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Our Six Writing Friends' Roots

Our Six Writing Friends began in my 3rd grade classroom in Gilbert, Arizona. My students struggled to understand the 6 Traits of Effective Writing. One day, while they were at recess, I quickly drew some rough sketches of cartoon characters to help my class understand the characteristics of each trait. This is when Ida Ideas, Oliver Organization, Veronica Voice, Wendy Word Choice, Simon Sentence Fluency, and Carlos Conventions were born. I went on to publish magnetic visual aids and train teachers how to use Our Six Writing Friends in classrooms nationwide. The characters graduated from magnetic visual aids to interactive whiteboard files that teachers could easily share with their colleagues. It was then that I transitioned my career path from teacher training to educational leadership. Now, in 2025, Our Six Writing Friends are back! 

How do we teach effective writing in the age of AI? The answer is to embrace AI as a tool without losing your sense of self! 

AI cannot replace your Ideas!

AI cannot replace your Voice!

and we know what a disaster it is when AI experiments with Word Choice!

Teaching students to utilize AI while coming back to the roots of effective writing (The 6 Traits) is the key. And our Six Writing Friends can help!

Check out the free download of Our Six Writing Friends PowerPoint file and PDF file above.

Happy Writing! 

LaRae Kendrick, M. Ed., Creator of Our Six Writing Friends.