Teacher Bulletin | Volume 12

Appropriate for grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

6 + 1 Traits of Writing

A number of different writing frameworks exist for instructional and assessment purposes. Adopting a common framework gives teachers and students the advantage of using a shared language to talk about writing. This unit will focus on one such framework, 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. Based on research by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in Portland, Oregon, six criteria were initially identified to delineate the essential qualities of writing; the seventh was later added. The main characteristics of writing that this model addresses are:

Ideas: Ideas make up the content of the piece of writing—the heart of the message.
Organization: Organization is the internal structure of the piece, the thread of meaning, the logical pattern of the ideas.
Voice: Voice is the soul of the piece. It’s what makes the writer’s style singular, as his or her feelings and convictions come out through the words.
Word Choice: Word choice is at its best when it includes the use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and enlightens the reader.
Sentence Fluency: Sentence fluency is the flow of the language, the sound of word patterns—the way the writing plays to the ear, not just to the eye.
Conventions: Conventions represent the piece’s level of correctness—the extent to which the writer uses grammar and mechanics with precision.
Presentation: Presentation zeros in on the form and layout—how pleasing the piece is to the eye (Culham, 2003).