Zoey's Page

The Six Traits of Writing

Ideas

Description: Chrysanthemum is a little mouse who is so excited to finally go to school but on the first day shes there, other children start teasing her about her name. The confidence she had about about her name dims and she begins to feel ashamed. But one day her Music teacher reveals that she too has a very long name and is going to name her baby Chrysanthemum too. After that, all the children decide they want long and pretty names too.

Connection to Trait: This book goes along with the ideas trait very well because it shows students how they can develop their story to continue to make it exciting and engaging to listen to. The book clearly sticks to one idea, Chrysanthemum's name, and will help the students to understand how they can do that as well.

Use in Classroom: I would use this in my classroom as a mentor text for not only idea but how we can be supportive of everyone in the classroom, no matter the differences that they may have.

Organization

Description: Click, Clack, Moo, Cows that Type is a book about a farmer who's cows discover an old typewriter in the barn and use it to demand heated blankets, and then go on strike once their demands are not met.

Connection to Trait: This book connects to the organization trait because it shows students how to correctly set up a book using an engaging hook, providing transition between ideas and ending using a satisfying conclusion.

Use in Classroom: I would use this book in my classroom to teach students the basic structure for a story and how they can organize their writing in a clearly structured way that is easy for their readers to follow.

Voice

Description: Diary of a Wombat is a silly story about the daily activities of a wombat; scratching, digging holes and demanding food from humans.

Connection to Trait: This book connects to trait because it clearly shows one voice/perspective for the entire story and it's told just as if the wombat was writing the book about his day and not a person.

Use in Classroom: I would use this book in my classroom to teach about how to write using tone and how they can write stories creatively using the perspective of an animal rather than humans.

Word Choice

Description: The word collector is a book about how a little boy names Jerome is a collector of words instead of typical things like rocks or buttons. He collects all of his words by writing them on pieces of paper and then organizing them into books with words about similar topics. One day his books get spilled and they fly around everywhere, getting all jumbled up. Jerome learns that it is best for his words to be all jumbled up this way because it is what makes them the most beautiful and he shares his creations with everyone.

Connection to Trait: This book connects to word choice because it shows how important words are and how appreciated they can be.

Use in Classroom: I would use this book in the classroom as a mentor text for students to start making their own word books. This would make them become more engaged and curious to all the different words that surround them everyday and how they can apply it to their writing.

Sentence Fluency

Description: Owl Moon is a story about a little girl and her dad who go into the woods in the winter time to search for great horned owls.

Connection to Trait: This book connects to sentence fluency because it uses a variety of simple and complex sentences throughout the story.

Use in Classroom: I would use this in the classroom to teach a mini lesson around simple and complex sentences and discuss what contexts are more appropriate to use either one.

Conventions

Description: Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is a book about a bus driver who has to leave his bus unattended and asks the readers to keep an eye on the pigeon so that he doesn't drive the bus.

Connection to Trait: This book connects to conventions because it utilizes a lot of clear examples of how different punctuations can be used in a text.

Use in Classroom: I would use this book in my classroom to teach about punctuation and when it is appropriate to use each different kind. This story could also be used for voice.