Immersing Writers in the Language of the Traits
Transcription
Immersing Writers in the Language of the Traits
Immersing Writers in the Language of the Traits Presented by: Maria Walther 1st Grade Teacher Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary 2700 Stonebridge Blvd. Aurora, IL 60502 (630) 375-3244 www.mariawalther.com Twitter: @mariapwalther [email protected] ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 1 BIG IDEAS READ ALOUD LIKE A WRITER “Writing is only as good as the literature that surrounds it.” Ralph Fletcher, NIRC Summer Literacy Conference, 2010 “Writing teachers can do several things to help children revitalize the language of their writing. First, we need to attune the ears of young writers to magical language wherever they hear it—in books, poems, the writing of their peers, talk.” Ralph Fletcher, What a Writer Needs IMMERSE STUDENTS IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE TRAITS The traits are not a writing curriculum (Culham, 2006) but a fundamental ingredient in quality writing instruction. The “trait lady” herself, Ruth Culham (2006), conveys, “The six traits represent a language that empowers students and teachers to communicate about the qualities of writing—ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation (a feature of writing often added the “+1” trait). We use the terms consistently, teacher to teacher, year to year, to build understanding of what good writing looks like and to help students generate texts that exceed our wildest expectations” (p. 53). ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 2 Engage in Collaborative Conversations Using Mentor Texts to Read Aloud Like a Writer Reading aloud IS teaching writing, even if no writing activity follows the reading. Vicki Spandel, Creating Young Writers (2008) READ LIKE A WRITER: COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATIONS Turn and Talk Teaching Tips: Before you begin, model “turn and talk” with another adult or student. Emphasize the importance of having a two-way conversation with one person speaking at a time. Assign students a “turn and talk” partner or small group. During read aloud, stop several times at natural breaking points and pose the following queries for students to “turn and talk” about: • • • • • • • Where do you think this author got his/her ideas for this book? Listen to this! Let me reread the beginning of this book. Did the lead make you want to read the story? Did you hear any words that you want to remember and use in your writing? Can you picture this setting/character/event in your mind? How did the author help you do that? What words did he or she use? Notice the way the sentences flow. Talk about how the author did that. Does this writing have voice? Who is telling this story? How do you know that? Source: Adapted from Routman, Regie. (2003). Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. We need to marinate students in literature so that, over time, it soaks into their consciousness and, eventually, into their writing. Ralph Fletcher, Roots and Wings: Literature and Children’s Writing (1993) ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 3 What to look for . . . What to say. . . Source: Choice Words by Peter H. Johnston (Stenhouse, 2004) • Various Text Structures • Sensory Language • Creative Conventions • Repetition • Word Play • Onomatopoeia “Oh, I love that line!” “Did anyone notice *any interesting words? *any new punctuation? *any new ways of arranging the words on the page? “Are there any favorite words or phrases, or ones you wish you had written?” • Interjections “Why would an author do something like that?” “How else could the author have done that?” • Illustration Techniques “Why did the author choose that word?” A Few of My Favorite Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing (CCSS Writing Standard 3) Daywalt, D. (2013). The day the crayons quit. (O. Jeffers, Illus.). New York: Philomel. Duncan’s crayons write him letters to tell him why they are quitting. Illustrated with crayon (of course!), this clever book is perfect for launching a discussion on creating colorful illustrations. LaRochelle, D. (2012). It’s a tiger! (J. Tankard, Illus.). San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Begin reading this boldly illustrated picture book on the front flap and continue to read, notice, and laugh at the young narrator’s adventures as he narrowly escapes a tiger again and again! Fleming, C. (2012). Oh, no! (E. Rohmann, Illus.). New York: Schwartz & Wade. When a frog, mouse, loris, sun bear, and monkey fall into a hole, the tiger is ready to pounce. Then, elephant comes and saves the animals and tiger falls into the hole. Will the animals help him out? “Oh no!” Mack, J. (2013). AH HA! San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Frog is relaxing in the pond (AAHH!) when he finds a rock (AH HA!). Close behind there is a boy with a jar poised to catch him (AH HA!) and the chase begins. Using only four letters, Jeff Mack tells a rollicking tale. Rocco, J. (2013). Super hair-o and the barber of doom. New York: Disney/Hyperion. Rocco and his “superfriends” get their superpowers from their hair. Unfortunately, they all have to go to the barber. Will they get their powers back? ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 4 ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 5 Introducing Students to the Language of the Traits In the book Creating Writers (2005) Vicki Spandel identifies six traits that are present in fine writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. To make these traits come alive for your students try the following mini-lesson. Recall the movie Mary Poppins. Do you remember her carpet bag filled with all the items she needed to make her room a home? An engaging way to introduce the traits of good writing to your students is to fill a shopping bag with an object to represent each trait. Then, slowly reveal each object as you describe the trait to your class. 1. Fill a shopping bag labeled My Bag of Traits with a light bulb, a dictionary, a puzzle, the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Martin, 1967) or music, a megaphone (the P.E. teacher may have one or roll a piece of paper into a megaphone shape), and a pencil. 2. As you display each item explain how good writers use that trait. The words below will help you get started: Ideas (light bulb): When you see this light bulb in our room it will remind you that good ideas are the heart of a piece of writing. Word Choice (dictionary): What is inside this dictionary? Yes, words! Good writers know there are many words from which to choose and they select their words very carefully. Organization (puzzle): See the picture on the front of this puzzle box. Do the pieces inside this box look like this? No, you're right, not yet. Writers have to put their ideas together carefully fitting each word in just the right spot to get a complete picture. Sentence Fluency (Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? or music): Hum the beginning of the book Brown Bear without showing the cover or illustrations or hum a familiar tune for your students. How did you know that was (the story/tune you hummed)? Yes, you recognize that story/tune because each piece of writing/music has a distinct rhythm and beat. Writing is the same. When you read good writing aloud, it flows. Good writers reread their words aloud so they can hear how they sound. Voice (megaphone): When I talk through this megaphone you can hear my voice loud and clear. Each writer has his/her own unique voice. When you are writing, trying using your “talking voice.” Pretend you are talking directly to your reader. Conventions (pencil): We write to communicate with others. After we draft a piece that we want to share, we must edit it for proper conventions. Using correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation is a courtesy to the reader. ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 6 The Six Traits of Writing Writing is thinking! IDEAS • Use your binoculars to zoom in on your topic • Think of a funnel to help you narrow your focus • Include rich details in your illustrations and/or writing • Ask yourself, “Is the message clear?” WORD CHOICE • Search for the perfect word • Use sensory words to help your reader hear, smell, feel, or touch the moment • Try new and unusual words • Include vivid verbs • Add flair to your writing • Use words that paint a picture ORGANIZATION • Organization is the skeleton of your piece • Put ideas in an order that makes sense • Use connecting words (transitions) to link ideas • Create a strong beginning and end • Write a lead to hook your reader • Good conclusions don’t just say “The End” - they give the reader something extra like a ribbon on a package ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 7 SENTENCE FLUENCY • Reread your writing aloud. How does it sound? • Begin your sentences in different ways • Mix long sentences and short sentences • Use “telling” sentences and “asking” sentences • Experiment with connecting words (transitions) to link sentences together VOICE • Do your words tell the reader how you feel about your idea/topic? • Are you talking directly to your reader? • Is your writing/picture funny? • Is your piece new, different, and full of adventurous spirit? • Are you excited to share it with your friends? CONVENTIONS For writers at the beginning levels we look for… • Left to right orientation on the page • Spaces between words and between lines • Distinguishing between lowercase and CAPITALS • Playing with punctuation • Knowing the names of some conventions • The use of readable spelling As they progress we expect… • Developmental spelling on more difficult words • Correct spelling on word wall words • Capital letters to begin sentences • Ending marks including periods, question marks, and exclamation points • Begin to use commas in a series • Experimenting with more sophisticated punctuation marks – for example, quotation marks, colons, dashes, ellipses, and so on ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 8 The Six Traits of Writing: Teacher Prompts Use this language to notice what your students are doing RIGHT!! IDEAS: • I can picture what you are saying. • I learned a lot from reading