6 Trait Writing

Giving meaningful feedback on kids’ writing can be stressful when all you can think to say is “add more detail.” The 6 Trait Writing framework breaks good writing into ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions, with rubrics and lesson ideas. Developed by Education Northwest, it’s widely used in schools to clarify what strong writing looks like. We love how it gives parents language to praise specific strengths and target one or two traits at a time. It’s ideal for roughly grades 3–12 and for any homeschooler or co‑op teacher wanting a consistent approach across assignments. The rubrics can feel a bit formal, and younger kids may not need every trait at once, but you can easily simplify. Pro tip: pick one piece of writing each week and focus feedback on just one trait—say, “voice”—using the descriptors to guide comments.