Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits: Grades 3 & Up

by Ruth Culham

Using high-quality picture books as models for writing is not a new concept. But using them to help students apply the traits of writing-ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation-is. This essential resource contains over 200 teacher-friendly annotations on new and classic books, organized by trait. It also contains plenty of step-by-step, trait-focused lessons based on specific books, which can be followed directly or easily adapted!

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Ruth Culham, aka The Trait Lady, is the president of The Culham Writing Company and former Unit Manager of the Assessment Program at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (recently renamed Education Northwest) in Portland, Oregon.

She is the recognized expert in the traits of writing assessment field and author of numerous professional resources published by Scholastic, including 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide, Grades 3 and Up; 6+1 Traits of Writing for the Primary Grades; Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School, and Using Picture Books to Teach Writing with the Traits.

As a pioneering researcher in this field, she creates and conducts teacher workshops and videos, designs national and international institutes for writing assessment and instruction, and provides professional development to teachers at local and district levels.

Ruth was named Teacher of the Year in Montana, the highlight of her 19-year teaching career. Ruth holds specialty degrees in Library Science and Elementary, Middle, and Secondary English Education. She has a Masters degree in Teaching English and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration.

from http://ruthculham.wordpress.com/about/