March/April 2002 | NW REPORT

Picture Books: Portals to

Great Writing

When reading and writing are taught together, an especially rich learning opportunity arises for students. At such times, let picture books be the catalyst for great classroom lessons that inspire young writers.

The Laboratory’s bibliography of exceptional children’s books, Picture Books: An Annotated Bibliography With Activities for Teaching Writing, points teachers to teacher-written classroom activities for using literature to introduce students to the excitement of writing. Now, making it easier for teachers to purchase copies of the 200 recommended books, Schoolwide, Inc., is stocking the titles and organizing them according to the 6+1 Trait™ characteristics of good writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. Teachers receive a discount and can order individual books or entire sets.

To order books from Schoolwide, Inc., visit the Web site, www.schoolwide.com; phone, (800) 261-9964 or (631) 218-2599; fax, (866) 333-1130 or (631) 563-1674; e-mail, customerservice@schoolwide.com; or write Schoolwide, Inc., 65 Orville Drive, Bohemia, NY, 11716.

Additionally, outstanding Spanish-language picture books are listed in Spanish Picture Books: An Annotated Bibliography With Activities for Teaching Writing. The recommended books help teachers link literature with the teaching of the key traits of good Spanish writing. Check with your favorite book store to find these Spanish titles (they aren’t yet stocked by Schoolwide, Inc.)

To order the Picture Books bibliographies, see the NWREL Products Catalog Online, www.nwrel.org/comm/catalog/.

| Next Article | Front Page | NW Report Index |