The Nodaway-Holt school district has made writing a focus starting in 2013. Students do writing assessments at the beginning, middle and end of the year. The district focuses on the 6 +1 Traits of Writing. Students are evaluated on a 4 point scale with 4 being the best. The traits we are focusing on this school year are Ideas, Organization, Word Choice and Voice.
- Ideas: The piece’s content—its central message and details that support that message.
- Organization: The internal structure of the piece—the thread of logic, the pattern of meaning.
- Voice: The tone and tenor of the piece—the personal stamp of the writer—which is achieved through a strong understanding of purpose and audience.
- Word Choice: The vocabulary the writer uses to convey meaning and enlighten the reader.
- Sentence Fluency: The way words and phrases flow through the piece. Sentence fluency is known as the auditory trait because it’s “read” with the ear as much as the eye.
- Conventions: The mechanical correctness of the piece. Correct use of conventions (spelling, capitalization, punctuation, paragraphing, and grammar and usage) guides the reader through the text easily.
- Presentation: The physical appearance of the piece. A visually appealing text provides a welcome mat. It invites the reader in.