Partnering with families | Page 95

93
Writing
ages

5 – 12

26 Mentor Texts A collection of fiction and nonfiction books and“ everyday texts” serve as models for teaching the key qualities of the Traits. Books and Everyday Texts align to a lesson in the Teaching Guide, and most are accompanied by a video of the writer who created it.
Implementation Guide Explains the instructional model, the research behind it, and ideas for scheduling instruction and managing the classroom. It provides detailed guidelines for assessing writing using the trait scoring guides, converting scores to grades, keeping records, and reporting progress to parents.
Teaching Guide Contains focus lessons, mentor text lessons, warm-up activities, differentiated smallgroup activities, tips for managing independent writing, and much more.
Comments Book Contains 100” just-right” comments, correlated to the trait scoring guides. Write the comments on papers or use them in one-on-one conferences, small groups, and whole class lessons to inspire your students!
Voice
the tone of the piece— your personal stamp, which is achieved through an understanding of purpose and audience
Establish a Tone Energize your“ take” on the topic.
Convey the Purpose Let the reader know why you’ re writing.
Create a Connection to the Audience Make the reader feel strongly about your idea.
Take Risks to Create Voice Try new, original ways to express yourself.
TM ® & © Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Photo: Courtesy Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and / or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. Other company names, brand names, and product names are the property and / or trademarks of their respective owners. Scholastic does not endorse any product or business entity mentioned herein. TRW-35-03
Organization
the internal structure of your piece— the thread of logic, the pattern of meaning
Create the Lead Grab your reader’ s attention right from the start.
Use Sequence Words and Transition Words Link ideas logically to guide your reader through the piece.
Structure the Body Order details and examples so they flow smoothly.
End With a Sense of Resolution Wrap up your piece and leave the reader thinking about your idea.
TM ® & © Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Photo: Courtesy Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and / or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. Other company names, brand names, and product names are the property and / or trademarks of their respective owners. Scholastic does not endorse any product or business entity mentioned herein. TRW-35-02
Sample screen shot of Author Mentor Video with Melvin & Gilda Berger
7 Trait Posters Cool and colorful posters, one for each trait, that remind students of key qualities to think about as they draft, revise, and edit their work. Each one showcases a“ Trait Mate” from the Student Handbook.
Student Handbook Includes definitions of the traits and key qualities, worksheets, write-on pages, warm-up activities,“ Think Abouts,” author previews, graphic organizers, tip sheets, publishing checklists, and other tools that support instruction in the Teaching Guide.
Web Resources Every program comes with access to Traitspace, a passwordprotected, easy-to-navigate website that includes:
• Video interviews with authors of Mentors Texts
• student materials
• Benchmark Papers & Assessment Tools
• record-Keeping Forms and much more!
www. scholastic. com / traitswriting • + 1-646-330-5288 • intlop @ scholastic. com

93