What is 6+1 TRAIT writing?
Organization is the internal structure of the piece. Think of it as being like an animal’s skeleton, or the framework of a building under construction. Organization holds the whole thing together. That’s why it’s such an important trait. Many students say it is also one of the hardest traits to master. Maybe so. Isn’t it hard sometimes to organize your room? Attic? Garage? Closet? Or to organize your time? A party? A trip? Organizing your writing is much the same. You have to ask, Where do I begin? What comes next? After that? Which things go together? Which can be left out? How do I tie up the loose ends?
The 6+1 traits (TM) of writing were developed by the Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory. They describe the 6+1 traits (TM) as an analytical model for assessing
and teaching writing that is comprised of six + 1 key qualities that define
strong writing. These are: Ideas, the heart of the message, Organization,
the internal structure of the piece; Voice, the personal tone and flavor of
the author's message; Word Choice, the vocabulary a writer chooses to convey
meaning; Sentence Fluency, the rhythm and flow of the language; Conventions,
the mechanical correctness, and Presentation, how the writing actually looks
on the page. The following below will define each trait in more detail.