T rait W riting The six traits of writing, as defined by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory are Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions. The six-trait method of writing instruction and assessment is being used throughout the Kent School District. It has been enthusiastically embraced by teachers who understand the process of writing, yet often have difficulty in figuring out just how to go about teaching it. The six-trait method offers a structure for building upon techniques that have been successful in the past.
Specific criteria allows writing to be rated on more than just mechanics.
Colorful bulletin boards in intermediate classrooms at Daniel Elementary are evidence of teacher enthusiasm for six-trait writing. The six-trait method not only gives the teacher a structure within which to teach, but also gives the student a structure for evaluation and improvement.