Remember the scene from the movie Ratatouille when Anton Ego tastes the dish made by Remi and Alfredo and gets transported to his childhood? Well, that’s the power of good food. And interestingly, that is also the recipe for good and effective writing. Something that can transport the readers to the world of the story. 

Good writing is like a puzzle, and every piece needs to fit just right to create a complete picture. But how do we guide students to craft those perfect pieces? One way is through the consistent use of language in writing instruction, helping students understand what’s expected and how to meet those expectations. This is where the six traits of writing come in, offering a framework that breaks down the complex task of writing into manageable parts. In this blog, let’s explore these 6 traits and understand how they can be taught to kids. So, let’s get cooking and break down the ingredients of great writing with the 6+1 Traits.

What Are the 6+1 Traits of Writing?

Before diving into each trait, let's get a quick overview of what they are. The 6+1 Traits of Writing are:

1. Ideas: The heart of the message, where the writer’s main thoughts and themes are clearly expressed and developed.

2. Organization: The internal structure of the piece that arranges ideas in a logical, easy-to-follow order.

3. Voice: The personal tone and style of the author that gives the writing its unique character and connection to the reader.

4. Word Choice: The vocabulary used to precisely convey meaning and enhance the message.

5. Sentence Fluency: The rhythm and flow of the sentences, ensuring the writing reads smoothly and naturally.

6. Conventions: The mechanical correctness of the writing, including proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

7. Presentation: The overall visual appeal of the writing, including formatting, handwriting, and other visual elements.

These traits work together to create a well-rounded and polished piece of writing, making the process easier and more enjoyable for students. So, let’s look at each of these traits in detail. 

Ideas

The first trait, Ideas, is all about generating and developing content. It’s the foundation of any good writing piece. Ideas need to be clear, focused, and interesting, so the reader can easily grasp what the writer is trying to convey.

Generating and developing ideas can be a challenge for many students. They might struggle with finding a starting point or expanding on their thoughts. One effective way to help students is through conversations and brainstorming activities. By talking through their ideas with peers or teachers, students can explore different angles and find inspiration.

However, students often face challenges, like running out of ideas or not knowing how to express their thoughts clearly. This is where guidance and support play a crucial role, helping them build confidence in their writing.

Here’s how you can help your little writers with their ideas. 

1. Idea Webbing: Students create an "idea web" by branching out related subtopics from a central topic to visually explore and connect ideas.

2. Story Starters: Provide students with open-ended prompts to spark their creativity and help them build on initial ideas.

3. Collaborative Brainstorming: In small groups, students brainstorm and build on each other's ideas, fostering creative thinking through collaboration.

4. Topic Exploration Stations: Set up stations with different materials related to a broad topic, allowing students to gather inspiration and ideas as they rotate through each station.

5. Free Writing: Students write continuously for a set time without worrying about structure, letting ideas flow freely to overcome writer's block.

6. Question Exploration: Encourage students to ask and answer questions about their topic, helping them delve deeper into their ideas.

If you want to help your child with some quick prompts to begin their writing, check out our list of prompts and writing ideas for kids. 

Now that we’ve covered ideas, let's dive into how to keep those thoughts organized.

Organization

The second trait, Organization, is the glue that holds the writing together. It’s about structuring ideas in a way that makes sense, ensuring that the piece flows smoothly from one point to the next.

Organized writing follows a logical order, whether it’s chronological, spatial, or by importance. For students, understanding the importance of sequential order and categorization can be a game-changer. It helps them see their writing as a journey, leading the reader from the introduction through the body to a satisfying conclusion.

Techniques like using sentence frames, transition words, and thinking in broad topics can make a significant difference. These tools help students structure their thoughts and connect ideas seamlessly.

Here are some activities to help you teach organization to young writers. 

1. Story Mapping: Students create a story map outlining the beginning, middle, and end to visualize the structure and ensure logical sequencing.

2. Sequence Strips: Students arrange mixed-up sentences or events in the correct order to practice organizing ideas into a coherent narrative.

3. Outline Creation: Students create a detailed outline before writing, listing main points and supporting details to plan the structure of their piece.

4. Paragraph Sorting: Students reorder mixed-up paragraphs from a story or essay to understand how logical connections create a smooth flow.

5. Transition Word Practice: Students rewrite sentences or paragraphs using transition words to improve the flow and connection between ideas.

