Six Trait Writing Components of Effective Writing Ideas

Six Trait Writing

Components of Effective Writing Ideas ! Organization ! Voice ! Word Choice Sentence Fluency and Variety ! Conventions ! Presentation ! !

VOICE is… the soul, life, and breath of writing that is unique to every author.

Voice… l l l Voice is the personality of the writer that comes through in written work. Voice demonstrates an author’s individuality, enthusiasm, knowledge base, and confidence. Voice reveals something about the author. It has the power to hold a reader’s attention. We purposefully change the voice to fit the audience and purpose.

What does voice sound like? l l l Confidence that comes from personal knowledge Sensitivity to the audience and enthusiasm for the topic Individuality and liveliness that appeals to readers so they keep reading Reveals something about the writer Shows a desire to bring a topic to life for the reader

Whose Voice Is It?

Examples from Literature

Voice is all around. . . l Advertising Lyrics Memos Editorials Letters Visual Art Greeting Cards Cartoons l Fonts l Text Messages Emails l l l l

Voice Lessons l l Listen to two versions of a song. How do they differ? Which do you prefer? Why? Add some voice to a grocery list or our school lunch menu. Put the voice in a piece of flat writing--or take them out of robust writing. Write a note to your teacher about what you did over the summer. Now write the same note to your best friend about what you did over the summer. How does your voice change for the reader of each note? Why does it change?

To Summarize. . .

Voice. . . l l l Reveals something about the author to the reader; there’s a person behind the piece The author’s personality is imprinted throughout the writing Establishes a connection between the reader and author If the writing is expository, the writer has conveyed a sense of knowledge and experience Evokes an emotional response from the reader such as laughter, tears, commitment, or empathy

How might you add voice to your classroom writing lessons?

Here’s What You Can Do: ü Read aloud from works that have strong voice. ü Help students identify an audience and write for that audience using appropriate voice (talk about why it might be appropriate--or not). ü Give students opportunities to practice different voices through different forms of writing, and for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Our Goal: Voice All students know how to hit the target!