this. • No one else thought to write about _______. How did you come up with such an original idea? • Your writing has good, juicy details! • This is really clear! It makes sense. • You put interesting details in this picture/piece. Good writers include details, fabulous job! WORD CHOICE: • Your words paint a picture. • This is a great word. How did you think of it? • I love the way your words sound and feel. • Your words have flair! ORGANIZATION: • That lead hooked me. I can’t wait to find out what happens next! • That grabber made me want to find out more about this topic. (Expository) • I can see how all the parts of your piece fit together. • I see where you’re going with this. • You have great transitions. They help build a bridge from one event to another. • That ending works well! Bravo! ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 9 SENTENCE FLUENCY • Your piece is easy to read aloud. • Your sentences begin in different ways. • Some of your sentences are long and stretchy. Some are short and snappy! • I love the way your paper sounds - it has rhythm. VOICE • It sounds as if you are talking to me. • I love the way your words sound and feel. • Your words have flair! • Your feelings come through loud and clear here. • I could tell this was your writing. CONVENTIONS • You remembered to write your name on the top of your paper, thanks! • I love it when you put a title on your piece - it gives me a clue about your story. • You remembered to put spaces between your words- that helps me read your ideas! • How did you know to put a comma/period/question mark/capital here? • When you work to make your spelling readable, it really helps your reader a lot. Super! ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 10 In Kindergarten: Teaching the Traits Through Author Studies Trait Ideas Suggested Authors Marc Brown Why? Organization Eric Carle Word Choice Jane O’Connor Sentence Fluency Bill Martin, Jr. Voice Mo Willems The “Arthur” books are written about familiar topics like pets, school, holidays, birthdays, and so on. Eric Carle uses different organizational patterns to structure his texts like days of the week and numbers. Who better to help teach about fancy words than Fancy Nancy? His Brown Bear Books and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom contain rhythm and rhyme. Between Elephant and Piggie and The Pigeon there is plenty of voice to go around! Take a moment to jot down your favorite authors: ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 11 Mentor Texts to Cultivate Ideas Wong, J. S. (2002). You Have to Write. (T. Flavin, Illus). Margaret K. McElderry. This clever book shows children that their lives are filled with experiences about which to write. Hanlon, A. (2012). Ralph tells a story. Las Vegas, NV: Amazon. Ralph can’t think of any ideas for his story. After trying everything, including roaming the hallways, he writes his first story. Notice all of Ralph’s stories on the back end papers. Ideas Mini-Lesson—Write About Something That’s Important to You! • • • Read one of the following titles: Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown. This is the ideal book because Arthur begins writing his story about an event in his life, but strays away from what he knows and ends up with a crazy, mixed-up piece! Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book by Cynthia Rylant where Mr. Putter eventually decides to write about good things. The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli. Discuss that writers usually write about topics that they know a lot about. Discuss topics that students know a lot about. Record ideas on “Heart Map.” Some may include the following favorite color, favorite foods, family, where they live, pets, vacation, friends, school, and so on. Students can create their own heart map to keep in their writer’s notebook or folder. Ideas Mini-Lesson—Narrowing a Topic by Finding a “Jeweled” Moment • • • Read aloud Knots on a Counting Rope (Martin & Archambault, 1997) Invite students to make their own counting ropes highlighting several personal, memorable life events. Next, ask students to select one life event and “explode the moment” by creating a focused piece about that one “jeweled” moment of their lives. ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 12 Mentor Texts to Model Organization Auch, M. J., & Auch, H. (2009). The Plot Chickens. New York: Holiday House. When Henrietta decides to write a book, she finds a helpful guide to composing a story that lists eight rules including: 1. You need a main character 2. You need to hatch a plot 3. Give your main character a problem 4. Develop your plot by asking, “What if?” Fisher, C. (2008). The Snow Show. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. “Welcome to The Snow Show!” where Chef Kelvin and Jack Frost cook up a fresh batch of snow. This clever book, written like a recipe, describes the steps in making snow. Funny anecdotes in the illustrations are sure to keep readers interested. Organization Mini-Lesson—Going on a Lead Hunt 1. Collect a number of picture books with strong leads. 