Customer Reviews

Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits: K-2: An Annotated Bibliography of More Than 150 Mentor Texts With Teacher-Tested Lessons

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It's here! This is a teaching resource you won't want to be without. New to the traits? This book provides you with a definition of each trait that's user-friendly for teachers and young children. What follows is an annotation of a number of picture books that can be used for the trait. As if that isn't enough, each of the six main traits has three focus lessons and follow-up activities to get you going. For those of us that love teaching with the traits and use them faithfully, this book is an energizer. You'll find new picture books to add to your collection, plus old favorites with new ideas on how to use them.
As a resource person in my school, I'm often asked to do a lesson at the last minute. No problem! I pull out this magic book, look through the lesson, grab a picture book, and I'm good to go. Classroom teachers love the user-friendliness just as much as I do.
Ruth and Ray are to be applauded. In this age of test scores, change, and everything else that's going on, Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits is a breath of fresh air. It simplifies our teaching lives while making it exciting and fun for teachers and children alike.
Thank you, Ruth and Ray, for yet another excellent teaching resource!

Just when you think Ruth Culham cannot write a more practical, useful book for helping primary teachers with writing, she does it again! This time, with Raymond Coutu, Ruth shows the practicality of the 6-Traits for young writers by using K-2 picture books. As a curriculum director, I see this book as a starter guide for teaching the traits through the literature described in the book. Following a brief description of the traits, there is a bibliography of great children's literature from which to teach the traits. The focus lessons which follow give the teacher step-by-step ideas for sharing the traits with young writers. Culham and Coutu have concocted a pleasing combination ---a virtual "trait-a-palooza" by blending literature with 6-Trait models of good writing!

The writing duo of Ruth Culham and Ray Coutu have a hit on their hands and teachers are the ones who will benefit from their newest publication.
Using Picture Books to Teach Writing with the Traits is a resource that every classroom should have available. Each trait has a list of "old-time" favorites along with new titles that will evoke interest in writing for all students. The lessons are well thought out and easy to follow. Because of the format, lessons could be done with any title that is suggested. It also helps the teacher remember those favorites that we have left on the shelf and need to revisit for the love of reading and writing. This is a must buy for every teacher who wants their students to see how reading & writing can be fun.

Ideas for using picture books is so helpful for teachers. Picture books are usually rich with vocabulary and content. Often picture books have an emotional hook. This book is such a help in using that rich resource. Why reinvent the wheel? Just buy this book and plug the ideas into your writing curriculum. I teach third and fourth graders and I can adapt these ideas. Picture books are for all ages.

This is a terrific book for teachers who are finding difficulty teaching writing to young children. Full of great books that most teachers use in their classrooms anyway, this professional book helps to bring picture books to life, while lighting a fire within the young writer.

I think that "Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits K-2" is a great book. I've seen many books that focus on teaching for 3rd grade and above, but this is the first one that I have seen that focuses on K-2. This book is great because it teaches the writing traits through lesson plans. Each writing trait is divided into a chapter. In each chapter, there is a lesson plan. There are various picture books to support the trait that is being taught in each chapter. Also, each trait has a definition and what students exhibit when they are becoming fluent in the usage of the traits.

I really like this book because of it's organization. It is very simple to use. For example, if I want to teach about voice, I can go to the table of contents in this book, go to page 41 and have a lesson plan/idea ready as well as books listed that support this trait. The books that are recommended to teach these traits are popular books that children like, not out of date. I would highly recommend this book to all teachers for teaching writing in their classrooms!!!!!

Gives great ideas for those days you are having a block - love how it is broken down by the traits and gives specific lesson ideas that you can go off of.