6 Traits and Collins Writing Program

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6 Traits Chatboard

6 Traits and Collins Writing Program

by Lauren

Oct 3, 2008

Anyone out there using the Collins Writing Program? I have the books, but I need to know how to score the papers based on the Focus Correction Areas.

On the next to the last page of the Implementing the Cumulative Writing Folder Program book, there is a sample of the lined paper students use to write their essays on.

In the upper left hand side, there is a space for identification of the 3 FCA..and a blank line in which to write point values... How are the point values determined?

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Lauren

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Gray Grandy On 2/14/09, Lori wrote: > On 1/30/09, Elaine wrote: >> The Collins Writing program is a crock, a way of dumbing down >>> writing instruction... > > > So glad to follow this thread! I swear someone from Collins throws > in a plug on many of these chatboards every now and then just to get > it on people's radar screen...See More

Mar 8, 2009

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Dan Himes This post may get zapped, but here goes:

My company is advertising on this site (through the Google ads) for teachers to test drive/pilot etc. some software for teaching writing skills. I own the company, but I am NOT an expert in the area (deliberately), thus requiring me to LISTEN to experts like REAL TEACHERS concerning product design. ...See More

Mar 9, 2009

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Jane S br> > >> On 2/14/09, Lori wrote: >>> On 1/30/09, Elaine wrote: >>>> The Collins Writing program is a crock, a way of dumbing down >>>>> writing instruction...

Success! (somewhat) My principal came to me the other day and said they (admin) are thinking about letting the English department crea...See More

Apr 19, 2009

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Amy Blackmore On 1/13/09, Peter wrote: The Collins Writing program is a crock, a way of dumbing down writing instruction so that teachers who don't want to work that hard can still pretend to be doing writing instruction.

Hi, I am responding to this particular comment about Collins being only for teachers who don't want to work hard. I found to be a pre...See MoreOn 1/13/09, Peter wrote: The Collins Writing program is a crock, a way of dumbing down writing instruction so that teachers who don't want to work that hard can still pretend to be doing writing instruction.

Hi, I am responding to this particular comment about Collins being only for teachers who don't want to work hard. I found to be a pretty harsh statement considering that any smart teacher will use a program and tweak it to make it work for them (i.e. dropping what doesn't work and keeping what does work). I was introduced to Collins in 2001 at a PD conference my supervisor asked me to attend. Shortly after, I left NJ and started teaching HS English in South Los Angeles. I primarily taught 9th grade low level classes.

Collins (Types 1 and 2) came in very handy on a day to day basis in class. However, once I got in to Types 3,4, and 5 it took quite a bit of work to just get them in to a routine. I have to say that reading each other's work out loud in partners worked so very well for my students. We, of course, had the major rule that any time someone stumbled over another writer's sentences, they both had to stop and look at what the problem was for the reader. If they needed help, they called me over to see about syntax issues, etc. Kids really took pride in those double-spaced handwritten drafts. While much of Collins is, as someone said, not a truly original set of ideas for those of us who have taught writing over the years, it gave me direction, focus and hope for many students including the students with the lowest skills to achieve in some way. I never found that I dumbed down my essay topics or my requirements for volume. I found that I was finding a middle ground between quantity and quality.

I don't think Collins is for everyone and I'm not sure that entire schools/departments should blindly adopt it. Yet, I had to speak up to the notion that only lazy teachers use Collins in their classrooms. That's just simply absurd. I tend to see myself more as a teacher willing to experiment and try out new approaches in her classroom and eventually create some hybrid of my go-to methods and any new ones that work.

Peter, might I ask what grade level you teach and the socioeconomic status of your district? While I certainly don't think Collins is much use for a high four year college-bound district, I think the FCA function of it can really take a writer with no skills and give him/her some skills/knowledge of the writing discipline. There's something to be said for that! I'm not insinuating that you only find perfect writers in a high achieving district but you get my drift.

Now, I have never heard of the 6 Traits system. I'll have to research that.

Nov 7, 2009

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Sarah eter -

I have never heard of 6 traits either, but I do not teach English. I am a Spanish teacher who learned the Collins method while working at an all boys K-9 school. The boys there appreciated the clarity of the Collins method, and because the school had embraced it as a whole, they knew what the expectations would be from year to year...See More

Nov 3, 2011

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