Annotated Bibliography Article: Page Consciousness: The development of writing with illustration Author: Peter Johnson What:

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The digital age has changed the focus of our education system. Students are taught how to learn and communicate through electronic devices at increasingly rapid speeds.

There is a need for redefining literacy in the digital age. Pictures in picture book program childrens brains to "picture-think" much in the same way a video player does.

Book-making is simpler and easier than it appears, and teaches students how to incorporate writing, visual arts, design elements and formatting into one project.

In a study done at several lower-income, working-class schools across the globe, improvements were seen in students' writing skills and motivation to write. Stories became more meaningful to students when they were accompanied with illustration and bound in book form.

In another study, students were given a blank four page concertina book and no direction from the teacher. Most stopped after two or three pages. Next week, students were given a seven page, fold down concertina book formatted with space for writing and space for drawing. Teacher gave direction on how to read this type of book and how to elaborate. Books were much longer this time, and read more like an actual picture book. Students shared their work. The next week, students were given blank books again. They formatted the books themselves and wrote narratives complete with illustration and a clear beginning, middle and end.

So What:

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One of the challenges of teaching writing today is getting students to see the whole picture. We want our children to consider their purpose, audience, genre, layout, literary devices, character development, themes and plot every time they write, but often we only allow them the opportunity to write in essay format. By showing students how authors, illustrators and publishing staff organize and publish a book, we are giving them a chance to practice genuine storytelling. When students take the reins and write and illustrate books they want to read, they are far more motivated to work hard and use all the elements of good writing learned in class. Now What: In my future classroom, I plan on teaching a unit early on in the year about book making. We will learn about all the different people who work on books and how one is put together. We will then look at examples of book by authors like Jon Scieszka and Eric Carl, whose illustration and text come together to form a bigger picture. I will then give my students the opportunity to make their own books. Just like the article, I will let them experiment first, putting whatever they want on a blank book in whatever order and direction they choose. To make longer books, I will give them templates and guide them through turning three sentence stories, into developed narratives. Once my students have created a book they are satisfied with, they will publish it and share it with the class. Book making will be added to the choices in writer's workshop, and every book published by my students can be placed alongside the professional books in the class library.

Johnson, P. (1996). Page consciousness: The development of writing with illustration. Language Arts,73(7 ), 493-505.

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Article: Relationship between creative writing and creative drawing of sixth grade children Author: Clyde A. Jones What: Using very specific indicators in both areas of writing and visual expression, a study was conducted to find a correlation, if any, between language creativity and visual creativity. A very strong correlation was found among "creative" students. Those who were creative in language were, on average, also highly creative in drawing. Those creative in drawing were a little less likely to test as highly in creative writing, but were still notably higher than those who did not test creatively in either category. Students who tested both highly creative in both writing and drawing were said to have general creativity. The study showed that exposing children to various kinds of creative arts and giving them a chance to practice them, will increase their general creativity. So What: One important aspect of the results of this study was that growth in one creative outlet led to growth in another. Students are often told not to doodle or do other activities not considered academic during school hours. Likewise, schools are cutting art and music programs in an effort to save money and precious instructional time. With the results of this study, educators can see just how much of an impact the simple act of drawing can have on the creative process as a whole. Students who are encouraged to nourish their creative passions, see great improvements in all academic areas requiring a little abstract thinking. Now What:

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I very strongly believe in using the passion and interests of my students to reach them in my instruction. If I want my students to really explore their thoughts and imaginations, it might require me setting aside some time in the day for them to draw or practice other forms of arts. I realize this is probably not in alignment with the school curriculum or district policies, but just giving them five or ten minutes to reflect and practice their craft can lead to stronger motivation and more thoughtful work.

Jones, C. (1962). Relationship between creative writing and creative drawing of sixth grade children. Studies in Art Education, 3(2), 34-43.

