6 Trait Power Write®
Friendly Letter
Table of Contents
Writing Process
Choose a Topic ................................................................................................................. 2
Evaluate Your Topic .......................................................................................................... 3
Prewrite ▪ Organize (Friendly Letter) ................................................................................. 4
Write Sloppy Copy............................................................................................................. 5
Evaluate 6 Traits ▪ Revise.................................................................................................. 6-8
Wait ▪ Read Aloud ▪ Input and Feedback........................................................................... 9
Tackle Final Flaws ▪ End with a Perfect Copy ................................................................... 10
Assess Your Writing Process ............................................................................................ 11
Additional Brainstorming Activities
5 W’s and How .................................................................................................................. 12
Describe an Event ............................................................................................................. 13
Describe a Person ............................................................................................................. 14
Describe a Place ............................................................................................................... 15
Describe a Thing ............................................................................................................... 16
Freewrite............................................................................................................................ 17
Sensory Details ................................................................................................................. 18
Print only the pages you need. Select File – Print. Type the page number(s) and/or page
ranges separated by commas in the Pages field.
Example:
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Review the Power Write Process
Prewrite
Brainstorm ideas
Organize
Put ideas in order
Write Sloppy Copy
Focus on ideas
Evaluate 6 Traits
Consider changes
Revise
Make changes
Wait
Set writing aside
Read Aloud
Read to an audience
Input and Feedback
Discuss and suggest
Tackle Final Flaws
Make final corrections
End with a Perfect Copy!
Present your writing
Choose a Topic
Friends and family who live far away enjoy getting letters in the mail. Well-written letters with
meaningful content can be kept and treasured for many years. Friendly letters are also a great
way to introduce yourself to someone new in your life.
Another way to use letter writing is to write a letter to a character in a story or book. This is a
fun way to think about what you would like to say to the character if you could exchange
letters.
Instructions:
Brainstorm a list of people you would like to write to.
My choice: ________________________________________________________________
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Evaluate Your Topic
Instructions:
The questions below will help you think about your Assignment, Self, and Knowledge (ASK).
Your topic may need to change if you answer No to any of the questions.
My choice: __________________________________________________________________
Assignment
1. Will I be writing to someone I have not talked to recently? If possible, choose someone you
do not talk to daily.
inform/explain
entertain/create
persuade/argue
express/reflect
2. Who will I be writing for? Think about what your audience expects, needs, or wants as you
develop your writing.
classmates
teacher
family
special interest group
young children
teens
adults
elderly
business
other
Self
3. Is this a person I am excited about writing to?
yes
no – consider changing topic
Knowledge
4. Do I know this person well enough to write about things we both know?
yes
no – consider changing topic
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Prewrite ▪ Organize (Friendly Letter)
A friendly letter is an informal letter that you write to a friend or relative. It could also be a
pretend letter that you are writing to a character in a book.
Use the topics below to help you brainstorm ideas to share in your letter. Write the keywords
below the topics. You do not have to write something in every section.
When you have finished brainstorming ideas, think about your organization. Number your
topics in the order you think will work best for your letter. After you complete the brainstorming
activity below, use your ideas to help develop your first draft.
Family #___
Friends #___
School #___
Community #___
World #___
Sports #___
Hobbies #___
Events #___
Pets #___
Books, Jokes, Songs #___
Movies, TV Shows #___
Other #___
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Write Sloppy Copy
Your first draft can be called a “sloppy copy” because you are not expected to write perfectly
on this step. This is your time to focus on developing your ideas. You will be able to perfect
your writing later as you work through the writing process.
Write your first draft below. Refer to your prewriting and organizing ideas to help guide you as
you write. Skip lines so you have space to evaluate and revise your writing.
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Evaluate 6 Traits ▪ Revise
Instructions for Evaluate 6 Traits:
Arrange your first draft so you can see it as you read the Evaluate 6 Traits questions. This will allow you
to read the question, look at your writing, and decide if revisions are needed. Some sections have an
activity to help you see where you can improve your writing. Mark the Skip box only if your teacher has
told you to skip an activity or question.
