These powerful models give you everything you need to assess and teach young writers.
You never know what's brewing next with Ruth Culham, aka "The Trait Lady." She's either on a plane traveling to a school district or conference to present her latest thinking about how to use the six-trait model for assessment and instruction, or creating new Scholastic resources for writing teachers to use in the classroom.
Actually, she credits Delta airlines for completing the new middle school book and the books that go with it such as forms, mentor text, and comments. During those long flights between who-knows-where and Portland, Oregon (home base) she logged some serious writing hours. The new core book contains way, way cool new scoring guides, papers, lessons, and ideas to make a middle school writing teacher's life a happy place. Think that's impossible? Stay tuned. A writing revolution is underway.
Ruth spent 19 years in the classroom, the highlight of which was being named Montana's English/Language Arts teacher of the year. After classroom teaching, she worked as researcher and then Unit Manager for the Assessment Program at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. She finished her doctorate. She wrote her first book: 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Grades 3 and Up. And the rest, they say, is history.
Check out this site for the many exciting and teacher-friendly trait-based writing resources now available to support teachers and students from Scholastic Press.
Her latest book, "Traits of Writing:The Complete Guide for Middle School" won the 2011 Teacher's Choice Award, a rarity for a professional book. When the Trait Crates for grades 3-5 won the award in 2008, she was thrilled. This year's recognition makes it even more special.
And there's much more coming in the months and years ahead⎯including a top-secret project bound to make K-8 teachers smile. There's always more-in her heart and on her mind. Her connections to teachers and students keep the work fresh. Her home office keeps her comfortable. Her friends keep her in wine. Her cats keep her company. Life is pretty good.
