1.4  What are the Characteristics of Effective Writing?

All Kinds of Writing

     This section is about every kind of writing you do that will be evaluated by someone else. The writing doesn't have to be called a test, but if someone else will evaluate your work, you are being tested. This is the case for most of the academic writing you will ever do, and you can't afford to ignore the purpose and other features of your work when you are being tested.

     That would be like running down the street with your eyes closed. You might avoid trouble for awhile, but not for long. You need to see where you're going.

Skills for Four Writing Purposes

     MY Access! will develop your writing skills for the four types of writing purposes, and you will be able to use the skills you develop for the writing you need to do in all for as long as you write. These are life-long skills you will be developing.

     Think of soccer. At the earliest levels, the five-year-old kids are only a little bigger than the ball, but they're learning to run, dribble the ball, pass, steal the ball, recognize uniform colors, throw in, and kick on goal. They're learning hands off, staying in position, the benefits of teamwork, responsibilities of different positions, offensive strategies, defensive strategies, free kicks, strengths of the opposing players, offside rules, penalties, yellow cards, red cards, penalty kicks, goal kicks, and more.

     Across the street the middle school soccer team is practicing. What are they learning? They're doing everything the five-year-olds are doing, only at a higher level.

     On the television in the house down the street there's a World Cup soccer match playing. What are the best soccer players in the world doing? They're doing everything the five-year-olds are doing, only at a higher level.

     There is no World Cup for writing, but there are recognized world-class writers, and you're the middle school team learning the same skills and techniques as higher and lower levels.

Gold Medal Writing - What are its Characteristics? Who Decided?

     If you've watched competitive diving, ice skating, or gymnastics, you know that judges put up a score after the performance. The higher the score, the better. Do you know what goes into that score? Do you know how judges come up with a 5.8 or a 9.6?

     If you participate in one of these sports, you probably do; you have to know because you're being tested.

     It's just as important to know the score when your writing is being evaluated. In fact, you need to know how to evaluate your own work before you turn it in to be scored.

     Imagine running the 100 meter dash in a track meet with a mask on that lets you see only your lane, straight ahead of you. How would you know how well you were doing?

     Take the mask off when you're writing, too, and your evaluation skills will help you to become a better writer.

Five Traits (or Domains) of Effective Writing

     The rubric or scoring guide we'll use in the MY Access writing program has five traits, domains, or characteristics of good writing. Although not all authorities agree that there are exactly five traits (or domains), the traits or characteristics that follow show up on everyone's list in one form or another. Let's take a closer look at each trait (domain) in more detail:

Focus & Meaning: Effective writers stay focused on the topic or controlling (central or main) idea.

Effective writing: shows a thorough understanding of the purpose of the task, topic, or prompt; establishes a clear controlling (central or main) idea and remains completely focused on that idea; and completes all parts of the task. If there is a text (or texts) to read as part of the task, the writing also shows an understanding of key elements of the text(s), and makes clear connections between the task and the text(s).

     For example, if you are asked to explain whether or not you like baseball, you will focus on baseball and not get sidetracked and write about something else.

A "4" for Focus & Meaning on a 4-point rubric scale may look like:

I really don't like baseball because I think it is too boring. Most of the game the players are just standing around doing nothing. I think it is stupid to run around the bases after hitting a ball with a bat.

A "1" for Focus & Meaning on a 1-point rubric scale may look like:

I really like baseball bacause I think it is fun. My cousin plays on the same team as me. He's got a pet frog at home. We spend a lot of time playing together in the summer.

Content & Development: Effective writers use details and examples to develop their ideas fully.

Effective writing: develops ideas fully and artfully using extensive, specific, accurate, and relevant details. Details might include facts, reasons, examples, anecdotes (stories) and prior knowledge. If there is a text (or texts) to read as part of the task, the writing also shows an understanding of key elements of the text(s), and makes clear connections between the task and the text(s).

For example, if you are asked to read The Three Little Pigs and asked why the third little pig was smart, you will write about specific things that happened in the story.

A "4" for Content & Development on a 4-point rubric scale may look like:

The third little pig was smart because he built his house out of brick. He knew the straw and sticks were not good enough to build a house. A house made of brick would stand when a wolf came to huff and puff and blow the house down.

A "1" for Content & Development on a 1-point rubric scale may look like:

The third little pig was smart because he didnt get eaten. Wolves like to eat pigs. Pigs need to be protected from wolves so they won't get eaten.

Organization: Effective writers plan what they have to say in a specific order, keeping what they write organized.
An introduction, body and conclusion is the usual pattern for most purposes and audiences. Planning includes keeping the content in the same kind of logical pattern or order.

For example, if asked to explain their reasons for liking something, they start with the smallest reason and end with the biggest. Others might start with the strongest reason and end with the weakest. They use words like first, last, most, bigger, best to help the reader show what order they are describing their examples.

Effective writing: follows a logical sequence or pattern of organization; presents a meaningful cohesive whole with an engaging introduction and a conclusion with a strong closure; uses smooth transitions to connect ideas, sentences and paragraphs and enhance meaning.

For example, if you are asked to write about why you like pizza, you would organize your ideas in a logical order or sequence.

A "4" for Organization on a 4-point rubric scale may look like this:

I like pizza because you can pick it up and eat it with your hands. Even more, I like it because of the melted cheese on top that stretches from your mouth when you bit into it. But the best thing about pizza is the crust. I love to munch on the thick crispy crust after eating the rest of the piece.

A "1" for Organization on a 1-point rubric scale may look like this:

A reason I like to eat pizza is the melted cheese that stretches from your mouth then you take a bite. I like the thick crispy crust at the end of each slice. I like that you can eat it with your fingers.

Style & Language Use: Effective writers chose the words the use carefully, showing they know who the audience is and keeping them interested.

Effective writing: is fluent and easy to read; uses artful word choice and precise language; uses a well-defined voice and clear sense of audience; uses well-structured and varied sentences.

For exmple, if asked to explain what students do in a typical day to a new student, a writer won't start every sentence the same way.

A "4" for Style & Language Use on a 4-point scale would look like:

We start the day with two hours of Language Arts, kind of boring but we read some cool stories. After that we get a break from the classroom and go to Special. My favorites are Phys. Ed and Computer Lab. Next we have an hour of either Science or Social Studies. Science is awesome when we get to do experiments. Finally, your favorite or mine, lunch and recess. Last but not leaset, we end the day with an hour of Math. We do lots of different things in Math, so I think you'll actually like it.

A "1" for Style & Language Use on a 1-point scale would look like:

First we have two hours of Language Arts. Then we go to Special. Then we have Science or Social Studies for an hour. Then we go to lunch and recess. Then we go to Math. Then we go home.

Mechanics & Conventions: Effective writers check their work to see that they have used proper spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Effective writing: shows few errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation and spelling that do not interfere with the message.

For example, looking back to the baseball example:

A "4" for Mechanics & Conventions on a 4-point scale would look like:

I really don't like baseball because I think it is too boring. Most of the game the players are just standing around doing nothing. I think it is stupid to run around the bases after hitting a ball with a bat.

A "1" for Mechanics & Conventions on a 1-point scale would look like:

i really don't like baseball becus I think it is to bori ng most of the game the players is just standin around doing nothing i thinks it is stupid to run them bases after hitting a ball with a bat

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