Toolkit98
Too often, in analyzing the writing of young children, it is tempting to look at what they cannot yet do: punctuation is arbitrary, words are omitted, spelling is phonetic, it's too short, it doesn't say a lot, it's hard to read. In our eagerness to have them succeed, we anxiously list and record all the things they cannot yet do—sometimes overlooking the many strengths that show themselves a little differently at primary level. NWREL's primary version of the 6-Trait Writing Assessment Model is designed to help users see early writing with new eyes—instead of looking for what a student can't yet do, we look for and build on what they can do.
Strengths in the traits show up right from the earliest writings. We just have to know what to look for. They do look a little different among young writers! But we can train our eyes to see the beginnings of writing skill.
For instance, suppose a child scribbles intense, dark lines in all directions on the page. We may not be able to read it in the traditional sense, but we can still find a way to connect it to the traits: 'Just look at all the feeling you put into this picture! Your work has a lot of voice.'
…Think of the traits as a vehicle for helping your young writers discover their strengths, and learn to build on what is already there.
Seeing With New Eyes, 1996
Vicki Spandel
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
101 SW Main, Suite 500
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 275-9500
Developed by Vicki Spandel, Senior Associate, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, for Seeing with New Eyes, 1997 edition. My deepest appreciation to primary teachers from many schools and districts— including Bethel, AK, Homer, AK, Juneau, AK, Soldotna, AK; Blue Valley, KS, Lawrence, KS, Olathe, KS, Shawnee Mission, KS, Wichita, KS; Bellevue, NE, Blair (NE) Community Schools, Elkhorn, NE, Millard, NE, Papillion/LaVista, NE, Ralston, NE, Valley, NE, Westside (NE) Community Schools; Carbon-LeHigh, PA; Beaverton, OR, Grants Pass, OR, Hillsboro, OR, Lake Grove, PR, Lake Oswego, OR, Silverton, OR; Issaquah, WA, Mt. Vernon, WA, Vancouver, WA, and Wenatchee, WA—for the creative thinking and ideas that contributed to development of this continuum. Thank you, everyone!
Primary Continuum
for
beginning writers
The Exploring Writer
_____Uses pictures to express ideas.
_____Uses scribbles to express ideas.
_____Creates shapes that imitate print or cursive text.
_____Dictates story, message, or label for picture.
_____Writes random "letters."
_____Reader needs help to interpret pictures or "text."
The Emerging Writer
_____Creates pictures and text reader can interpret with inferences and good guesses.
_____Combines pictures with imitative text, letters, or "just readable" words.
_____Uses labels to expand meaning.
_____Pictures carry more meaning than text.
The Developing Writer
_____Creates easily recognizable pictures and text.
_____Creates stand-alone text that expresses a clear message.
_____Attends to detail in pictures and/or text (more than a quick scribble or sketch).
_____Text carries as much meaning as pictures—or slightly more.
The Fluent/Experienced Writer
_____Creates pictures and/or stand-alone text that makes a point or tells a simple story.
_____Elaborates on message or story.
_____Incorporates the kinds of significant, less-than-obvious details that give both text and pictures interest, depth, and meaning.
_____Presents ideas that catch a reader’s attention.
_____Shows knowledge of topic.
_____Text carries most or all of the meaning (though pictures may be used to enhance meaning).
Writing Criteria for Organization
The Exploring Writer
_____Places letters, shapes, scribbles, or pictures randomly on the page.
_____May fill one corner of the page or the whole page.
The Emerging Writer
_____Shows a growing sense of balance in placement of scribbles, text, or pictures.
_____Shows clear sense of coordination between text and pictures: e.g., a reader can readily see that they go together.
_____Begins to "center" work on the page.
The Developing Writer
_____Shows a beginning sense of sequencing or patterning (e.g., chronological order, main point and support) in written text.
_____Shows skill with story boarding (creating pictures in sequence to make a point or tell a story).
_____Writes multiple sentences in an order that supports a main point or story.
_____Shows a sense of beginning: This is a story of... One day... My favorite food...
_____Uses conventions such as title, indentation, numbers (1, 2 or first, second), and "The End" to help structure written text.
_____Presents work in a visually balanced way on the page.
The Fluent/Experienced Writer
_____Uses definite beginning and concluding statements (other than simply "The End") in text.
_____Uses transitional words and phrases (next, then, so, but, while, after that, because, etc.) to connect ideas.
_____Shows skill in sequencing a simple story chronologically.
_____In informational writing, shows skill in
The Exploring Writer
_____Copies words or letter shapes from environmental print.
_____Creates shapes or scribbles that represent words, even though a reader cannot yet translate them without help.
_____Writes in letter strings (all "letters" may not be recognizable).
The Emerging Writer
_____Writes recognizable words.
_____Uses labeling to enhance or "dress up" pictures.
_____Chooses words or labels or short phrases that clearly go with picture text.
_____Uses various parts of speech: e.g., naming words (nouns), describing words (adjectives), and action words (verbs).
The Developing Writer
_____Enjoys combining pictures with more extended text.
_____Uses expressive or descriptive phrases and short sentences, not just one- or two-word labels.
_____"Stretches" to use new words, even if she/he cannot spell them yet: e.g., The lage harabel ants are planing to get the jucsy red appel from the bird.