Read a question and then look at your writing. Spend 5-30 seconds deciding whether you need to
revise. Check the Yes box if your writing meets the expectations. If you need to make changes, check
the Revise box. Repeat the process until you have finished all assigned questions and activities.
Instructions for Revise:
When you are finished evaluating your writing, go back to any questions you marked to revise. Reread
the question and revise your writing.
Yes
Revise
---
Skip
Trait 1: Organization
Identify the main idea of each paragraph. You may find that you need to
divide your writing into paragraphs if you have more than one main idea in
a paragraph. Write your main ideas in the margin to help you evaluate the
order of your ideas. Check the Yes box when finished.
Heading and Greeting
1.1 Did I write my street address or post office box for the first line of my
heading? Example: 4382 Shady Grove
1.2 Did I write my city, state, and zip? Example: New York, NY 28207
1.3 Did I write the current date? Example: May 14, 2008
1.4 Did I write a greeting such as Dear _____, followed by a comma?
Body
1.1 Does my opening paragraph sound like the beginning of a conversation?
1.2 Does the order of my ideas make my letter easy to understand? Mark any text
that needs to be moved.
1.3 Do I use transitions to connect my thoughts and keep my reader focused?
Highlight transitions. Consider places where transitions are needed.
1.4 Do my ideas and details move along at a good pace? Do not spend too much
time on one idea and not enough on another. Add or delete details as needed.
1.5 Do my paragraph breaks clearly separate my main ideas and make my writing
easy to understand?
1.6 Does my final paragraph sound like I am ending a conversation and saying
good-bye?
Closing and Signature
1.7 Do I end with a personal closing such as Sincerely, Love, or Your friend
followed by a comma?
1.8 Do I leave enough room to sign my name below the closing when I print a
copy to send?
1.9 If I have used a P.S., is it an afterthought, or should it be included in my letter?
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Evaluate 6 Traits ▪ Revise (continued)
Yes
Revise
Skip
Trait 2: Ideas and Content
2.1 Do my ideas focus on what my reader will find interesting? Will my reader
want to write me back? Delete unrelated, repeated, or uninteresting details.
2.2 Do I share specific experiences, descriptions, information, or stories that will
interest my reader? Add details as needed.
2.3 Is my letter easy to understand? Change, add, or delete details to make your
letter clear.
Yes
Revise
Skip
Trait 3: Word Choice
Identify nouns, verbs, and descriptive words in your writing to help you
evaluate your word choice. Mark each part of speech differently.
---
3.1 Will some of my words or phrases make my reader want to remember how I
said them?
3.2 Have I chosen words that are correct and appropriate for my reader and my
purpose? Change or define words that might not be understood.
3.3 Does my letter sound natural? Avoid thesaurus overkill! If you cannot find a
word that fits naturally, try rewriting the sentence.
3.4 Do I use specific nouns, lively verbs, and vivid descriptions to make my letter
enjoyable to read? Revise general nouns and verbs. Add detailed descriptions.
3.5 Do I avoid repeated words, unnecessary wordiness, or overused words?
Change repeated or overused words. Revise wordiness.
Yes
Revise
Skip
Trait 4: Voice
4.1 Does my letter relate to my reader's age and reflect my relationship with this
person? A letter to a friend might have a different tone than a letter to a
grandparent.
4.2 Does my letter meet the expectations of my audience and purpose?
4.3 Will my letter cause my reader to experience emotions such as feeling happy,
sad, excited, or surprised? Think about what will make your reader feel
something.
4.4 Does my letter sound like me? Revise your letter if you did not write in a way
that shows your unique personality.
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Evaluate 6 Traits ▪ Revise (continued)
Yes
Revise
Skip
Trait 5: Sentence Fluency
Circle the first word of each sentence so you can easily see the lengths and
beginnings of your sentences. This will help you quickly evaluate your
writing as you work through the questions below.
---
5.1 Do my sentence structures make my main ideas clear and show how my
ideas connect? Revise sentences as needed to make ideas and details easy
to understand.
5.2 Do I have long and short sentences to make my writing flow like a natural
conversation would? Read your letter aloud to hear the flow of your writing.
5.3 Have I used a variety of sentence structures or patterns that make my writing
easy to read aloud? Check your sentence variety. Label your sentences as
simple (s), compound (cd), complex (cx), and compound-complex (cc). Revise
sentences as needed.
5.4 Do I avoid beginning my sentences with the same word or pattern of words?
Do not begin sentences with the words and, but, or so unless they are used
for style. Try not to begin more than two sentences with the same word in the
same paragraph.
5.5 Do I avoid awkward run-on sentences? Find where one thought ends and
another begins.
5.6 Do I avoid choppy or fragmented sentences, unless they are used
occasionally to add style? Combine choppy or fragmented sentences, or add
more details to a short sentence if needed.
5.7 If I use dialogue to show what someone actually said, does it sound natural?
Yes
Revise
Skip
Trait 6: Conventions
6.1 Do I have correct capital letters and abbreviations?
6.2 Do I have correct end punctuation, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks,
colons, semicolons, dashes, and parentheses?
6.3 Do I spell each word correctly? Correct any misspellings that are identified.
6.4 Have I checked carefully for missing words? Example: We went the store. The
word "to" is missing.
6.5 Are my sentences free of errors in grammar and usage? Check verb tenses,
subject-verb agreement, degrees of comparison, and easily confused words.
6.6 Do I indent paragraphs five spaces? Do I have correct spacing between
words and sentences?
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Wait ▪ Read Aloud ▪ Input and Feedback
Instructions for Wait:
Congratulations! You have completed most of the hard work of writing. It is time to take a
break. Even a five-minute break will help you see things you may have missed when revising.
Instructions for Read Aloud/Input and Feedback:
Before reading aloud, pretend you have an audience and read your writing quietly to yourself.
This will help you identify things that could improve your writing. Make changes if needed.
Your audience could be one person, a small group, or the class. Read your writing quietly to
your audience or have your audience read it to you. You and your audience should be able to
look at your writing during the Read Aloud. If your audience has questions or seems confused,
stop and discuss. Mark any changes that need to be made.
After you finish reading your writing aloud, ask your audience the Input and Feedback
questions below and record the responses.
Read Aloud audience: ______________________________________________________
1. Does my opening paragraph sound like the beginning of a conversation?
2. Do I share interesting information and ask questions?
3. Does my last paragraph sound like the end of a conversation?
4. Can you think of any other questions, comments, or suggestions to help me improve my
writing?
5. What was the most interesting part of my letter? Why?
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Tackle Final Flaws ▪ End with a Perfect Copy
A flaw is something that is not quite perfect. When you Tackle Final Flaws, you are looking for
any remaining errors. Many writers call this the “polishing edit.”
Read one sentence at a time in your revised Sloppy Copy. Look for any remaining flaws or
errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, verb tense, correct word usage, etc. Correct any
mistakes you find.
Neatly copy your final draft on the lines below to End with a Perfect Copy.
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Assess Your Process
Assess how well you used the strategies in the writing process to improve your writing. Use the
Process Rating Rubric below to determine a rating for each of the steps listed in the process.
Circle your rating for each of the steps below.
Writing Process Steps
Prewrite / Organize
5
My Rating
4
3
2
Write Sloppy Copy
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
Evaluate 6 Traits / Revise
Read Aloud / Input & Feedback
Tackle Final Flaws / End with a Perfect Copy
1
Process Rating Rubric
5
4
3
2
1
I spent a perfect amount of time and effort on this step.
I spent an appropriate amount of time and effort on this step.
I could have spent more time and/or effort on this step.
I needed to spend more time and/or effort on this step.
I barely spent any time or effort on this step.
Reflect:
Describe how well you think you did on this assignment. Did you discover or learn anything
about yourself as a writer or about your topic? Did you meet any previously set writing goals?
Set Goals:
Could you improve the amount of time and effort you spent on any of the writing
process steps?
