Just when I thought my teaching toolkit was getting full, my learning deepened again. This week’s exploration of the Six + One Traits of Writing (V.I.P. C.O.W.S.): voice, ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation, deepened my understanding of what effective writing instruction looks like.
Building on our previous lessons about the Writing Workshop, I now see how these traits complement that model by providing clear, focused ways to guide and assess student writing. While the Writing Workshop emphasizes time, choice, and authentic practice, the Six + One Traits offer a structured framework to help both teachers and students talk about writing with purpose.
When
I analyzed Jada’s unfinished story, I realized how these two approaches work hand in hand.
The workshop environment encourages creativity and ownership, while the traits
give students concrete language to describe their strengths and needs. Jada’s
story, for example, demonstrated strong voice and ideas, showing her curiosity
and storytelling ability; from the formal introduction, "Hello, my name is
Jada Stapleton," to the casual dread of "I was fast curious,"
her personality shines through. We feel her curiosity and fear. However, she
needed support with organization and conventions to make her story flow
smoothly.
What
stood out most to me was how this model shifts writing instruction from
correction to growth and reflection. It allows me, as a teacher, to give
targeted feedback, celebrating what students do well while guiding them toward
improvement. The Traits are not a stick to beat writers with, but a compass to
guide them so in my future classroom, I plan to integrate the Six + One Traits
into daily Writing Workshops. Students will self-assess their work using the
traits, engage in peer discussions, and revise with clear goals. Together,
these approaches transform writing into a process of discovery, creativity, and
confidence rather than pressure and correction.
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I love how you connected the Six + One Traits to the Writing Workshop—it’s clear you’re thinking deeply about how both approaches nurture student growth. Your description of Jada’s story really brings the theory to life! How might you introduce each trait to students so it feels natural rather than another checklist?
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful question! You’ve pinpointed the exact challenge making the Six + One Traits feel like creative tools rather than a judgmental checklist. I believe the best way to do this is by introducing the traits inductively, through the literature students already love and their own writing, within the safe and supportive environment of the Writing Workshop. For example, I might begin with a powerful mentor text, a picture book that captures their attention and guide a discussion not just about whether they liked it, but why it worked. Together, we’d uncover how the author’s choices bring the story to life: the emotions we feel on the first page reflect Voice, the central message or theme reveals Ideas, and the smooth flow of events demonstrates Organization. This approach helps students see the traits as natural elements of good writing, discovered through reading and reflection rather than imposed as rules.
DeleteHi Ms. Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking a lot lately about how we help students internalize those traits. Not just use them during revision, but actually write with them in mind from the start. Do students naturally anticipate the traits as they write, or does it take time?
I would love to hear more about how you plan to structure those peer discussions and self-assessments. Are you thinking of using rubrics, anchor texts, or maybe student-created checklists? There’s so much potential in letting students take the lead in their writing growth.