The six-traits (or six+1) of writing is a language students and teachers can use to talk about writing. The traits are the qualities of writing. All students at all levels can talk about their writing using this language. These traits are:
- Idea/Content:
- No paper has value without ideas. Ideas should be presented clearly and developed fully with reasons, examples and support from a text. Insightful development of interesting ideas makes a paper great.
- Organization:
- Writing should be organized logically and be easy to follow.
- Word Choice:
- Precise and effective word choice adds clarity to writing.
- Sentence Fluency:
- Sentences should be varied and effective in sound and in purpose. When read aloud, a paper should sound fluent and even rhythmic. Short, stilted sentences impair readability.
- Voice:
- This is the personality and conviction of the writer showing through the words.
- Conventions:
- Spelling, mechanics, usage, agreement are all conventions of writing. Too many errors in conventions impair readability.
- Presentation:
- This is how the paper looks. Is it typed according to a format? Does it have a title page? Presentation affects readability.
A rubric sets the standard for excellence for each of these areas. Different rubrics fit different purposes. Some teachers may choose to score a project or paper using only a few of the traits or they may choose to score it using all of the traits.
The links to these rubrics go to pdf files. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to read them.
- Word Documents:
- PDF Documents:
