The Six-Trait +1 Writing Method, developed by Spandel and Stiggins in 1990, outlines how teachers can teach pupils specific criteria for writing. The method involves teaching pupils to evaluate sample writings and then later, their own writing on the  six basic traits. 

The Six Traits should not be regarded as a writing programme. They are a set of criteria to define what makes good writing. Talking to pupils about their writing is an important part of teaching a child how to write. When we tell pupils, and encourage them to tell each other, what we liked about a piece of writing, we are in fact making use of the effectiveness of the six traits.

When writing is assessed, a set of criteria needs to be put in place. A rubric is a scoring tool of a set of criteria which describes the expectations to be evaluated. You can create a rubric, or you can create the rubric with the pupil. Rubrics allow pupils to assess their own work.  The Six Traits Rubric has a five point scale with five being the highest and one being the lowest.

The six basic traits of effective writing have been identified as:  Ideas, Organisation, Voice, Word choice, Sentence fluency, Conventions. Recently another trait “Presentation” was added to form the 6 + 1 traits. The six trait writing method is a reliable reference to guide a writer through the task of writing well and improving writing skills. Writings skills need to be built up in a systematic manner by providing scaffolding to enable pupils to achieve excellence in writing.

Ideas and content refer to the central theme. The writer needs to show that ideas are clear and focused.
Organisation refers to the order that the information is presented.  The order needs to be logical and compelling which moves the reader through the text.

Voice refers to the writer’s inner ‘voice’ and how expressive they are and how they engage the reader in the text.

Word choice refers to the writer’s use of words that are precise and interesting.

Sentence fluency refers to the flow and rhythm of the words as they are read aloud.

Conventions refer to punctuation, grammar, spelling and paragraphing.

A teacher might attach a piece of paper to the pupil’s book. It might be simple and look like the sample below. In reality, it is a check list for things which are needed in good writing. Pupils need to check through and see if they have covered the criteria required, or this rubric can be used to analyse other pieces of writing.

The final +1 of the traits is Presentation. This combines both visual and verbal elements. It is the way we present our message on paper. If our words are strong and well constructed, the paper will be inviting to read. There needs to be guidelines given for presentation. Make pupils aware of the Media and how it presents items and even advertisements – which signs grab our attention?  Why do we choose one book and not the other? Make pupils are aware of the necessity of presentation. Questions might include: Is the writing easy to read? Is the page balanced and uniform? Did I use the right style and format for writing? Is my font correct?  (if you are word processing)

There is a great benefit in using the 6 + 1 model because it gives pupils and teacher a common language to talk about the writing. It breaks the writing down into sections and the pupils are able to see what exactly the expectations are. It enables teachers to have a model for responding to their pupils writing in an objective way and gives consistency to marking. It provides the opportunity to monitor progress and to see if the pupils have used the feedback about their performance in a positive way.

The best way to teach the Six Traits is to integrate it into teaching whenever you are discussing or assessing the quality of writing. When you share literature and you want to point out a particular writing which is good or bad, refer to the Traits. When we share or look at anonymous writing (which is the pupil’s but we do not identify it by name) use the Traits and get the pupils to rate them. The Traits help teachers to respond to a piece of writing both verbally and through written comments. The use of the Traits in assessing a piece of writing is invaluable.



SIX TRAIT RUBRIC

* Ideas and Content
    Is my message clear?
    Do I know my topic?
    Did I put in any interesting details?
    Is my writing the correct size – not too big and not too small?
    Did I show the reader my ideas rather than just tell about them?   

* Organisation
    Does my writing have a good opening that gets the reader’s attention?
    Have I ordered the events and details in an effective way?
    Are my details linked together?
    Does my writing have a good ending?

* Voice
    Does this writing sound like me?
    Did I say what I think and feel?
    Does my writing have energy?
    Is my writing appropriate for my audience and purpose? 
    Have I judged the audience correctly?    

* Word Choice
    Will the reader understand my words?
    Did I use words that sound natural to my style?
    Were my words accurate, original and appropriate?
    Did I use words to create a word picture?
    Did I use strong verbs and adjectives?    

* Fluency
    Do my sentences begin in different ways?
    Are some sentences long and some short?
    Is it easy to read my work out loud, with expression?
    Have I used transitions and combined sentences, to fit    them together into longer sentences?    

* Conventions
    Did I use enough paragraphing?
    Is all my spelling correct?
    Did I use end punctuation correctly?
    Did I use capital letters in the correct place?
    Have I used commas to break up long sentences?