6. 6 Traits + 1
Ideas
Voice Sentence Fluency
Word Choice
Organization Conventions
Research
7. Ideas
How do you use
specific details and
elaborate on your
general comments?
I am hopeless with
directions. Yesterday, I got
lost on the way to the
refrigerator and had to
text my little sister to
rescue me.
8. Word Choice
How do you choose
the correct word or
the surprising
word to convey
meaning?
Sometimes, I get so
angry at my cats I want
to defenestrate them.
9. Sentence
Fluency
How do you
organize, vary, and
construct your
sentences?
Even though I am over
40-years old, I still,
embarassingly, find
myself thinking that my
dad is going to fix things
when they break.
10. Voice
How does your
writing create the
impression of a
unique human
being?
What kind of person
chows down on 3 donuts,
4-day old bacon and the
last dregs of grapefruit
juice and calls it dinner?
11. Organization
How do you order
your writing on the
sentence, paragraph,
and whole level in
order to help the
reader understand?
What if we outlawed
the 5 paragraph essay?
Would there be rioting in
the streets? Would small
children weep for joy?
Would the capitalism
collapse like a deck of
cards? Let’s find out.
12. Conventions
How do you use
correct grammar
and writing
mechanics to make
your writing clear?
I know how to spell
the word achieve but
surprise, for some
reason, still aludes
me.
14. Ideas Voice Sentence FluencyWord Choice
Organization Conventions
In 9th grade I learned about Latin America. I learned that the
capital of Peru is Lima, I learned about civil wars in El Salvador, I
learned about the trials facing coffee pickers and banana growers,
and then I took a test.The night before the test I studied for four
hours. Sitting at my living room table—the clock stubbornly
advancing towards tomorrow—I made flashcards for each country
with miniscule, color-coordinated writing, notes and worksheets
scattered around me like debris. I took that test the next day, aced
it, and promptly forgot everything I had learned.
—Student Essay
What is strong about your trait?
15. Right now, what do you think you’re
strong in and what do you want to
get better at? Discuss with your
writing partner.
Ideas
Word
Choice
Sentence
Fluency
Voice
Organization
Conventions