2. Read the first few lines from the first book. 3. After reading ask, “Did this lead make you want to read the book? Why?” 4. Record the lead on chart paper with the title “Going on a Lead Hunt.” 5. Continue with 2-3 picture books, adding to the chart after each reading. 6. Encourage students to look for engaging leads in books they are reading and share them with the class. A Few Of My Favorite Picture Book Leads Onomatopoeia Lead: Bedhead (Palatini, 2000) Shuffle-shlump. Shuffle-shlump. Shuffle-shlump. . . The Great Fuzz Frenzy (Stevens & Stevens, 2005) Down it went. Boink! Boink! Character Lead: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (Cronin, 2000) Farmer Brown has a problem. The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians (Morris, 2007) Melvin lived in the Livingston Public Library. Quotation Lead: Grandpa’s Teeth (Clement, 1997) “Help, I’ve been robbed!” We heard Grandpa shouting. Those Shoes (Boelts, 2007) “I have dreams about those shoes. Black high-tops. Two white stripes.” ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 13 Mentor Text to Model Word Choice—Painting a Picture With Words Cottin, M. (2006/2008). The Black Book of Colors. (R. Faría, Illus.). Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West. Imagine for a moment how you would describe the color red to a person who is blind. In this groundbreaking book, Thomas describes colors using his senses of touch, taste, smell, or hearing. The illustrations are raised black line drawings on black pages and the written text is also translated into Braille. This book is a wonderful mentor text to model how writers paint a picture with words. Word Choice Mini-Lesson—Word Exchange One important aspect of writing is choosing precise words to communicate ideas to your reader. Each time you teach a vocabulary lesson, you are teaching young children about word choice. In addition, you strengthen students’ word choice as you read aloud and discuss key words in the text. A quick and easy way to broaden your students’ writing vocabularies is to introduce them to different words in the morning message. EXAMPLE: Good morning smart students! (Possible responses: brainy, brilliant, clever, intelligent, sharp) It is cold outside today! (Possible responses: chilly, freezing, icy, frosty, bitter, frozen, arctic) ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 14 Mentor Texts to Hear Fluent Sentence Patterns Hip & Hop Don’t Stop! (Czekaj, 2010) A Few of My Favorite Song Picture Books Sing (Raposo & Lichtenheld, 2013) Take Me Home Country Road (Denver, 2005) There Was an Old Monster (Emberley, 2009) Download song at www.scholastic.com/oldmonster Sentence Fluency Mini-Lesson—AND-I-TIS Thanks to Mary Dolan 2nd grade teacher at Owen Elementary School for sharing this engaging and effective minilesson! I begin this mini-lesson by saying to the children, “Boys and girls I have a terrible disease that some writers get, it is called AND-I-TIS.” Then I share a piece of writing on the overhead (see below). I continue, “When writers get this disease they have a few options. First, they can cross out AND then replace it with a period or they can use ‘connecting words.’ Connecting words help build a bridge from one sentence to the next. Let’s make a list of connecting words to help us next time we have AND-I-TIS.” Yesterday I went to my friend’s It snowed yesterday so I called my birthday party and we went to Chuck E. friends and we went outside and Cheese and we played games and I won played in the snow and we made a 300 tickets and we opened presents and snowman and we made a fort and we we ate pizza and my friend blew out the had a snowball fight and we got cold candles and we ate chocolate cake and and we went inside and we had hot we had a marvelous time and we went chocolate and it was a fabulous day. home. ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 15 Vivid Voice Mini-Lesson—Animals have VOICE too! • Build background knowledge by talking about dogs and cats. Make a web of dog and cat characteristics. • Share the story I am the Dog, I am the Cat. Discuss the differences in the voice of the dog and cat. • Students write similar version of the story using different animals. For example: “ I am a mouse. I love to scamper and eat cheese. Don’t try to catch me because I’m too fast.” Encourage students to show their animal’s voice in their piece. • Have students share their piece without telling the animal’s name, see if their classmates can guess their animal by listening carefully for its voice. Mentor Texts with Voice Cronin, D. (2003). Diary of a Worm. (H. Bliss, Illus.). New York: HarperCollins. The first in a series of hysterical journals, this one describes a worm’s life. Black, I. M. (2009). Chicken Cheeks. (K. Hawkes, Illus.). New York: Simon & Schuster. Read this one aloud just for laughs. Then, return to it as a mentor text for “list” books as it lists all the different kinds of animal rear ends. Observant readers will also notice the story of the two ants depicted in the illustrations. O’Malley, K. (2005). Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude. (K. O’Malley, C. Heyer, & S. Goto, Illus.). Walker & Co. A girl and boy tell a fairy tale to the class with two very distinct voices. O’Malley, K. (2010). Once Upon a Royal Superbaby. (K. O’Malley, C. Heyer, & S. Goto, Illus.). Walker & Co. A girl and boy tell a story about a king and queen to the class with two very distinct voices. ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 16 Student Choice vs. *Teacher-Guided Writing—A Year at a Glance Note: Opinion Writing takes place during Reading Workshop Source: Month-by-Month Trait Based Writing Instruction (Walther & Phillips, 2009) Revised 11-10-12 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Launching Writing Workshop Launching Writing Workshop Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Predictable/Pattern Book Immersion List Books Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Predictable/Pattern Book Immersion Q-A Books Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Predictable/Pattern Book Immersion See-Saw Pattern Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 *Week 9 Week 10 Predictable/Pattern Book Immersion Days of Week Predictable/Pattern Book Immersion Circular Stories Predictable/Pattern Book Immersion Cumulative Stories Informational Shared Research and Writing Personal Narrative Immersion Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook October Animals Owls, Bats, Spiders Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Week 11 *Week 12 *Week 13 *Week 14 *Week 15 Personal Narrative Immersion Personal Narrative Writing Personal Narrative Writing Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Personal Narrative Paper Personal Narrative Paper Personal Narrative Reread, Revise, Polish & Celebrate Personal Narrative Paper Informational Shared Research and Writing TBD *Week 16 Week 17 Week 18 Week 19 *Week 20 Informational Shared Research and Writing TBD Mini-Lessons Mini-Lessons Biography Interviews Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Biography Immersion Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Interview Notebook *Week 21 *Week 22 *Week 23 Week 24 Week 25 Biography Writing Biography Writing Biography Writing Reread, Revise, Polish & Celebrate Mini-Lessons Explanatory Writing Mini-Lessons Explanatory Writing Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Biography Paper Biography Paper Biography Paper Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Week 26 *Week 27 *Week 28 *Week 29 Week 30 Poetry Immersion Poetry Writing Poetry Writing Mini-Lessons Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Poetry Paper Poetry Paper Poetry Writing Reread, Revise, Polish & Celebrate Poetry Paper Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Week 31 *Week 35 *Week 33 *Week 34 *Week 35 Informational Immersion Little Books/ Writer’s Notebook Informational Shared Research and Writing Dash Facts Paper Informational Shared Research and Writing Nonfiction Paper Informational Shared Research and Writing Nonfiction Paper Informational Reread, Revise, Polish & Celebrate Nonfiction Paper ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 17 1. 5. 9. 13. 17. 21. I 2. I 3. I 4. I O O O O C C C C I 6. I 7. I 8. I O O O O C C C C I 10. I 11. I 12. I O O O O C C C C I 14. I 15. I 16. I O O O O C C C C I 18. I 19. I 20. I O O O O C C C C I 22. I 23. I 24. I O O O O C C C C I= IDEAS, O=ORGANIZATION, C=CONVENTIONS ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 18 Descriptive Paragraph Rubric ©Siobhan Berendt, 2010, All Rights Reserved Name:____________________ Student Goals for Descriptive Paragraph Writing ü ü Skills ü ü ü Understand why organizing in paragraphs is essential to both readers and writers Identify a narrow topic on which to write a descriptive paragraph demonstrated: Use the five senses to vividly describe a person, place, or thing in a single paragraph Organize the paragraph with a topic sentence, body sentences, and a closing sentence Edit your writing independently for indentation, correct spelling, capitalization, and ending punctuation + Strong 5 pts. ü+ Effective 4 pts. ü Developing 3 pts. ü- Emerging 2 pts. -Not Yet 1 pt. ___ Ideas: The writer showed thoughtfulness in gathering writing ideas for this topic. The final selected idea was narrow and focused on one single idea. The writer wrote enough about the topic to engage the reader. ___ Organization: The paragraph includes indentation. It contains a topic sentence, enough body sentences to describe the topic thoroughly, and a closing sentence that makes sense and “wraps up” the writer’s idea. The order of the body sentences makes sense to the reader. ___ Word Choice: The writer included powerful verbs, descriptive adjectives, and sensory words (where appropriate) related to touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. The word choice makes the paragraph interesting to read. ___ Fluency: The writing makes sense and has a flow to it. ___ Voice: The writer’s enthusiasm and understanding of the topic are evident. ___ Conventions: The writer took care to edit the paragraph and turned in all draft work to demonstrate edits made. The writer gave his/her full attention to indentation, capitalization, ending punctuation, and spelling using