Article: The relationship of drawing, writing, literacy and math in kindergarten children. Authors: Susan Steffani and Paula Selvester What: Drawing is not just a means of fine motor development for young children, but also a means of communication and modality in expression. Pictures help children learn new vocabulary quicker and with deeper understanding Process involved in drawing, very similar to process of writing language. Drawing and designing models leads to better comprehension of math. A study found very strong correlations between complex drawing ability and writing skills. Those with difficulty drawing were found later to have learning disabilities. Drawing tasks are sometimes used in tests for learning disabilities and dyslexia. So What:

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The education world tends to think of drawing and other visual arts as a treat for students to encourage them to do their academic work. Drawing, however, has been found to have dramatic impacts on the developing brain that extend beyond practice in fine motor skills. This article discusses how pictures help the brain process new words and the act of making their own pictures increases writing development and flexibility of thinking. Incorporating drawing into the instruction of all subject areas can greatly improve the speed and depth at which children learn. Now What: Just as the research suggests, I want to use drawing and art to aid learning and thinking in all subject areas. To help the expansion of new vocabulary, I will ask my students to draw pictures to go along with the words they add to the word wall. I will also add elements of visual arts to most of their assignments in math, science and social studies. To encourage more thoughtful writing, I will teach my students the strategy of drawing out their ideas, making them very detailed, and then describe what they drew. This teaches children how to notice important facts about appearances or actions and add them into their stories to make them more descriptive.

Steffani, S. &Selvester, P. (2009) The relationship of drawing, writing, literacy, and math in kindergarten children. Reading Horizons, 49(2), 125-142.

Article: Using Song Picture Books to Support Early Literacy Author: K. Barclay What:

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Lyrical books help direct the very young child's attention to the words and pictures, rather than just the act of turning pages.

Pictures and song together help children develop phonemic awareness and learn literary devices such as rhyming schemes and alliteration.

Song lyrics usually have new vocabulary words for children. Pictures can help children make meaning of the new word and build schema for it.

Having students illustrate their own song books encourages emergent writing.

So What: Children love songs, especially repetitive ones that they can easily learn the lyrics of and sing along with in class. Illustrated song books help children develop a better vocabulary and sets them up for later language arts lessons on poetry, rhyming and other forms of word play. When children illustrate their own song books, it helps them build the necessary schema for later writing development. Now What: I love the idea of using song books in the classroom to teach writing. Children young and old can learn a lot from the different literary forms found in songs. The pictures found in these books are usually very descriptive and follow the words very closely. I can use these books in my class to call attention to how words and pictures work together to tell the story. Students will also be able to explore with the books, hopefully attaching the meaning found from the picture to the familiar words. For older students, I can have my students create their own song books, either with a song they write or an appropriate one that they hear on the radio. They can then share their song books with the class and explain how the words they hear stir up the images or emotions they have drawn on the page.

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Barclay, K. (2010). Using song picture books to support early literacy development. Childhood Education, 86(3), 138-145.

Book: Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Young Writers Authors: Martha Horn, Mary Ellen Giacobbe What: Talking and drawing provide a natural pathway to writing in young children. Writing can be very overwhelming to students who are just starting to write compositions. For those who still struggle with mechanics and the alphabetic principal, composing can be anxiety producing. Drawing and talking help alleviate that stress by making the assignment seem more fun and relaxed. Drawing and talking can help bridge the gap between proficient writers and struggling writers. Drawing and oral storytelling can be implemented in any grade. Drawing and oral storytelling makes the writing experience more authentic and personal for students. They are not simply completing a writing prompt, but are creating something unique and from their own valued perspective. So What: Writing can be very daunting for many children of all different ages and proficiencies. Giving students the opportunity to first tell stories orally or draw them out lessens the pressure of writing assignments and awakens creativity. Now What:

