2. THE SIX TRAITS OF WRITING (Voices)

3. V= VOICE The voice is the heart and soul, the magic, the wit, along with the feeling and conviction of the individual writing coming out through the words. When finding your voice: Sound natural (Don’t try to sound like someone else) Show your true feelings about the topic Speak to your audience

4. Individual Voice “We must teach ourselves to recognize our own voice. We want to write in a way that is natural for us, that grows out of the way we think, the way we see, the way we care. But to make that voice effective we must develop it, extending our natural voice through the experience of writing on different subjects for different audiences, of using our voice as we perform many writing tasks.” Donald Murray ( Write to Learn)

5. O= ORGANIZATION In a well-organized paper, ideas are arranged in a logical way that makes the writing easy to read. When checking the organization of your paper, look for the following: Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? Is the beginning of the paper interesting? Do your ideas follow one another logically? Does your ending bring together your final thoughts on the topic?

6. I= IDEAS AND CONTENT Ideas should be clear and focused with well-supported, relevant details. When checking your ideas and content, look for the following: Do I know my topic well? Do my ideas make sense? Are my ideas clearly stated? Do my details explain and support my ideas? Is my purpose easy to identify? Have I deleted all unrelated information?

7. C=CONVENTIONS Conventions refer to spelling, usage, punctuation, and capitalization. When checking your conventions, look for the following: Did I capitalize the first word of every sentence? Did I use correct verb tenses? Have I created run-ons or fragments? Is any punctuation mark missing or unnecessary? Have I spelled everything correctly?

8. E=ELABORATE WORD CHOICE Choose your words carefully and purposefully. Make sure that they are vivid and powerful. Use strong verbs, precise nouns and interesting adjectives Make your ideas clear Match your purpose for writing and your audience Create a mental picture with your words

9. Powerful Words This is the best way to say this. My words create mind pictures! I’ve tried new ways to say everyday things. Listen to the power in my verbs. Some of the words and phrases linger in my mind.

10. “Powerful writers and powerful speakers have two wells they can draw on for that power: one is the well of rhythm,; the other is the well of vocabulary. But vocabulary and a sense of rhythm are almost impossible to “teach” in the narrow sense of the word. So how are children expected to develop a sense of rhythm or a wide vocabulary? By being read to, alive, a lot!” Mem Fox (Radical Reflections, 1993) In essence: The more you read, the better you will write.

11. S=SENTENCE FLUENCY Sentence fluency in the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ear—not just to the eye. When revising your sentence structure, look for the following: Are your sentences of various lengths? Do your sentences have different beginnings? Do your sentences flow together and sound smooth when you read them aloud? Do your sentences have power?

12. VOICES V- Voice O-organization I- Ideas and content C-Conventions E-Elaborate word choice S- Sentence Fluency