Book illustrators have lots of art supplies to use to paint pictures for the reader, but what does the writer have? Just words. That's why our word choice on state assessments (and everyday classroom work) is so important. We have to choose specific, picture-painting words to help our reader visualize.

 

A good book to use to help demonstrate this concept to your students is Leah's Pony by Elizabeth Friedrich. For this read-aloud, allow plenty of time for students to absorb the wonderful illustrations by Michael Garland. The oil painting illustrations depict the intense emotion of the story as a family deals with the problems caused by the dust bowl during the depression.

Another fun read-aloud is Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton. The book is about a student learning to write. It begins with black and white illustrations until a special teacher comes to the classroom to teach a creative writing lesson. The scenes then fill with color as the words become more descriptive. The main character goes from an ordinary student writing ordinary things to a colorful and extraordinary writer.

To help your students connect this concept to their writing, share with them the sketch of the artist by her easel and the writer by his chart stand on page 18 of The Write Tools 101 binder.

The Write Tools offers advanced one-day trainings in Personal Narrative and Imaginative Narrative writing. We also offer demo lessons and grade level meetings for those schools who have had our basic training. Call now to schedule your summer training days!

 

Sincerely,