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Drawing and oral storytelling will be a big part of my classroom. Students will be given chances to draw characters and settings before writing about them to deliver a clearer picture for the reader with more details. Storyboards will also be helpful for my students to make sure their plot is organized. These storyboards can also be used for expository writings to make sure steps or events happen in the correct order. By allowing my students to draw beforehand, I will get even my most reluctant writers thinking and working. Oral storytelling and drawing will also be extremely helpful for my special education students or English language learners, as it will enable them to produce something meaningful even when they do not possess the words to write about it. Horn, M. &Giacobbe, M.E. (2007) Talking, drawing, writing: Lessons for our youngest writers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Book: 50 Month-By-Month Draw & Write Prompts: Engaging Reproducibles that Invite Young Learners to Draw & Then Write about Topics They Love... All Year Round! Authors: Danielle Blood & Danielle Flynn What: It is difficult for children and adults alike to just sit down and start writing. Children need prompts to help them narrow their focus and write a succinct story or essay. Drawing first can help them further narrow that focus. Young children have a difficult time looking far into the future or into the past. By giving them prompts and drawing activities that center around an upcoming holiday or event, the students are more likely to have strong memories or emotions attached to it, and thereby write stronger pieces.

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This book provides hundreds of drawing activities and writing prompts designed to get children thinking about their writing.

So What: Writing is one of the hardest things to teach in school. For some, the elements of a good written narrative or expository piece comes naturally. For others, it has to be explicitly taught and routinely practiced. This book provides numerous ways to engage students in meaningful writing practices through the use of drawing and specific prompts. The prompts are fun and relevant to the children's lives. They encourage the students to get all their ideas out into a drawing and then write a very specific and meaningful piece of work. Now What: I would absolutely use these prompts and drawing activities in my classroom. There is such a huge variety of topics that it would make it so much easier for me to find prompts for every interest in my classroom. I could even let children pick their own prompts and drawings as part of writers workshop or as a special treat for finishing another writing assignment. Blood, D & Flynn, D (2002).Fifty month-by-month draw & write prompts: engaging reproducibles that invite young learners to draw and then write about topics they love all year round. Jefferson City, MO: Scholastic Professional Books.

Book: In Pictures and In Words Author: Katie Wood Ray Words and pictures are not isolated in the human mind. We process words and language through the use of mental images and vice versa.

Annotated Bibliography Instruction of language and writing should include visual images.

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Children should be asked to create visuals to reinforce their learning. The use of picture books as mentor texts, even in the older grades, can help students create quality writing that is detailed and filled with their own unique perspective.

So What: As the human brain is not wired to separate images from language, we should not expect our students to do the same with assignments. Children should be encouraged to use drawing and other forms of art to improve their writing. By letting them explore both mediums of self-expression, students are much more motivated and engaged in the writing assignment. Now What: After reading this book, I started to examine the way my own brain processes words and pictures. I found that I make images in my mind as I listen and as I talk. My students are no doubt the same. If I want them to produce the level of writing I know they are capable of , I need to give them, not only time to draw, but also guidance on how to use that drawing to make stronger compositions. I will use mentor authors and illustrators like Dr. Seuss and Jon Scieszka, who seamlessly fuse pictures and words together to form the whole story. My students will practice making their own picture books before taking what theyve learned from the experience and applying it to their other genres of writing. Ray, K. W. (2010). In pictures and in words: Teaching the qualities of good writing through illustration study. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Article: All Children Can Write! Teaching Strategies for Helping Children with Autism Author: Bridgette R. Buehrly

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A fourth grade autistic boy cannot keep up with his classmates and becomes frustrated when writing

He struggles with his messy handwriting and mechanics, but has brilliant ideas. Allowing Billy to draw his thoughts out and use a computer to type his paper enabled him to write an entire page. More than he had ever written before.

Autistic students learn visually. Language instruction will be unsuccessful unless accompanied with visuals.

School is very discouraging for many autistic students who struggle to keep up with their peers. By encouraging their talents, like drawing, students may enjoy school more and excel in areas their peers may not.

Tactile or sensory experiences help autistic students help students learn. Incorporating different textures into lessons and giving them different materials to make art projects can enhance their learning.