Could you improve your writing for any of the six traits of writing – organization, ideas
and content, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, and conventions?
Write goals for improvement.
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
5 W’s and How
One way to explore a topic is to ask questions beginning with the words who, what, when,
where, why, and how.
Examples: Who discovered acid rain?
What causes acid rain?
What are the effects of this type of pollution?
What is the definition of acid rain pollution?
Brainstorm as many questions as you can for each question word. When you write your first
draft, focus on writing details that answer the questions.
Who…?
What…?
When…?
Where…?
Why…?
How…?
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Describe an Event
Because events have a beginning, a middle, and an end, the most logical organization for
describing an event is in the order the events occur. This is called chronological order.
Write a brief description of the main events in the boxes below. You do not have to complete
all of the boxes. After you complete the brainstorming activity below, use your ideas to help
develop your first draft.
Event
Even 1
t1
Event
Even 2
t2
Event
Even 3
t3
Event
Even5
t5
Event
Even 4
t4
Event 6
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Describe a Person
As a writer of description, you can decide the direction in which you want to lead your reader's
eye. There are four commonly used directions when describing things in spatial order:
near to far (or reverse)
top to bottom (or reverse)
side to side
inside to outside (or reverse)
One way to create a powerful description of a person is to describe a person's character and
personality while describing what the person looks like. Use the following strategies to describe
a person:
use dialogue or quotes to reveal personality and character through what the person says
describe a memory involving the person while describing physical traits, personality traits,
actions, and anecdotes
work personality and physical traits into actions and anecdotes
Brainstorm details that will help describe this person. After completing the brainstorming
activity below, use your ideas to help develop your first draft.
Personality traits:
Physical traits:
Actions that reveal personality:
Anecdotes or brief stories that show the person's character and personality:
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Describe a Place
Every good descriptive paragraph has an overall impression that it leaves with the reader. This
impression may be scary, peaceful, funny, sad, or any other feeling or mood. When specific
details are used to show rather than tell, the writing comes to life.
Brainstorm details about a place. Include as many sensory details as possible about what you
see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. After completing the brainstorming activity below, use your
ideas to help develop your first draft.
Describe what is in front:
Describe what is behind:
Describe what is to the left:
Describe what is to the right:
Describe what is below:
Describe what is above:
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Describe a Thing
When writing a description, you cannot include every detail about the subject. Instead, decide
on the overall feeling you want your reader to experience. Focus your description on things
that will help create that feeling in your reader.
Write your topic and brainstorm subtopics and related descriptions. Add as many details as
possible to each section.
After you finish brainstorming, think about the best order for the subtopics. Number the
subtopics in the order that would make the most sense when describing the topic. Then think
about the descriptive details, and number the details in the best order for describing the
subtopics. After you complete the brainstorming activity below, use your ideas to help develop
your first draft.
My topic: ___________________________________________________________________
Detail
#
Subtopic #_____
Detail
#
Subtopic #_____
Detail
#
Subtopic #_____
Detail
#
Subtopic #_____
Detail
#
Subtopic #_____
Detail
#
Subtopic #_____
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Freewrite
Freewriting is a powerful strategy for discovering and developing ideas.
Think about your topic and try to write without stopping for five to ten minutes. Do not worry
about writing information you might not need or about making mistakes. The important thing is
to discover what you think.
After you complete your brainstorming, use your ideas to help develop your first draft.
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Name:_____________________
Friendly Letter
Date: ____________________
Sensory Details
If a description contains only vague ideas and general words, readers will soon lose interest.
Specific details and words that appeal to the senses are the sparks that activate the reader's
imagination.
Example:
Vague or general words:
Josie felt sad.
Specific details and words:
Josie slumped in the big, overstuffed chair, resting her
downcast head on her fist and sighing.
Brainstorm words or phrases that will help your audience experience what they are reading.
After you finish the brainstorming activity below, use your ideas to help you write your first
draft.
Sights
Sounds
Smells
Tastes
Feel (External)
Feel (Internal)
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