Written by the pioneer of 6-trait writing, this fifth edition brings everything up to date, offering a comprehensive overview of the best education strategies and philosophies of writing assessment and instruction. It provides clear guidelines on helping students draft, assess, and revise their writing, as well as explicit criteria to show students precisely what they must do to succeed as writers in virtually any situation. Because the six traits are so widely used at the state level, many school districts are incorporating them into state standards and state assessments. This book can dramatically help teachers to prepare their students for success on state tests and beyond. Give students the preparation they need to become writers for life!   New lessons, suggested by numerous teachers throughout the country--all tested and tried with students in the classroom! Lesson ideas connected to sample papers, offering students many opportunities to learn and practice revision skills. Updated rubrics, offering greater clarity and ease of use, including: a teacher favorite, theLeap the River 6-point model, that shows students precisely when and how writing moves from beginning levels (in need of revision) to proficient levels (demonstrating strength). a brand-new 3-level rubric that can be adapted as a 5- or 6-point scale. This model offers students and teachers more flexibility than they have ever had in a rubric, with the descriptive richness of the 5-point scale and the thoroughness and precision of the 6-point. New teacher voices in Chapter 10 to offer a wide range of instructional ideas. The author explicitly identifies key strategies, making this chapter much more user friendly and easy to skim for favorite moments. Spanish translations offered for some key items: "Leap the River" rubric for students, a Spanish student checklist, and--also brand new--Spanish trait summaries for use by teachers in introducing the traits. Strategies for challenged writers–-and for those who need a challenge–-are part of virtually every chapter, from lessons to process to recommendations from teachers. Those who work with struggling writers will gain ideas for making revision small and manageable, while those who work with more advanced students will discover ways to make trait-based writing as challenging as their students can handle. New primary continuums invite even the youngest writers into the trait-based classroom, all while emphasizing instruction, exploration, and discovery–-not assessment. Study group discussion questions and activities offer challenging and diverse ways for study groups or students in a writing class to extend their learning and work in teams. This book is intended to be used by groups who are serious about rethinking and redesigning their writing instruction and who wish to make the six traits part of that plan. Increased emphasis on informational writing appears throughout the book, both in examples and in lessons.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface Acknowledgments   1 Creating a Vision Who Invented the Six Traits? Assessing to Learn: The Bridge to Revision Ten Reasons to Make Six-Trait Writing Part of Your Instruction Building a Personal Vision Chapter 1 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     2 Creating Assessment to Match the Vision Keys to Quality Assessment Holistic 6-Trait Scale (Figure 2.3) Horizontal and Vertical Integrity (Figure 2.4) A Few Good Prompts (Figure 2.5) Barry’s Prompts (Figure 2.6) Rules of the Road for Writing Prompts (Figure 2.7) Large-Scale and Classroom Assessment: Lessons from Two Perspectives Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Assessment Twelve Tips for Succeeding on Writing Tests (Figure 2.8) Lessons Learned from Classroom Assessment Chapter 2 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     3 Warming Up–and Scoring Well What Makes Writing Work (Figures 3.1 and 3.2) Building a Community of Writers The Redwoods (Figure 3.3) Mouse Alert (Figure 3.4) What Teachers Value in Writing What Teachers Value in Writing (Figure 3.5) War of the Rubrics Teacher 6-Point Writing Guide (Figure 3.6) Getting Ready to Score Papers Suggested Scores and Comments Scoring Grid Master (Figure 3.7) Making Your Scoring Consistent Pet Peeves (Figure 3.9) Chapter 3 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities   4 Building a Foundation: Ideas and Organization Ideas: The Heart of It All Ideas “Shortie” (Figure 4.1) Practice Papers Paper 1: Making Decisions (Expository, Grade 8) Paper 2: Harder Than You Think (Personal Essay, Grade 10)   Organization: Showcasing It Organization “Shortie” (Figure 4.2) Practice Papers Paper 3: