Review: Daily 6-Trait Writing, Grade 5
Today, I’m reviewing Daily 6-Trait Writing, Grade 5, a writing course for 5th graders published by Evan-Moor.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy from Timberdoodle.
Daily 6-Trait Writing
“Daily 6-Trait Writing” seems like an awkward course title until you understand what the six traits of writing are:
- Ideas: “A good idea is clear, interesting, and original.”
- Organization: “When your writing is not organized, your reader can grow confused and lose interest.”
- Word Choice: “If you don’t choose your words carefully, your reader may not understand what you’re trying to say.”
- Sentence Fluency: “When your sentences don’t flow, your writing sounds choppy and flat.”
- Voice: “When you write, you show who you are through words.”
- Conventions: “Using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation when you write is important.”
“Daily 6-Trait Writing contains 25 weeks of mini-lessons divided into five units. Each unit provides five weeks of scaffolded instruction focusing on one of the traits. Each week of Daily 6-Trait Writing focuses on a specific skill…”
The workbook is well-planned and designed, with various practice activities and exercises. The pages are visually pleasing and have plenty of white space, which is very important in a workbook, particularly one that teaches writing.
The teacher’s guide is incorporated in the workbook rather than a separate manual. Permission is granted to make photocopies for single-classroom use, which makes this a very economical writing course if you have multiple students.
The assignments are carefully planned to help students notice and refine each of the six traits, whether coming up with a good idea, organizing their thoughts, choosing words carefully, using fluent sentences, allowing their voice to shine through, or following the rules or conventions of writing.
Each week, the assignments for Days 1-3 include models of writing for students to analyze, revise, or add to. Day 4 provides a pre-writing activity to align with the Day 5 writing prompt.
My Thoughts
Daily 6-Trait Writing is designed for teaching in a classroom. It could work for independent learners in a homeschool setting, but the parent would need to adapt the teaching notes somewhat. However, it is nice to have the answer key right there, along with a detailed scoring rubric.
The Grade 5 level is more grade-specific than I expected (as are, presumably, other levels). Topics would interest 10- or 11-year-old kids, such as school activities, photography, summer camp, shopping, a fifth-grade class trip, a kid’s bedroom, the fifth-grade band, and preparing food. The Grade 5 book could be used for a slightly younger or older student, but it wouldn’t work as well for a remedial course for a high school student or an adult.
In general, Daily 6-Trait Writing, Grade 5 is a great writing course. I like the way it’s laid out, and I can see how it would improve a fifth-grader’s writing skills. I would have enjoyed working through it when I was in fifth grade.