So What: Autism is growing at an astounding rate, and with inclusion it is highly likely that a general education teacher would get one of these students in their class. Knowing how they think and some strategies to teach to their different abilities could be the difference between them being successful in school or getting lost in academia. Now What: To help my autistic and other struggling students with their writing, I will provide them with opportunities throughout the day to practice their talents or explore their interests. As someone with a sibling with autism, I know just how much of a difference highlighting the

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students strengths can make on their opinions of school. Letting my students draw in class will help them organize their thoughts, and show off their talents which otherwise might go undiscovered. As I saw in one of my mentor classes, I will even allow my struggling writer illustrate the work of others to help build a stronger classroom community and let him or her feel important. Buehrly, B. (2005). All children can write: Teaching strategies for helping children with autism. Language Arts Journal of Michigan: Vol 21(1). Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1jqjW68

Website: Draw Your World Author: Kim Stitzer What: Drawing can be integrated into many different types of lessons to engage students and get them excited about learning. Drawing exercises have been shown to improve handwriting and overall neatness of work. Students who refuse to write can be given art tools as an incentive to write. They can even be given the opportunity to write in colored pencil or markers if it gets them excited about writing. Getting shy students to talk and write about their drawings may be the only way to open them up and get to know them. A demonstrated interest in their art and writing can let them know that you care about them and make them more comfortable in your classroom.

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This website has been put together by veteran writing teacher, Kim Stitzer as a way to share lessons and research to teachers looking to incorporate drawing into their literacy programs. Stitzer uses drawing as a way to stimulate creativity in her children and help them when they are lost on a writing assignment. As so many students struggle with knowing what to write about, introducing art is an effective way to get their creative juices flowing. It is also a fabulous way to include those with language disabilities or those limited in English in the class activities. Now What: As a new teacher, I can use all the advice I can get about teaching writing. This website provides wonderful lessons and strategies that I can implement at any grade level. I plan to use drawing and writing as a way to help my shy or excluded children to open up and feel more like they belong in my classroom. I will have these students share their drawings with me before asking them to write about them. Once they have completed their piece, I will encourage them to share them with the class to let their classmates know more about who they are. I will also use drawing in conjuncture with writing to help my ELLs and special needs kids construct more comprehensive compositions. The creative and fun lessons presented in this website will be just what I need to get my kids excited about writing. Stitzer, K. (2011, July 8). Writing and drawing: The progression of language arts skills. [Web log]. Retrieved from http://www.drawyourworld.com/blog/integrating-writing-anddrawing.html

Annotated Bibliography Website: Scholastic.com Article: Writer's Block Author: Anne Lamott What:

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Writing can be overwhelming for students, especially figuring out where and how to start.

Parents can help their students by using educator tested strategies for how to prevent and get passed writers block.

These strategies include talking daily about writing, drawing a picture, looking at artwork or photographs in magazines and asking child to describe them, and think about the ending before you even get there.

Parents should not influence their child's ideas by telling them what to write. They should also allow their child to walk away from their writing assignment to get a fresh perspective.

Simply letting a child use the computer to write can help them overcome handwriting and spelling insecurities.

Parents should not be afraid to let their children fail. Failure is the best way for the child to find out where they went wrong and improve for next time.

So What: Parents play a huge part in the education of their children. Parents who are involved and are educated about how to help their children have arguably the biggest impact on the success of their child in academics. Teachers need to reach out to parents and give them research based strategies for helping their kids at home.

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I absolutely love the strategies presented in this article. When my students begin their first real writing assignment, I will send out a letter to my parents explaining how important they are to their child's writing success and detailing how they can help them when they get stuck or overwhelmed. I will implore my parents not to tell their child what to write about even if it means them writing nothing, as I do not want their creativity stifled and their inability to generate ideas on their own hidden from me. I will also implement these strategies in my class and allow my students to draw, use the computer, and even walk away and read until they can clear their mind of frustration. Lamott, A. (2013). Writer's block: Prevent moan and groan when you ask your child to compose sentences or invent stories. Scholastic Parents. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/writing-activities/writers-block