Trait Crate: Grade 2: Picture Books, Model Lessons, and More to Teach Writing With the 6 Traits Review

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(More customer reviews)While this is a nice resource, it's overpriced for the content. A better purchase is buying two of Ruth Culham's books, Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits: K-2: An Annotated Bibliography of More Than 150 Mentor Texts With Teacher-Tested Lessons and 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for the Primary Grades. The first title is included in the crate, and the second more than replaces the very slim teacher guides in the crate. These two titles are a much better purchase. Many more picture book lessons can be found on the internet. (One excellent site is WritingFix.com.)
The lyrics to the songs from the Trait Crate CD are included in the second book. They are set to very familiar tunes (Row Your Boat, Mary Had a Little Lamb, etc.), so you don't need the CD. Posters of the 6 traits are easily made or found on internet.
While the Trait Crate is a good resource, it is somewhat pricey. With a limited budget, your money could be better spent.

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Teaching writing just got easier and more effective because of these sturdy crates. In them, teachers will find everything they need to help students use the six traits-ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions-improve their writing. Each crate contains an array of materials designed to engage students and enrich their writing experiences, including: 6 high-interest picture books hand selected for each trait 6 teaching guides filled with step-by-step lessons, graphic organizers, a scoring guide, and extension activities.Sing-Along Trait Songs, a music CD containing lively, trait-specific songs to share with your students. Includes a bonus track on presentation.6 full-color 17 x 22 posters contain lyrics to the songs on the CD Color-coded stickers for organizing classroom libraries and teaching materials. Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits: K-2, 112-page resource containing 18 step-by-step lessons and 150annotations
of new and classic books, organized by trait What's more, each crate comes with hanging folders one for each trait for easy, expandable storage for years to come.Second Grade Picture Books Ideas: Tulip Sees America Organization: A Busy YearVoice: Alice the Fairy Word Choice: The Best Class Picture Ever!
Sentence Fluency: Dizzy Conventions: Chameleon! For use with Grade 2.

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Month-by-Month Trait-Based Writing Instruction: Ready-to-Use Lessons and Strategies for Weaving Morning Messages, Read-Alouds, Mentor Texts, and More ... Writing Program (Month-By-Month (Scholastic)) Review

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(More customer reviews)Every year brings on more new ideas to try in the classroom. While I knew the importance of writers' workshop, morning message, mini-lessons and genre awareness, including these in my daily lesson plans was a monumental task. This resource gave me actual samples of all of these as well as suggestions for literature to use with the lessons. It is well planned, featuring activities for each month with detailed writing projects to accompany the lessons. I am looking forward to implementing these in my first grade classroom, although the ideas could easily be used in both kindergarten and second grade.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Month-by-Month Trait-Based Writing Instruction: Ready-to-Use Lessons and Strategies for Weaving Morning Messages, Read-Alouds, Mentor Texts, and More ... Writing Program (Month-By-Month (Scholastic))

In this comprehensive resource, two veteran primary teachers share a multi-faceted approach to teaching writing that seamlessly combines the use of powerful mentor texts, strategy lessons, and the traitsNideas, organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Their yearlong planNorganized month-by-monthNincludes ideas for interactive morning messages, read-aloud suggestions, and more than 75 mini-lessons for teaching genre, grammar, the traits, and much more. Also included are reproducible planning sheets for a variety of genres and editing checklists, plus more than 250 literature suggestions. You'll find everything you need to help your young writers soar! For use with Grades KÐ2.

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

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(More customer reviews)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!

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

Good teachers have long recognized the power of using picture books as models of good writing. The short, focused, and tightly woven text mirrors the kind of writing they want their students to be doing. In this essential resource, the authors have organized by trait more than 150 annotations of new and classic books that will delight young studentsNand inspire powerful writing. Peppered throughout are 18 step-by-step, trait-focused lessons based on specific books.For use with Grades K-2.

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