our classroom’s list of editing expectations. ___ Effort: The teacher observed the writer using his/her time wisely during Writer’s Workshop. The writer worked to apply the lessons taught and evidence of revisions is clear. Overall Grade: ______________ Comments ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 19 Point Values: + Strong 5 pts. ü+ Effective 4 pts. ü Developing 3 pts. ü- Emerging 2 pts. -Not Yet 1 pt. Grading Scale: 35 to 28 points = A 27 to 21 points = B 20 to 14 points = C 13 to 8 points = D 7 points = F ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 20 Bibliography of Superb Resources for Teaching Budding Writers Areglado, N., & Dill, M. (1997). Let’s write: A practical guide to teaching writing in the early grades. Scholastic. Behymer, A. (2003). Kindergarten writing workshop. The Reading Teacher, 57 (1), 85-88. Bellamy, P. C. (Ed.). (2005). Seeing with new eyes: Using the 6 + 1 trait writing model (6th ed.). Portland, OR: NWREL. Bellamy, P. C. (2004). Picture books: An annotated bibliography with activities for teaching writing with the 6 + 1 trait writing model (6th ed.). Portland, OR: NWREL. Calkins, L. (2003). Units of study for primary writing: A yearlong curriculum (K-2). Heinemann. Corgill, A. M. (2008). Of primary importance: What’s essential in teaching young writers. Stenhouse. Culham, R. (1998). Picture books: An annotated bibliography with activities for teaching writing. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Culham, R. (2008). Inside the writing traits classroom: K-2 lessons on DVD. Scholastic. Culham, R. (2006). The trait lady speaks up. Educational Leadership, 64 (2), 53-57. Culham, R. (2005). 6+1 traits of writing: The complete guide for the primary grades. Scholastic. Culham, R., & Coutu, R. (2009). Getting started with the traits: Writing lessons, activities, scoring guides, and more for successfully launching trait-based instruction in your classroom. Scholastic. Culham, R., & Coutu, R. (2008). Using picture books to teach writing with the traits. New York: Scholastic. Culham, R., & Jachles, L. (2010). Using benchmark paper to teach writing with the traits. Scholastic. Cunningham, P. M. (2009). Phonics they use: Words for reading and writing (5th ed.). Allyn & Bacon. Cunningham, P. M., Hall, D. P., & Sigmon, C. M. (1999). The teacher’s guide to the four blocks. Carson-Dellosa. Dorfman, L. R., & Capelli, R. (2009). Nonfiction mentor texts: Teaching informational writing through children’s literature, K-8. Stenhouse. Dorfman, L. R., & Cappelli, R. (2007). Mentor texts: Teaching writing through children’s literature, K-6. Stenhouse. Duke, N. K., & Bennett-Armistead, S. (2003). Reading and writing informational text in the primary grades. Scholastic. Fletcher, R. (2010). Pyrotechnics on the page: Playful craft that sparks writing. Stenhouse. Fletcher, R., & Portalupi, J. (2007). Craft lessons: Teaching writing K-8 (2nd ed.). Stenhouse. Fletcher, R., & Portalupi, J. (2001). Writing workshop: The essential guide. Heinemann. Fuhler, C. J., & Walther, M. P. (2007). Literature is back! Using the best books for teaching readers and writers across genres. Scholastic. Hall, D. P., & Williams, E. W. (2000). The teacher’s guide to building blocks. Carson-Dellosa. ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 21 Hoyt, L., & Therriault, T. (2008). Mastering the mechanics: Ready-to-use lessons for modeled, guided, and independent editing. (K-1), (2-3). Scholastic. Jacobson, J. (2010). No more, I’m done!” Fostering independent writers in the primary grades. Stenhouse. Johnson, B. (1999). Never too early to write. Maupin House. Johnston, P. H. (2004). Choice words: How our language affects children’s learning. Stenhouse McCarrier, A., Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2000). Interactive writing. Heinemann. McGill-Franzen, A. (2006). Kindergarten literacy: Matching assessment to instruction in kindergarten. Scholastic. McMahon, C., & Warrick, P. (2005). Wee can write: Using 6 + 1 trait writing strategies with renowned children’s literature. Portland, OR: NWREL. Portalupi, J., & Fletcher, R. (2001). Nonfiction craft lessons. Stenhouse. Ray, K. W. (2010). In pictures and words: Teaching the qualities of good writing through illustrator study. Heinemann. Ray, K. W. (2004). When kids make books. Educational Leadership, 62 (2), 14-19. Ray, K. W., & Cleaveland, L. B. (2004). About the authors: Writing workshop with our youngest writers. Heinemann. Rickards, D., & Hawes, S. (2006). Connecting reading and writing through author’s craft. The Reading Teacher, 60 (4), 370-373. Routman, R. (2005). Writing essentials. Heinemann. Scharer, P. L., & Pinnell, G. S. (2008). Guiding K-3 writers to independence. Scholastic. Spandel, V. (2001). Books, lessons, ideas for teaching the six traits. Great Source. Spandel, V. (2007). Creating young writers (2nd ed.). Allyn & Bacon. Stead, T. (2002). Is that a fact? Teaching non-fiction writing K-3. Stenhouse. Walther, M. P. & Phillips, K. A. (2009). Month-by-month trait-based writing instruction. New York: Scholastic. ©Dr. Maria P. Walther, 2014, All Rights Reserved (Revised 3-23-14) 22