Classroom Demonstration Lessons • Small Group Meetings • Observations and Feedback • Coaching Sessions Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Available Resource • 6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide For The Primary Grades (Culham, 2005) • This book will be used in the Book Club • All participants will receive a copy • Each trait is defined, along with sample activities, lists of children’s books, scoring rubrics, and more! Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Evaluation • Please take a few minutes to complete the workshop evaluation • Please be honest with your feedback as it will be used to help plan future professional development sessions/activities! Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

Minute Reflection • What challenges do you face in implementing this concept/strategy in your classroom? • What support or assistance do you need to implement this concept/strategy in you classroom? Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

References • Culham, R. (2005). 6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide For The Primary Grades. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. • Culham, R.(2006). The Trait Lady Speaks Up. Educational Leadership, 64(2), 53-57. • Gibson, S. A. (2008). An Effective Framework for Primary Grade Guided Writing Instruction. The Reading Teacher, 62(4), 324-334. • Higgins, B., Miller, M., Wegmann, S. Teaching to the test…not! Balancing best practice and testing requirements in writing. The Reading Teacher, 60(4), 310-319. • Jacobson, J. R. (2005). Six Traits Writing Using Literature as a Model. Book Links, 14(5), 44-47. • James, L. A., Abbott, M., Greenwood, C. H. (2001). How Adam Became a Writer: Winning Writing Strategies for Low- Achieving Students. Teaching ExceptionalChildren, 33(3), 30-37. • Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004). Experimental Study on the Impact ofthe 6 + 1 Trait Writing Model on Student Achievement in Writing. Portland, Oregon: Kozlow, M., Bellamy, P. • Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2011). An Investigation of the Impact of the 6 +1 Trait. Portland, Oregon: Coe, M., Hanita, M., Nishioka, V., Smiley, R. • Paquette, K. (2007). Encouraging Primary Students’ Writing through Children’s Literature. Early Childhood Educational Journal, 35(2), 155-165. • Paquette, K. (2009). Integrating the 6 + 1 Writing Traits Model with Cross-Age Tutoring: An Investigation of Elementary Students’ Writing Development. Literacy Research and Instruction, 48(1), 28-38. Lindsey Shreck Spring 2012

• More by User

Lab 6-6 Storms Vocabulary Prevailing westerlies- typical west wind at this latitude. Trade winds- prevailing wind from east below florida’s lat. Jet stream- high altitude, high speed “river of air.” DVD Weather- Wind CHP 4 22:00 Storm track- path of a storm.

1.07k views • 62 slides

Lab 6-6. Storms. Vocabulary. Prevailing westerlies- typical west wind at this latitude. Trade winds- prevailing wind from east below florida’s lat. Jet stream- high altitude, high speed “river of air.” DVD Weather- Wind CHP 4 22:00 Storm track- path of a storm.

1.08k views • 62 slides

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) . Biogeochemistry of Wetlands Science and Applications. ADVANCES IN BIOGEOCHEMISTRY. Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory Soil and Water Science Department University of Florida. Instructor : Patrick Inglett [email protected] .

828 views • 30 slides

Meaningful Use of Health IT: Laboratory Data Capturing and Reporting. Nikolay Lipskiy, MD, DrPH, MBA CDC, PHITPO. 6/6/2014. Speakers. E-mail: [email protected]. 6/6/2014. Background. Process

255 views • 14 slides

6-6. Classifying Data. Objective Classify data as either categorical or quantitative Understand the difference between discrete and continuous. Lesson Quiz: 6-5 Answers .

371 views • 15 slides

UW MEDICINE . Sending Summary of Care Records at Transitions of Care Regional Coordination & Directory Development. 6/6/14. UW Medicine Meaningful Use. Hospitals Northwest Hospital – Siemens HMC & UWMC – Cerner Valley - Epic Clinics Northwest Hospital – Siemens

260 views • 12 slides

Illustration 6/2-6/6 Livoti

Illustration 6/2-6/6 Livoti . Tues 5/27. Aim: How can you continue to work on your album cover illustration?. Do Now : review HW assignment and reflect on two kinds of illustration you enjoyed the most. HW : Fina l Illustration HW Assignment

286 views • 5 slides

PROMOTE TO RC IN YOUR FIRST 28 DAYS WITH 6-2-6!. 6-2-6. YOU.

174 views • 1 slides

Eph. 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;. Col. 4:12 …that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. A man, a plan, a canal, Panama. Psalm 37:23

306 views • 11 slides

Pili. Nucleoid. Ribosomes. LE 6-6. Plasma membrane. Cell wall. Bacterial chromosome. Capsule. 0.5 µm. Flagella. A typical rod-shaped bacterium. A thin section through the bacterium Bacillus coagulans (TEM). ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (ER. Nuclear envelope. Flagellum. Rough ER.

556 views • 13 slides

Ch 6 Precipitation Titrations, Sec 6-5 and 6-6

Ch 6 Precipitation Titrations, Sec 6-5 and 6-6. Titration of a Mixture. e.g. A mixture of Cl - and I - is titrated with Ag + . Which halide precipitates out first? K sp AgCl = 1.8 x 10 -10 , K sp AgI = 8.3 x 10 -17. Measuring the Titration Curve in Precipitation Titrations. Fig 6-5.

2.07k views • 12 slides

6-6 Analytic Geometry

6-6 Analytic Geometry. y. y. y. Right Triangle. (a, b). (0, b). (0, 0). (0, 0). (0, 0). x. x. x. (b, c). (a, 0). (2a, 0). (a, 0). Coordinate Geometry uses actual points.

