Peer Reviewed Encouraging Primary Students ’ Writing through Children’s Literature

Children benefit in many ways from actively engaging in high quality children’s literature, and picture books provide a natural avenue to motivate and encourage students ’ writing. Shared book experiences in small or large group settings can lead to meaningful writing discussions and applications. Picture books serve as exemplars of the six qualities of effective writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions) and provide a scaffold for students to incorporate these writing attributes in their original compositions. When primary students ’ writing is inspired by high-quality picture books and shared with peers, children benefit academically and socially. KEY WORDS: children’s literature; ideas; organization; sentence fluency; six traits; voice; word choice; writing