by Piece - Brevard Public Schools
by Piece - Brevard Public Schools
by Piece - Brevard Public Schools
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Six Traits of Writing Defined<br />
FCAT Writing Defined<br />
p. 2<br />
IDEAS:<br />
• the heart of the message<br />
• original, the writers own<br />
• strong ideas = clear message<br />
• the content of the piece<br />
• rich and developed<br />
• unusual, extraordinary, and unpredictable<br />
• interesting, informative details<br />
• layered, extended<br />
ORGANIZATION:<br />
• internal structure<br />
• events proceed logically<br />
• connections are strong<br />
• strong organization = reader’s anticipation<br />
of purpose fulfillment<br />
• the pattern fits the central idea<br />
• information is given in right doses<br />
• satisfying closure leaves reader thinking<br />
VOICE:<br />
• heart and soul of writing<br />
• writer coming through the words<br />
• writer is personally engaged with the<br />
topic<br />
• like the writer’s fingerprints-specific to<br />
one person<br />
• the magic, wit, feeling, life, and breath<br />
WORD CHOICE:<br />
• moves reader to envision<br />
• uses every day words well<br />
• clarifies and expands ideas<br />
• rich, colorful precise language<br />
• moves and enlightens the reader<br />
• vocabulary not used just to impress<br />
SENTENCE FLUENCY:<br />
• sentence variety<br />
• sound of word patterns<br />
• writing plays to the ear<br />
• sounds good when read aloud<br />
• rhythm and flow of the language<br />
• crafted for ease of reading experience<br />
• free of awkward word patterns<br />
• has cadence, power, rhythm, and<br />
movement<br />
CONVENTIONS:<br />
• ready for publication<br />
• mechanical correctness<br />
• spelling, grammar, usage<br />
• punctuation and capitalization<br />
• proofread and edited with care<br />
The FCAT Writing + assessment is scored <strong>by</strong> a holistic method. Trained scorers consider four<br />
elements then arrive at a score <strong>by</strong> considering the whole work.<br />
FOCUS refers to how clearly the paper presents and maintains a main idea, theme, or unifying<br />
point.<br />
• Papers receiving high scores demonstrate a consistent awareness of the topic and avoid<br />
loosely related or extraneous information.<br />
• Papers receiving low scores may contain information that is loosely related, extraneous, or<br />
both.<br />
ORGANIZATION refers to the structure or plan of development (beginning, middle, and end) and<br />
the relationship of one point to another. Organization refers to the use of transitional devices to<br />
signal both the relationship of the supporting ideas to the main idea, theme, or unifying point, and<br />
the connections between and among them.<br />
• Papers receiving high scores contain an effective organizational plan.<br />
• Papers receiving low scores may lack or misuse an organizational plan or transitional devices.<br />
SUPPORT refers to the quality of details used to explain, clarify, or define. The quality of support<br />
depends on word choice, specificity, depth, relevance, and thoroughness.<br />
• Papers receiving high scores generally provide elaborated examples and fully developed<br />
illustrations. The relationship between the supporting ideas and the topic is clear.<br />
• Papers receiving low scores may contain support that is a bare list of events or reasons,<br />
support that is not extended <strong>by</strong> detail, or both.<br />
CONVENTIONS refer to the punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, and sentence structure.<br />
These conventions are basic writing skills included in Florida’s Sunshine State Standards.<br />
• Papers receiving high scores generally follow the basic conventions of punctuation,<br />
capitalization, and spelling, using a variety of sentence structures to present ideas.<br />
• Papers receiving low scores often contain errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and<br />
sentence structure. They may have little variation in sentence structure.<br />
How FCAT and Six Traits Overlap<br />
FCAT<br />
FOCUS ORGANIZATION SUPPORT CONVENTIONS<br />
Six Traits<br />
Stimulating IDEAS Logical ORGANIZATION Stimulating IDEAS<br />
Personal VOICE<br />
Original WORD CHOICE<br />
Smooth-reading sentences<br />
SENTENCE FLUENCY<br />
Correct, accurate copy<br />
CONVENTIONS<br />
Revised Edition, 2008