Some Cartoons Are Violent! (Persuasive, Grade 3) Paper 4: The Baseball (Narrative, Grade 5)   Looking At Additional Papers Paper 5: Unscripted Television: Enjoy It While You Can (Persuasive, Middle School) Paper 6: Einstein (Informational, Grade 5) Paper 7: Writing Today (Persuasive, Grade 9) Paper 8: A Great Book (Literary Analysis, Grade 8) Paper 9: Writing Is Important (Expository, Grade 11) Paper 10: Under the Knife (Expository, Grade 12) Paper 11: Be Happy With What You Have (Literary Analysis, Grade 3) Paper 12: How to Be a Good Driver (Expository, Grade 12) Paper 13: The Funeral of My OREO (Narrative, Grade 4) Paper 14: Computing Batting Averages (Expository, Grade 6) Paper 15: Cats or Dogs (Persuasive, Grade 6) Chapter 4 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     5 Adding Flavor: Voice, Word Choice,    and Sentence Fluency Voice: Fingerprints on the Page Voice “Shortie” (Figure 5.1) Books (From Which) You’ll Love Reading Aloud (Figure 5.2) Practice Papers Paper 1: Why You Need a Job (Persuasive, Grade 9) Paper 2: Zeena and the Marshmallows (Persuasive, Grade 5)   Word Choice: The Bridge from Message to Voice Word Choice “Shortie” (Figure 5.3) Paper 3: Chad (Descriptive, Grade 3) Paper 4: Pets Are Forever (Informational, Grade 8)   Sentence Fluency: Variety and Rhythm Sentence Fluency “Shortie” (Figure 5.4) Paper 5: A Rescue (Narrative, Grade 4) Paper 6: The Mysteries of Birds of Prey (Informational, Grade 5)   Looking at Additional Papers Paper 7: A Sunflower Seed (Expository/Reflective, Grade 5) Paper 8: Reflecting on Saba and History (Memoir, Grade 7) Paper 9: Reflections on Writing (Personal Essay, Grade 12) Paper 10: Fishing (Narrative/Expository, Grade 11) Paper 11: Review of Exploring the Weather (Literary Review, Grade 8) Paper 12: You Whant to Be My Friend? (Personal Essay, Grade 3) Paper 13: Homeless (Narrative/Memoir, Grade 6) Paper 14: Movies and Books: A Comparison (Comparative Analysis, Grade 8) Paper 15: Why I Write (Expository, Grade 7) Chapter 5 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     6 Framing the Picture:    Conventions and Presentation Conventions and Presentation: Editing and Framing Conventions “Shortie” (Figure 6.1) Practice Papers Paper 1: Haircut from Hell (Narrative/Imaginative, Grade 6) Paper 2: The Ritual of Sticks and Rocks (Imaginative, Grade 6)   Putting All Traits Together Paper 3: File Sharing Is Not the Spawn of Satan (Persuasive/Expository, Grade 12) Paper 4: A Beautiful Dream (Memoir, Grade 12) Paper 5: A Strange Visiter (Narrative/Imaginative, Grade 5) Paper 6: The Day My Grandfather Died (Narrative, Grade 4) Paper 7: Let a Non-Natural-Born Citizen Be President (Persuasive, Grade 7) Paper 8: Computer Blues (Narrative, Grade 12) Paper 9: The Pirate Ship ( Descriptive, Grade 5) Paper 10: A Collaboration of Thoughts on Art (Expository Essay, Grade 10) Chapter 6 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities 7 Using Traits to Support Writing Process Learning Process from the Inside Out Getting Started Important Things to Model for Students (Figure 7.1) What About Genres? Connecting Traits to Process Traits Supporting Process (Figure 7.2) Experience: Where Ideas Come From Prewriting/Rehearsing: Giving Shape to the Ideas We’ve Chosen Webbing  Example (Figure 7.3) Listeners’ Questions (Figure 7.4) Sally’s Life Map (Figure 7.5) Drafting: Going From Beginning to End Sharing Your Voice With an Audience Revising: Letting the Traits Shine Editing: Making the Reader Feel “At Home” in Your Text Publishing: Honoring and Preserving Writing Assessing: For Students, the First Step in Revising Chapter 7 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     8 Using Writers’ Language to Unlock Revision Starting with Process . . .  . . . then Workshop Giving It Power Guess what? You’re already doing it . . . Connecting to Research Making a Plan Four Keys to Success Key 1: Surround Students With Writers’ Language Student 6-Point “Leap the River” Writing Guide (Figure 8.1) Student Checklist (Figure 8.2) Simple Checklist (Figure 8.3) Key 2: Teach Students to Be Assessors Key 3: Call on Literary Mentors for Examples Key 4: Use Focused Lessons and Strategies Planning Lessons (Figure 8.5) Lessons and Strategies for Ideas Sensory Details Chart (Figure 8.7) Lessons and Strategies for Organization Out-of-Order Lines from Sneed B. Collard’s The Deep-Sea Floor (Figure 8.10) Lessons and Strategies for Voice Lessons and Strategies for Word Choice Lessons and Strategies for Sentence Fluency Lessons and Strategies for Conventions Copy Editors’ Symbols (Figure 8.25) Copy Editors’ Symbols for Young Writers (Figure 8.26) A Message for Parents and Other Caregivers