6Traits Digest #112 - Wednesday, December 1, 1999 Re: 6Traits- Lack of Time byRe: Lack of time by "Susan Nixon" Re: Literacy Coalition by "Susan Nixon" Re: Really Great Book by "Susan Nixon" Re: 6Traits- Re: Literacy Coalition by Re: 6Traits- Lack of Time by Re: 6Traits- Re: Literacy Coalition by ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: 6Traits- Lack of Time From: Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 01:21:13 EST Hello David, Are you doing the Literacy Coalition program?? I always have started with 6 Traits in the morning, first thing... we also = have a literacy block. Curious how the rest of your block works. Wendy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Lack of time From: "Susan Nixon" Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 07:21:10 -0700 >My biggest problem this year (one of many) is that I don't have enough >time >to dedicate to writing instruction. During our 2 hour literacy block, >most >of the time is spent in literacy centers and guided readiing. Does >anyone >have any suggestions on including 6 Trait into this schedule. Does it >work >as a center, and if so, how? Hi, David, I don't have any ideas for using it as a center. After the traits are taught and students thoroughly understand them, there might be some possibilities, though. Does anyone do that? I use the 4 blocks literacy format in my classroom. It takes about 2 hours. Some days one block gets a bit more time and some days another. Approximately 30 minutes each is devoted to guided reading activities, self-selected reading, working with words and writing. I use the writer's workshop methods in writing and that is where I teach and model my 6 traits. Once I have explained a trait to the children, I begin to point it out in our reading. Then my students start to point it out to me. Some of them begin to use the other ideas. Others are still struggling to write one complete sentence, but the traits are roaming around in their minds, at least. Even if the writing assignment is from the basal, such as write a letter to the character giving them advice, traits can be incorporated in the assignment. At the K-2 level, we are helping students to become familiar and comfortable with the terminology and exactly what the traits are. By second, we will see some results. This is our district's first year using the traits. By the time we are in year three, and I have this year's kindergartners, if the K and 1 teachers have done the traits, my students will probably be using them even more. I have seen a tremendous response from some of my students. They are thinking of themselves as writers and thought crafters. Not all of them are the ones I would have expected to do well with writing and the traits. That's the best part. =3D) I'm also seeing them become better readers. Because of the word choice trait, they are recognizing more difficult words - words they wanted to use in their writing! Susan Nixon 2nd Grade Phoenix, AZ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Literacy Coalition From: "Susan Nixon" Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 07:24:25 -0700 >Are you doing the Literacy Coalition program?? Hi, Wendy, What is the Literacy Coalition program? > > >I always have started with 6 Traits in the morning, first thing... I'm just curious - at this point in the year, how many traits have you covered? I have done voice, ideas and word choice. Ideas was the hardest for them, so far, and word choice the easiest. I thought I would do sentence fluency next. In what order do you teach them? Susan Nixon 2nd Grade Phoenix, AZ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Really Great Book From: "Susan Nixon" Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 07:26:59 -0700 >Has anyone else heard of the book...Donavan's Word Jar ? Hi, Susan, I haven't heard of it, but it sounds like an excellent word choice book. Is that where you use it? I will be calling my bookstore friend to order it. Do you have the ISBN number? Susan Nixon 2nd Grade Phoenix, AZ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: 6Traits- Re: Literacy Coalition From: Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 18:30:34 EST I taught Ideas first, then introduced Conventions (they know so many of = them already, it was mostly introducing the word "conventions" and focusing on them for a few minilessons), and we are now working on Word Choice, which = the students seem to really get into! Kathi Gr. 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: 6Traits- Lack of Time From: Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 00:25:52 EST Wendy (and others) - Our literacy block is set-up with time for shared reading, then 1 hour 20 minutes of guided reading in small groups while other students are working = in literacy centers (Library, Computers, Word Work, and Listening). Then we = have about 10-20 minutes for other literature work....which might be where = my writing mini-lessons go. We are not with the Literacy Coalition. I don't know what that is. Thanks for any input in advance. David ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: 6Traits- Re: Literacy Coalition From: Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 00:52:49 EST This is my first year doing six traits in first grade. I taught fourth = grade two years with 6 traits. So far we have only covered Ideas and Word Choice, some... (and I mean = some) conventions, and just started on Voice. I plan to work more on Voice and Conventions after Christmas and not do Organization or Fluency until the = end of the year. My favorite trait is Voice, but I like starting with Idea first. I tried Word Choice this year with First Grade. We talked about Sparkling words. = I used the book Elbert's Bad Word early on, because I like the term = "sparkling words", which means something else in the book, but we have taken on the = term to use with a word wall in our room of words that "sparkle" and when they = try using a "sparkling word", I sprinkle them with "dazzle dust" (glitter) and = we add it to our wall. So far, it's worked well to get them to try new words and notice when = authors use words that can paint a picture. I just started on Voice. I'm finding = it difficult to get first graders to put as much Voice into their writing as they do when they "reread" it and it's not all there. But we are working = on it. Sometimes I do guided writing and spend tons of time one on one, = trying to get them to make those beginning steps to write more than one idea... that's when I see Voice take off. But it is very time consuming and only = one of me. I only have an aide 20 minutes once a week, so I've been trying to = run conference groups as well as literacy groups, so that I can have more time with each child at least once a week, beyond traditional = conferencing. My literacy block is 2 and half hours, but I believe in writing as the deciding key to literacy so strongly and if I don't do it first thing, it gets pushed on a back burner and when that happens I see so much of their literacy take a dive. Does anyone do 6 traits activities during literacy centers??? Wendy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- End of 6Traits Digest -- To unsubscribe, send any message at all to: 6Traits-off@. Archive of past digests is at: http://6Traits.Cyberspaces.net/archive/?_NO_DATETIME