The Writers Craft

pp. 58-66
Writers craft is the way that a writer catches a readers attention; it is what makes the
writing great.
There are six traits (plus one) that are a part of a writers craft.
1. Ideas-the message and its meaning (interesting topics, developed ideas and
details, etc.)
2. Organization-creating an effective hook to convince readers to keep reading,
setting a purpose so that readers understand where the story is going and why,
presenting and transitioning ideas in a logical way so that readers follow the plot
easily, ending in a clear, meaningful way
3. Voice-the personality and life that the writer adds to the piece-writing with
passion and meaning is accomplished through word choice and tone
4. Word Choice-the rights words at the right time in the right place (lively verbs,
specific nouns, perfect adjectives and adverbs, applicable figurative language,
etc.)
5. Sentence Fluency-rhythm and flow of language that can be accomplished
through varied sentence length, patterns, structures, etc.
6. Convention-spelling, grammar, and mechanics used correctly and sometimes
used incorrectly purposefully
7. Presentation-the way the final copy looks (clarity, structure, special features, etc.)
Teachers can develop these traits of writing by understanding that reading and writing
are reciprocal processes. Students learn to write from reading and learn to read from
writing. There are similar components and processes for each task. Those can be
applied across both reading and writing. Reading (prereading, reading, responding,
exploring, and applying); Writing (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing)

Daily reading and writing experiences

Begin reading and writing processes as early as possible (kindergarten or before)
Use activities that reflect the developmental nature of reading and writing
Connect reading and writing
Emphasize the processes of reading and writing
Set clear purposes for reading and writing
Teaching reading and writing through authentic experiences.