6Traits Digest #112 - Wednesday, December 1, 1999

  Re: 6Traits- Lack of Time
          by 
  Re: 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 


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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

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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



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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


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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


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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
  

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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

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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

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