213 views • 7 slides

UW MEDICINE. Sending Summary of Care Records at Transitions of Care Regional Coordination & Directory Development. 6/6/14. UW Medicine Meaningful Use. Hospitals Northwest Hospital – Siemens HMC & UWMC – Cerner Valley - Epic Clinics Northwest Hospital – Siemens

287 views • 12 slides

Lesson 6-6. Trapezoids and Kites. 5-Minute Check on Lesson 6-5. L. LMNO is a rhombus. Find x Find y QRST is a square. Find n if m TQR = 8n + 8. Find w if QR = 5w + 4 and RS = 2(4w – 7). Find QU if QS = 16t – 14 and QU = 6t + 11.

615 views • 16 slides

Lesson 6-6. The Pythagorean Theorem. Ohio Content Standards:. Ohio Content Standards:. Find the square root of perfect squares, and approximate the square root of non-perfect squares. Ohio Content Standards:.

354 views • 20 slides

ErFe 6 Sn 6

201 views • 10 slides

Unit 6 – Chapter 6

Unit 6 – Chapter 6. 6.1 – Discrete and Continuous Random Variables. Do you remember?. What is a probability distribution?. Example: Flipping Out!. Below is a probability distribution for flipping a coin four times and counting how many heads we see:

249 views • 15 slides

6-6. Volume of Prisms and Cylinders. Warm Up. Problem of the Day. Lesson Presentation. Pre-Algebra. Learn to find the volume of prisms and cylinders. Vocabulary. prism cylinder.

264 views • 26 slides

6-6. Fundamental Theorem of Algebra. Objectives. Use the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra and its corollary to write a polynomial equation of least degree with given roots. Identify all of the roots of a polynomial equation. Holt Algebra 2.

154 views • 13 slides

Exploring a Case of Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinaemia Resulting from the Rare Coexistence of Inherited Disorders- A Case Report

• CASE REPORT
• Published: 28 April 2024

Cite this article

• Sumita Sharma 1 ,
• Kapil Sharma   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5150-0994 2 ,
• Onjal K. Taywade 1 ,
• Manish Kumar 3 &
• Anurag Sankhyan 1  

Haemoglobinopathies are genetic disorders causing abnormalities in the production, structure, or function of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin D-Punjab is a prevalent haemoglobin variant in Punjab and northwest India. Heterozygous individuals typically exhibit no symptoms, while homozygotes may experience mild to moderate haemolytic anaemia. While, beta thalassaemia trait decreases beta-globin synthesis, occasionally causing moderate anaemia. Gilbert’s syndrome, a common cause of unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia without haemolytic symptoms occurs due to reduced uridine glucuronyl transferase enzyme activity. Coexistence of Hb D-Punjab/β-thalassaemia and Gilbert's syndrome is rare; we report a unique case of simultaneous presentation in a patient with mild anaemia and jaundice, a rare occurrence documented only once in literature. This rare combination of conditions, characterized by overlapping symptoms and diagnostic complexities, highlights the need for an all-encompassing approach to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective management. Multidisciplinary collaboration and laboratory investigations including genetic testing for Gilbert’s syndrome played a pivotal role in providing appropriate care in our case. Effective communication between laboratory professionals and medical consultants is of paramount importance in achieving precise diagnoses and optimal patient care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Torres Lde S, Okumura JV, Silva DG, Bonini-Domingos CR. Hemoglobin D-Punjab: origin, distribution and laboratory diagnosis. Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter. 2015;37(2):120–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjhh.2015.02.007 .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Basmanj MT, Karimipoor M, Amirian A, Jafarinejad M, Katouzian L, Valaei A, et al. Co-inheritance of hemoglobin D and β-thalassemia traits in three Iranian families: clinical relevance. Arch Iran Med. 2011;14(1):61–3.

CAS   Google Scholar  

Galanello R, Origa R. Beta-thalassemia. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2010;5(1):1–15.

Article   Google Scholar  

Vítek L, Tiribelli C. Gilbert’s syndrome revisited. J Hepatol. 2023;79(4):1049–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2023.06.004 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Petrenko AA, Pivnik AV, Kim PP, Demidova EY, Surin VL, Abdullaev AO, et al. Coinheritance of HbD-Punjab/β+-thalassemia (IVSI+5 G-C) in patient with Gilbert’s syndrome. Ter Arkh. 2018;90(7):105–9.

CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Sharif N, Das B, Alam A. Prevalence of anemia among reproductive women in different social group in India: Cross-sectional study using nationally representative data. PLoS ONE. 2023;18(2):e0281015.

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Mentzer WC. Differentiation of iron deficiency from thalassaemia trait. Lancet. 1973;301(7808):882.

Mackenzie PI, Owens IS, Burchell B, Bock KW, Bairoch A, Belanger A, et al. The UDP glycosyltransferase gene superfamily: recommended nomenclature update based on evolutionary divergence. Pharmacogenetics. 1997;7(4):255–69.

Bosma PJ, Chowdhury JR, Bakker C, Gantla S, de Boer A, Oostra BA, et al. The genetic basis of the reduced expression of bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1 in Gilbert’s syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1995;333(18):1171–5. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199511023331802 .

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India

Sumita Sharma, Onjal K. Taywade & Anurag Sankhyan

Department of General Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India

Kapil Sharma

Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Manish Kumar

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kapil Sharma .

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Sharma, S., Sharma, K., Taywade, O.K. et al. Exploring a Case of Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinaemia Resulting from the Rare Coexistence of Inherited Disorders- A Case Report. Ind J Clin Biochem (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-024-01227-7

Download citation

Received : 25 February 2024

Accepted : 10 April 2024

Published : 28 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-024-01227-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Haemoglobinopathies
• Haemoglobin D-Punjab
• Beta thalassaemia
• Gilbert’s syndrome
• Unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research