Picturing Writing is an art and literacy-based teaching approach developed by Beth Olshansky. It uses simple art techniques like crayon resist to encourage descriptive writing. Students learn the "language of pictures" and "language of words" as they create paintings and then write about them. The approach has proven effective, especially for at-risk students, as it inspires creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Examples are provided of student work describing the time of day from dawn to night.

1. Picturing Writing An innovative, art-and-literature-based approach to literacy learning developed by Beth Olshansky at the University of New Hampshire

2. Picturing Writing . . . is a progression of carefully crafted art-and-literature based mini-lessons designed to teach essential literacy skills through hands-on art and language instruction. students learn to create pictures that tell a story and write words that paint pictures. They learn in two languages – the language of pictures and the language of words.

3. Picturing Writing . . . teaches simple crayon resist art techniques that encourage students to think in more detail and to access more descriptive language. is a highly structured “art to writing” writing process which has been proven to improve students writing. It is particularly effective for at-risk students, and accessible to all students.

4. Students begin with a study of “time of day.” They learn to paint dawn, sunrise, day, sunset, twilight, and night. Then they write about their paintings. This foundational unit of study can be adapted to teach many social studies and science curriculum topics, along with meeting specific language arts standards.

5. Picturing Writing . . . Inspires 21 st Century Skills - creativity in art and writing - critical thinking to connect the language of art and the language of words - collaboration between students - communication through art and writing

6. “ Time of Day Books” By students in Ms. Kennedy’s Class

7. Dawn, by Aurise Tattrie The sky is pale as it goes up and then it gets darker as it goes down. It looks like the lake is playing hide-and-seek with the sun. Meanwhile the tree is fading into the sky as it takes over. The rain crashes through the sky and makes the colors blend together.

8. Sunrise, by Aurise Tattrie The water’s new colors start popping up for a new day, while the sun is pushing the sky higher and higher. It makes everything brighter and the hills get more luscious, filled with shades of emerald and sapphire.

9. Day, by Reugen McCahan It’s spring! Children come out and play, on a spring day. Beehives shine with the sun, birds chirp, and the sun floats above, watching the blooming buds on the earth below. Baby birds in their nest, waiting for their mom’s food, chirp with excitement. This is their first time seeing the world.

10. Sunset, by Reugen McCahan The sun is falling asleep with joy. She is going home from work. It’s the moon’s turn to take over. As she sinks she yawns and spreads out her flames, waiting for a cloud as a pillow to come along and rest her head. The water reflects her like a mirror, dancing rays on the water. Stars will come out to watch her dazzling flames.

11. Twilight, by Ian Simpson The great green lizard, the towering trees that resemble deities, watch over the forest. The fuzzy dwarves, that are the bushes, swerve under the windy night sky. The spiky lizard watches the night sky explode with color beyond color of any other kind.

12. Night, by Ian Simpson The playful dolphins gracefully jump near the jagged gigantic cliff. The glittery stars dance and blaze out against the sleeping sky. The shimmering stars won’t tire until the amazing sky awakens. The night watches over the beautiful ocean water.

13. “ A Day in the Life of Plimoth Plantation” By students in Mrs. Mattson’s class

14. Dawn, by Brennan Cook At dawn in the Wampanoag village, the pinkish-bluish sky stretches along the shore. The men have gone hunting for a deer. I go walking as the wind whistles through the trees. My name is Watsayeta. I live with my family and one other family. When the men come home, my father and I go to check the pit traps for rabbits and squirrels. I am Osage, Wampanoag and Patuxet. I live near the Pilgrim homes. They came here in 1620. They love the luscious sky here, a pilgrim boy told me.

15. Sunrise, by Sage Shepard The sun wakes up to paint the big orange sky. I have been walking for a long time. I take a break and sit under a tree. The bark feels rough against my back. Red and yellow leaves slowly float onto the ground. Then I hear a noise. I jump up! Thankfully it is not a bear! It’s a girl! And a colonist too! I know because I overheard my father talking about them before they came to our land. I say hello to her but she does not understand me. I wave my hand at her and she waves back. I run home to tell my mother about my discovery.