So what are the 6 traits of writing? What does each trait develop? What's the purpose of teaching them?

Let's begin with the latter. . . What's the purpose of teaching the 6 traits of writing? The traits create a common language for teachers and students when teaching and learning about the components of quality writing.

The 6 traits of writing–ideas, organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation–are taught explicitly in order for students to understand the vocabulary. Each trait develops a writing skill that students can use in any genre.

Trait 1: Ideas

The first trait is ideas. This trait includes a writer's ability to come up with ideas for writing. While this might seem like a basic skill or trait, anyone who has taught writing knows there are students that “don't know what to write about.”

Students that have trouble with this trait would benefit from instruction in finding ways to come up with ideas. Many times having conversations with your students can help spark some ideas.

If you're looking for more ideas on this trait, check out this article.

Trait 2: Organization

This trait focuses on a writer's ability to keep their writing organized. Whether it be the writing is told in sequential order or information is categorized properly. Organization helps the reader understand the writer's message.

Writers in need of help with organization would benefit from sentence frames using transition words such as first, next, then, and last. For informational writing, having students think of broad topics as headings and including information about the topic would also help with this trait.

This article shares ideas for helping students with organization.

Trait 3: Word Choice

Finding the right words isn't always easy for young students. Heck! Finding the right words isn't always easy for me. But I'm sure you're familiar with the language young writers use. They really seem to like the words: like, love, play, went. . . you know what I mean. Teaching kids there's synonyms for the words they use repeatedly help to make their writing better. While this concept becomes a bit more sophisticated as writers get older, just having a list of synonyms for like can make your writers' writing a work of art.

Can you imagine I like sentences becoming I love, I prefer, I fancy, I adore, I enjoy? Find those words that your students use a little too often and chart some alternative words to help students develop their word choice.

Trait 4: Voice

Even as adults, finding our voice can be a challenge. Showing our passion for a topic and letting our personality shine through our writing are ways we use voice. Conveying feelings and invoking those same emotions in readers are all part of voice. It can be tricky, but a young writer's voice can be found in those heaps of hard-to-read words. And that might just be the key. Allowing writers to just write without worrying about the mistakes that come with writing.

Give students the opportunity to tell stories in class. Ask them questions and find what excites them. Then tell them: I can see you think this is an exciting topic, you should write about it!

Trait 5: Sentence Fluency

Similar to word choice, writing can sound redundant when our sentences have similarities. Sentence fluency includes beginning sentences with new words and varying in length. Long sentences, short sentences, medium sentences. Sentences that flow like someone is speaking. This is sentence fluency and what makes writing enjoyable to read.

Trait 6: Conventions

This seems to be the trait teachers' eyes immediately notice. Why? It's easy to notice spelling mistakes, the lack of spacing, capital letters, and punctuation. But as you can see, conventions is only a piece of writing. And this is why we need to take a step away from the judgey convention eyes and accept that there will be mistake and there's a time and place to address this. In the meantime, let's look for the traits our students are doing well.

If this is something you'd like to focus on with some of your students, this article gives you some tips for how to help students with spelling.

Trait 7: Presentation

Presentation (yes, there's a seventh trait) includes the handwriting, illustrations, the cover, and anything that draws the eyes toward a student's work. No matter how good a piece of writing is, most of us tend to be drawn to the presentation of a book or pieces of writing. Show your students various books, magazines, or anything with text. Discuss what draws them to certain pieces of writing. Is it the cover, the colors, the illustrations? Then discuss how they can make their writing presentable for others.

The 6 traits of writing is the vocabulary used to describe writing. It's a common set of words we use with our students across genres and grade levels to discuss quality writing. The vocabulary of the 6 traits will be used for years to come and will help students strengthen their writing and discuss text. So, how could you use this language in your classroom?

The post The 6 Traits of Writing for Little Ones first appeared on Literacy Please.

After a ton of trial and error, I've come up with some ideas for bringing some classroom organization into your writing workshop. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Meeting Area

The meeting area should always be in the same place and procedures should be set. Students should know where to sit and what the expectations are for the area. This gives you the opportunity to get started with your mini lesson quickly and efficiently. Things to consider:

• Is there assigned seating?
• Will they sit with a writing partner?
• Should they bring their writing with them to the meeting area?
• Will they need any other writing materials?

