Writing

In the fall, students will be introduced to cursive handwriting. By the end of the third grade your child will know how to write all Zaner-Bloser capital and lower case cursive letters. Throughout the year, students will be working on expanding their writing abilities. They will be expected to write complete sentences and detailed paragraphs. This process will begin with 6-Traits Writing. 

Ideas

• Does it makes sense?
• Do you have a clear topic?
• Is your idea specific?
• Did you include important details?
• Do you have enough information?

Organization

• How does the paper begin?
• Did you tell things in order?
• What was the most important thing in your paper?
• Was it easy to read?
• Did your paper include details?
• Did your paper have an ending?

Word Choice

• Did you use new words?
• Did you include exciting words?
• Can the reader tell what your words mean?
• Did you include energetic verbs?

Conventions

• Did you capitalize letters at the beginning of your sentences?
• Did you use appropriate punctuation?
• Did you leave space between words?
• Did you include a title?
• Did you indent to show where a new idea begins?
• Does your paper have margins on both sides?
• Did you leave space at the bottom of your paper?
• Did you use your best spelling?

Sentence Fluency

• Did you use complete sentences?
• Did you begin sentences in different ways?
• Do your sentences flow together?
• Does your paper have long and short sentences?
• Is your paper easy to read aloud?

Voice

• Do you like your paper?
• Does it sound like "you"?
• Did you say what you really think?
• How do you want the reader to feel?
• Did you write your paper using your own words?
• Does your personality show in your paper?