_____Creates text that conveys a clear general meaning: e.g., My dog runs fast.
The Fluent/Experienced Writer
_____Chooses words that make meaning clear and also create a particular mood or build a picture in the reader’s mind: e.g., Dad and the ball collided.
_____Uses individual phrasing that enhances personal voice, e.g., My dog’s ears were flourishing with thick fur.
_____Experiments with language in a variety of ways: imitating, inventing new words, rhyming, and/or looking for a particular "just right" word.
_____Relies only minimally on general words (nice, great, fun, wonderful, special).
_____Uses a variety of words, with little redundancy.
The Exploring Writer
_____May use scribbles or imitative letter strings: LIEKPTLSSINKT.
_____Does not yet write in sentences or word strings.
The Emerging Writer
_____Writes in word strings or simple sentence patterns (some sentences may not be complete).
_____Writes one sentence or an "almost" sentence: e.g.,
I LIK TO PLAY WITH MY BLOKS.
ME BIK AN THE SUN.
_____May use repetitive sentence patterns: e.g., I am a ball. I like be a ball. I lik Jim.
The Developing Writer
_____Writes in sentences; often includes more than one sentence in given text.
_____May imitate sentence patterns he/she has heard.
_____Begins sentences in different ways.
_____Creates text that another person can readily read aloud: e.g., I have a toy. The toy I have is my favrit toy and this toy is my bear.
The Fluent/Experienced Writer
_____Written text begins to imitate oral fluency.
_____Shows variety in sentence lengths and beginnings.
_____Writes as many sentences as he/she needs to complete the text.
_____Creates text that is easy for another to read aloud with expression.
_____Experiments with sentence fluency through some of the following:
____varied beginnings
____longer sentences
____more complex sentences
____use of dialogue
____poetry
____rhythmic patterns
_____Creates text with a natural, "easy flow" kind of sound: e.g., My name is Watcher because I am an eye tooth. Just today I was cleaned. It sort of hurts but I’ve gotten to like it.
The Exploring Writer
_____Experiments with print by
____ creating scribbles to represent text
____ creating scribbles that represent individual letters
_____May write with letter strings, usually pre-phonetic: e.g., SAMSAAUATT.
_____Can put own name (or a version thereof) on paper.
_____May create some recognizable letters or numbers: e.g., NAT02.
The Emerging Writer
_____Imitates many features of environmental print:
____ shapes that resemble letters
____ letters or letter shapes that face the right direction
____ left-to-right orientation on the page, up-to-down orientation on the page
____ blending of text with illustrations
_____Distinguishes between upper and lower case letters; begins to associate capitals with "important" words (may not always place capitals correctly).
_____Experiments with punctuation, especially periods, which may be randomly placed: e.g., I Luv. My Dog.
_____Writes own name on personal work.
_____Uses beginning (pre-phonetic) spelling with a few sounds—mostly consonants, few vowels: e.g.,
I lik t d nts
(I like to draw knights).
_____Continues to write with letter strings and short word strings, expanding to multiple words and simple sentences: e.g., I rn fast.
_____Often uses labels, titles, or both.
The Developing Writer
_____Incorporates more conventions from environmental print into own text:
____ spacing between words
____ spacing between lines
____ appropriate directional placement of letters—E, not
____ consistent left-right and up-down orientation
____ use of a title
____ margins
_____Uses both upper and lower case letters, (some of which may be randomly placed); often capitalizes "I," own name, names of others, and words of significance: e.g., I luv my Dog.
_____Experiments with other forms of punctuation: question marks, ellipses, commas, quotation marks, etc.
_____Expands to basic phonetic spelling with more consonant sounds and more vowels: e.g., I lik tu dru nits (I like to draw knights).
_____Writes own name and other significant words. Guesses at many words.
_____Uses inventive spelling well enough to create readable text: e.g., My dinosaur cam bak. He ets fish. He is my frnd.
_____Usually places periods at the ends of sentences: e.g., I luv my dog.
The Fluent/Experienced Writer
_____Consistently incorporates conventions of spacing and directional placement of letters into own text.
_____Regularly uses both upper and lower case letters, and usually places them correctly: e.g., caps on names, caps at beginnings of sentences, capitalizing pronoun "I." May also capitalize words which are simply important to him/her: e.g., My Dog is my Frend.
_____Usually places periods and question marks correctly.
_____Continues to experiment with other punctuation: dashes, commas, quotation marks, ellipses, colons, semicolons, parentheses, and such. Places punctuation correctly, or makes a good guess.
_____Uses readable spelling for most words. Conventionally correct spelling of simple, familiar words:
e.g., I like to draw nites (I like to draw knights). Good guesses on difficult words: e.g., The bright yellow sun reflects off the trueds (tremendous) airplane.
_____Writes more than one paragraph if needed.
_____Uses title if needed.
_____Uses margins.
*Many behaviors relating to reading, speaking, and listening skills also reflect students’ ever-growing understanding of the traits. Behavioral criteria for all six traits are listed in Appendix 2, pp. 301ff.
This document's URL is:
Home | Up & Coming | Programs & Projects: Assessment | People | Products & Publications | Topics
© 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
Email Webmaster
Tel. 503.275.9500