Teacher Materials

During your mini lesson, you will want all of your materials ready to go. If it's all in the right spot, you're good to go! And trust me, you don't want to have to stop a lesson because you can't find your marker. I know this all too well. Here are some of the materials you'll find useful:

• chart paper–to model writing
• writing paper–to model writing
• writing folder–to store your writing
• pencils
• pens
• crayons
• poster markers (here's my favorite)
• tape
• sentence strips
• word wall
• alphabet/blends chart

Writing Folders

Writing folders are a must-have for writing workshop. This is where the student organization comes in. I've seen so many messy, unorganized folders and it drives me nuts. Showing students how to put their writing away might seem like overkill, but it's not. They need to see it over and over and over again. Otherwise, their folders will become a huge mess. I shudder thinking about it.

For writing folders, you'll want to add stickers to the pockets. One which reads “still working” and one that reads “complete” or “done,” whatever floats your boat. The idea is that students put the writing they're still working on in one pocket and the writing they are finished with in the other pocket.

Writing folders are also a great place to keep resources, such as alphabet charts, word walls, transition words. . . They're easily accessible and students find them helpful. This also allows you to give the students some of the responsibility of caring for these items rather than having to find a place for them in the classroom.

Help your students stay organized! Download these writing resources for your students' writing workshop folders.

Student Writing Materials

Writing materials are a big part of what makes writing workshop fun. How much more do you love writing when you have a pretty notebook and some colorful pens? Exactly! It's no different for our students. Having various writing materials available to our students gives them the choice kids crave and helps to keep them engaged. Of course classroom organization is a must here in order to keep those materials in order.

When introducing the materials, discuss how they're taken care of and when to use them. For example, if students are going to use pens, teach them to put the cap on the end to keep from losing it. If you have colored pens for revising, remind students that they're for revising and not writing our entire books.

To keep kids from becoming overwhelmed with the various materials, put out a couple at a time. As the kids become familiar with when and how to use them, put out more.

• various kinds of paper–large picture box with 1-3 lines, medium picture box with 5-6 lines, lines only, blank paper only
• black pens–to use instead of pencils
• 2 colors of pens–for revising and editing
• tape–to add sentence strips to pages for added writing ideas
• crayons–for illustrating
• colored pencils–for illustrating
• sheets of paper cut into strips–to add detail to writing
• sticky notes–to add detail to writing
• pencils–for writing
• erasers–to correct mistakes
• markers–for illustrating
• staplers–to add pages
• sticks for spacing–to add spaces between words
• whiteboards–for spelling or sketching practice
• whiteboard markers–for whiteboards
• glue sticks–to add sentence strips to pages for added writing ideas
• highlighters–to highlight important information

Mentor Texts

Mentor texts are one of the best ways to teach students to use various writing craft in their own writing. Once you start, it's hard to stop pointing out the craft writers' use in their writing and all books become mentor text.

While you'll want to use specific books in your writing workshop, it's also fun to use read alouds as a place to find ideas you can share with your students. For example, you might be using the book The King of Kindergarten as one of your back to school books. You'll notice how beautiful and detailed the illustrations are, and you can point that out to students. You can add a sticky note to the cover noting what you and the students observed and keep it in a “mentor texts” tub for you and students to refer to throughout the year.

Anchor Charts

Anchor charts are useful if your students use them. And chances are your students will use them if you refer to them and they're always located in the same area.

Seating Choice

Students love choosing where they can sit and giving them this choice during writing workshop is the best time to let them choose. Some kids want to find a quiet corner. Some will want to lay on the floor. Others want to sit by a friend. Whatever the choices, there needs to be classroom organization of supplies. Here are some of the options I provide in my classroom:

• clipboards
• lap desks
• small rugs
• tables low to the ground
• area rug

Keeping your writing workshop organized teaches kids the routines of writing and it keep the materials and resources in predictable spots, which means kids will use them. Classroom organization is a must for a successful writing workshop. If you're new to writing workshop and want some more support, check out Writing Workshop for Beginners to get you started. Oh, and don't forget to download your writing resources for your students' writing workshop folders.

The post Classroom Organization for a Successful Writing Workshop first appeared on Literacy Please.