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Strategies for teaching the 6 Traits of Writing

IdeasOrganization  |  Voice  |  Word Choice  |  Sentence Fluency  |  Conventions

Trait of Sentence Fluency

Focus on the basics of sentence writing.

Help students consider the necessary ingredients of every sentence.

Passing the Tower Test | Mini-Lesson Resources

Play Smackdown.

A sentence has a subject and a verb and is a complete thought. Teach students to strip any sentence down to its core— the subject & verb. Then play Jeff Anderson’s (Mechanically Inclined) “Sentence Smackdown.”

Set out on a 2-Sentence Search.

As a follow-up to Smackdown, collect two-word sentences from reading—a subject and a verb. Here are some examples found in various literature. NOTE: Exclude dialogue from the hunt, but don’t limit your search to literature/fiction.

  • Look for two-word sentences in opinion/argumentative writing and all genres of informative text.
  • Encourage students to look for examples in authentic text they come across in their everyday world (e.g., CD covers, restaurant placemats, greeting cards, etc.).

Help students stretch out their sentences.