6. Graphic Organizers: Students use graphic organizers like flowcharts or Venn diagrams to visually plan and structure their ideas before writing.

7. Sentence Frame Exercises: Students use sentence frames to help structure their writing, ensuring organized and cohesive paragraphs.

With a solid structure in place, it’s time to infuse some personality into the writing. Let’s talk about voice.

Voice

Voice is the personality behind the words. It’s what makes a piece of writing unique, reflecting the writer's feelings, passion, and individuality. Voice can be tricky for students to master, but it’s essential for making their writing engaging and relatable.

Incorporating personality and passion into writing helps students connect with their audience on a deeper level. It’s about conveying feelings and emotions, making the reader feel something as they read.

To help students find their voice, encourage them to tell stories and ask engaging questions. These strategies can unlock a more authentic and powerful writing style.

Here are some activities to teach students the same. 

1. Personal Journals: Encourage students to write daily in a personal journal to freely express their thoughts and discover their unique writing voice.

2. Character Diaries: Have students write a diary entry from the perspective of a fictional character to practice adopting different voices and emotions.

3. Passion Pieces: Ask students to write about a topic they are passionate about, allowing their enthusiasm and personality to shine through.

4. Voice Switch: Give students a neutral paragraph and ask them to rewrite it with a more lively and expressive voice to see the impact of voice on writing.

5. Storytelling Sessions: Have students verbally tell a story before writing it down, helping them transfer their natural spoken voice into their writing.

6. Emotion Cards: Provide students with emotion cards and ask them to write a piece that conveys the chosen emotion through voice.

7. Interview Writing: Have students conduct a mock interview and then write from the interviewee’s perspective, capturing their unique voice.

To make your students’ writing more effective, check out our detailed guide on 5 senses writing. 

Feeling that personal touch? Great, let's move on to the magic of word choice.

Word Choice

The words we choose can either clarify or confuse. Word Choice is about selecting the right words to convey the exact meaning and impact you want.

Young writers often struggle with choosing the right words, sometimes opting for vague or overused terms. This is where a list of synonyms or activities that enhance vocabulary can be incredibly helpful. The more words students have at their disposal, the more precise and vivid their writing will be.

Here are some activities to improve your little writers’ vocabulary.

1. Synonym Search: Students replace overused words in their writing with more precise synonyms to enhance clarity and impact.

2. Thesaurus Challenge: Students use a thesaurus to find vivid or specific alternatives for at least five words in a paragraph they've written.

3. Word Choice Sorting: Students sort a list of words into categories based on their strength, specificity, or emotional impact to better understand their nuances.

4. Show, Don’t Tell: Students rewrite simple sentences using descriptive language and precise word choices to convey emotions vividly.

5. Word Bank Creation: Students create a personal word bank of powerful and interesting words to use in their writing.

6. Contextual Vocabulary: Students write sentences or short paragraphs using new vocabulary words in context to practice meaningful word usage.

7. Word Choice Revisions: Students review their writing to identify and replace words or phrases with more specific or impactful alternatives.

Up next, let’s make sure those words flow smoothly with sentence fluency.

Sentence Fluency

Ever read something that just felt clunky? That’s what happens when Sentence Fluency is off. This trait focuses on creating a natural flow in writing, making it easy and enjoyable to read.

To achieve fluency, students need to vary their sentence beginnings and lengths and avoid repetitive or redundant sentences. Encouraging them to read their writing aloud can help them hear the rhythm and identify areas that might need smoothing out.

Here are some activities to teach sentence fluency to kids. 

1. Sentence Variation Exercises: Students rewrite a paragraph, varying sentence beginnings and lengths to create a more dynamic flow.

2. Read-Aloud Sessions: Students read their writing aloud to identify and smooth out any awkward or clunky areas in the flow.

3. Sentence Combining: Students combine short, choppy sentences into more fluid, complex ones to enhance sentence fluency.

4. Punctuation Play: Students experiment with different punctuation marks to see how they can change the rhythm and flow of their sentences.

5. Fluency Editing: Students review a draft of their writing to specifically focus on and improve sentence variety and flow.

6. Sentence Starters Practice: Students use a variety of sentence starters to write a paragraph, avoiding repetitive beginnings.

7. Mirror Sentences: Students write two sentences with similar structures, then revise one to create a more natural and varied flow.

Alright, let’s iron out the final details by focusing on conventions.