Dear Parent Letter re Conventions (Figure 8.29) Chapter 8 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     9 Troubleshooting: Dealing With    Common Writing Problems Problems With Ideas Non-Fiction Read-Alouds (Figure 9.2) Problems With Organization Informational “Map” on Nutrition (Figure 9.4) Problems With Voice Problems With Word Choice New Words (Figure 9.8) Problems With Sentence Fluency Problems With Conventions Helping Challenged/Beginning Writers Sample Style Sheet (Figure 9.9) For Students Who Need a Challenge Plan for Revision (Figure 9.13) Chapter 9 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     10 Listening to Teachers’ Voices In Elaine’s Self-Contained Sixth Grade Classroom Writing Coach Checklist (Figure 10.1) In Jim’s High School Classroom In Billie’s Seventh Grade Classroom Reading, Traits, and Connections (Figure 10.2) In Ellen’s AP English Classroom In Judy’s Third Grade Classroom In Barbara’s Middle School Classroom In Andrea’s Multi-Age Second-Language Classroom Thoughts, Feelings, Actions (Figure 10.5) In Sue’s Elementary Art-Based Classroom In Sammie’s Tiger Learning Center Chapter 10 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     11 Going Informational How Informational Writing Is Different Teacher 6-Point Informational Writing Guide (Figure 11.1 Student 6-Point Informational Writing Guide (Figure 11.2)   Sample Papers Paper 1: Black Widows (Informational, Grade 3) Paper 2: Bears in the Wild (Informational, Grade 4) Paper 3: Thomas Alva Edison: Wizard of Menlo Park (Informational, Grade 5) Paper 4: Driving Tests Should Be Harder (Persuasive, Grade 7) Paper 5: Humboldt Penguins (Informational, Grade 9) Paper 6: The Middle Ages (Informational, Grade 7) Paper 7: Life in the Middle Ages (Informational, Grade 9) Paper 8: Solar Energy (Informational, Grade 9) Paper 9: Kill Measurement 34–Now! (Persuasive, Grade 8) Paper 10: The Violin (Informational, Grade 10) Paper 11: Libraries (Informational, Grade 9) Paper 12: Expanded Definition: Resonance (Technical, College) Paper 13: Pablo Picasso (Informational, Grade 7) Paper 14: Desert Tortoise (Informational, Grade 7) Paper 15: The Chameleon (Informational, Grade 4) Paper 16: The Giant Panda (Informational, Grade 4) Chapter 11 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities   12 Exploring the World of Beginning Writers If you work with challenged writers . . . Teaching Ourselves What to Look For Helping Writers See Their Strengths How the Traits Look Early On Paper 1: Bat and Spider (Age 4) Paper 2: Mike’s Note (Age 4) Paper 3: Clouds (Grade 2) Paper 4: Sam Is My Friend (Grade 1) Paper 5: My Favorite Brother Is Nick (Grade 1) Paper 6: I Like My Library (Grade 1) Paper 7: Catdog Shopping (Grade 1) Paper 8: Mason’s First Book (Kindergarten) Paper 9: Old (Grade 3) Paper 10: Dear Tooth Fairy (Grade 2) Paper 11: Jamey the Cat (Grade 2) Paper 12: Brad’s Pyramid (Grade 2) Paper 13: Mr. Bear Is Loving (Kindergarten) Paper 14: My Grocery List (Kindergarten) Paper 15: My To-Do List (Kindergarten) Paper 16: My Winter Vacation (Grade 2) Ideas for Teaching Traits to Beginners Thinking Like a Writer Posters (Figure 12.1) Favorite Books for Primary Paper 17: Guess Why I Like School? (Grade 1) Paper 18: My Dog (Anonymous) Paper 19: Dictated Story About the Coyote (Grade 2) Simple Editing Checklist for Primary (Figure 12.3) Advanced Editing Checklist for Primary (Figure 12.4) Copy Editors’ Symbols for Beginning Writers (Figure 12.6) Continuums for Charting Growth Primary Continuums (Figure 12.9) Give It Time Chapter 12 in a Nutshell Study Group: Interactive Questions and Activities     13 Communicating With Students Through Comments Through Conferences Two-Minute Conference Topics (Figure 13.2) Through Response Groups Through Grades Scores for Chris on Five Assignments (Figure 13.5) Communicating With Parents and Other Caregivers To Parents and Other Caregivers . . .   14 Expanding the Vision   Appendices   Appendix 1 Teacher 3-Level Writing Guide (Adaptable to 5- or 6-Point)   Appendix 2 Student 3-Level Writing Guide (Adaptable to 5- or 6-Point)   Appendix 3 Student “Leap the River” Writing Guide in Spanish   Appendix 4 Student Checklist in Spanish Appendix 5 Trait “Shorties” in Spanish   Appendix 6 Student Checklists (and Simplified Checklists) for n       Narrative Writing n       Informational Writing n       Persuasive Writing n       Literary Analysis   Appendix 7 Teacher 3-Level Informational Writing Guide (Adaptable to 5- or 6-Point)   Appendix 8 Student 3-Level Informational Writing Guide (Adaptable to 5- or 6-Point)   Appendix 9 Sample Correlations   Appendix 10 Blank Master of Lesson Planning Chart (Figure 8.5)