We have found a beautifully written and illustrated children's book that will help your students focus on improving their word choice, leading to improved descriptive writing. The book, Amber on the Mountain, by Tony Johnston, tells the sweet story of a young girl living in a remote part of Appalachia who really wants to learn to read and write.
 
Level 1:  Read the story to your Level 1 students.  Since many of them have been working hard to learn to read, they will identify with Amber's longings.

Select some of the powerful, unusual words/phrases that are used in the text (skedaddled, doodlebug, balkity, jibbering, lopsided, etc.) and see if students can figure out what these words might mean.  Have students write sentences about why they want to be able to read and write. 

 

 Level 2:  Read the story to your Level 2 students.  This book is chock-full of a variety of similes.  Make a chart that lists the similes found on almost every page.  Be sure to indicate what is being compared in each simile.
 
"high mountain . . . . like a needle stuck in down."
"trees . . . . like porcupine quills."
 
Have students write a paragraph explaining why they enjoy being able to read and write, and see if they can include a couple of similes.

 

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Level 3:  Read the story to your Level 3 students.  Choose one or more of these activities as a follow up:
 
Identify the metaphors the author uses, as well as the similes.
 
Discuss how the author's word choice, use of dialect, and figurative language add to the enjoyment of the text.
 
Discuss how the beautiful illustrations add to the enjoyment of the text and the background knowledge about life in Appalachia.
 
Examine the poem on the dedication page.  Discuss how the poem relates to the story. 
 
Have students write a personal narrative about their desire to become a reader/writer when they were young.  Perhaps they can publish it in the form of a picture book.

We are pleased to announce that our newest module on Descriptive Writing is with our publisher, and will be ready for ordering by mid-May. 

 

We are currently booking summer institutes and workshops and are happy to schedule training for our Descriptive Writing Module.  Call our office for additional information.