Conventions

Conventions are the nuts and bolts of writing—the spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar that make the text readable and professional.

Addressing mechanical correctness is important, but it’s also vital to maintain a balanced approach. Too much focus on correcting errors can be discouraging. Instead, emphasize strengths first before gently pointing out areas for improvement. This way, students can build their confidence while still learning the rules.

Here are some activities to promote grammatical conventions in children’s writing. 

1. Editing Stations: Students rotate through stations focusing on specific conventions like spelling, punctuation, and capitalization to practice correcting errors.

2. Peer Review Pairs: Students review each other’s work, identifying convention errors and giving positive feedback to encourage collaborative learning.

3. Conventions Scavenger Hunt: Students search for and correct errors in a provided text, making the process of learning conventions interactive and engaging.

4. Sentence Fix-Up: Students correct deliberate errors in sentences, practicing their ability to identify and fix common mistakes.

5. Grammar Games: Students play grammar-related games to reinforce their understanding of conventions in a fun and competitive way.

6. Daily Language Review: Students start each class by correcting sentences with convention errors, providing consistent and focused practice.

7. Conventions Portfolio: Students create a portfolio to track their progress, highlighting both strong examples of conventions and areas of improvement.

To learn more about this, check out our detailed guide on grammar and syntax. 

Wait, there’s more. The +1 of the writing traits is the presentation of a text. To finish up, let's talk about how to present writing in the most appealing way.

Presentation

Finally, the presentation is all about the visual appeal of the writing piece. It’s the first thing readers notice, so it’s important to make a good impression.

Presentation involves everything from handwriting to illustrations and covers. Engaging students by showing and discussing various texts can inspire them to put extra effort into making their work visually appealing. This trait ties everything together, ensuring the writing not only reads well but also looks polished and professional.

Here are some activities to improve the presentation skills of students.

1. Cover Design Challenge: Students design a creative cover for their writing, including a title, illustration, and author name, to enhance visual appeal.

2. Handwriting Practice: Students practice neat and legible handwriting by copying a favorite poem or passage to improve the clarity of their written work.

3. Visual Aids Integration: Students incorporate visual aids like charts or illustrations into their writing to enhance understanding and engagement.

4. Formatting Workshop: Students learn proper formatting techniques, such as using headings and bullet points, to create a clean and organized layout.

5. Text Display Gallery: Students display their work in a classroom gallery, focusing on visual presentation, and receive feedback from peers.

6. Digital Presentation Skills: Students create a digital version of their writing, paying attention to font choice, spacing, and alignment to improve presentation.

7. Author’s Showcase: Students present their polished writing pieces, complete with covers and illustrations, in a showcase event to the class or school.

 Now that we’ve covered all the traits, how do we actually bring this into the classroom?

Using the 6+1 Traits of Writing in the Classroom

Introducing the Six Traits in the classroom is a fantastic way to build a common vocabulary around writing. Start by discussing each trait with your students, using visual aids and graphic icons to represent them.

Consistency is key. Incorporate the traits into your classroom environment, using them as a guide for writing activities and lesson planning. Over time, students will become familiar with the traits and begin to apply them naturally in their writing.

Teaching the Writing Process

The writing process itself is another critical component of writing instruction. Emphasize each step: Prewriting, Drafting, Sharing, Revising, Editing, and Publishing. Encourage students to use these steps flexibly, as not every piece of writing will require the same approach.

Monitor student progress and focus on incremental skill building. This ensures that students are developing their abilities over time, leading to more polished and confident writers.

Final Thoughts

And just like that, you’ve got the blueprint for turning students into confident writers! When it comes to helping students become confident, skilled writers, the Six Traits are your go-to guide. Whether you’re encouraging them to generate fresh ideas, organize their thoughts, or add their unique voice to their writing, each trait plays a vital role in shaping their work. Don’t forget the importance of word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation—these elements ensure that their writing is not just good, but truly polished and engaging.

So, as you guide your little writers through the writing process, keep these traits in mind. They can transform a simple piece of writing into something truly special. Encourage your students to embrace these traits, practice regularly, and most importantly, enjoy the journey of becoming better writers.If you’re a parent looking for some extra support and inspiration for your child, consider joining the FunFox Writers Club. It’s a fantastic community where young writers can connect, share their work, and get valuable feedback. Whether they’re just beginning or looking to refine their skills, the FunFox Writers Club is here to help them grow and have fun along the way.