Six Traits of Writing Mini Lessons: Narrative, Informational & Persuasive Gr 2-3

This bundle includes 18 mini lessons (teacher-led lessons that are about 10-15 minutes long) that teach the six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions) and is intended for grades 2-3 within narrative, informational and persuasive/opinion/argument writing. Some of these lessons were developed as a resource to support teachers in teaching the six traits using the mentor texts and lesson ideas expanded upon from the book The Writing Thief, by Ruth Culham, a trait-based strategy to assess and teach writing. All ideas and verbiage from The Writing Thief are clearly cited back to the book itself.

How to Use These Lessons

The lessons are designed to be completed during one writer’s workshop period, which is typically 45-60 minutes. Approximately 10-15 minutes of the workshop time should be devoted to a quick, teacher-led mini-lesson, the teaching point, “I do,” while the remaining time of the workshop time should be devoted to students for active engagement and student interaction, “You do,” and writing independently. In some cases, the active engagement piece may take a few writer’s workshop sessions for students to complete. It is during that time that writing time that the most important instruction takes place: conferring with students or meeting with small groups with the same need for instruction.

Includes:

A list of mentor texts (read alouds) needed for each lesson. These can be borrowed from your school library or audiobooks found on youtube is also a great option. Some mini-lessons require certain passages which are included. See the preview for a list of mentor texts.

Narrative Lessons

Grades 2-3: Ideas- Getting Focused

Grades 2-3: Organization:

Developing the Body

Grades 2-3: Voice: Taking Risks to Create Voice

Grades 2-3: Sentence Fluency: Crafting Well Built Sentences

Grades 2-3: Word Choice: Using Strong Verbs

Grades 2-3: Conventions: Using Exclamation Marks Correctly

Informational Lessons

Grades 2-3: Ideas- Getting Focused

Grades 2-3: Organization:

Creating the Lead

Grades 2-3: Voice: Establishing a Tone

Grades 2-3: Sentence Fluency: Crafting Well Built Sentences

Grades 2-3: Word Choice: Using Language Effectively

Grades 2-3: Conventions: Using Commas Correctly

Persuasive/Opinion/Argument Lessons

Grades 2-3: Ideas: Using Details

Grades 2-3: Organization:

Creating the Lead

Grades 2-3: Voice: Establishing a Tone

Grades 2-3: Sentence Fluency: Varying Sentence Patterns

Grades 2-3: Word Choice: Using Language Effectively

Grades 2-3: Conventions: Using Parts of Speech

This is a digital download (PDF).

Purchasing this product grants permission for use by one teacher in his or her own classroom. If you intend to share with others, please purchase an additional license for the desired product.