What Students Say

While I was doing the pictures first, words just started to grow and I got more and more ideas to write, and I just writ and writ and writ until it was a finished book. – Kevin, grade 1

In Artists/Writers Workshop I learned how to paint pictures in Mrs. Rafferty’s mind. – Steven, grade 1

It’s a wonderful life in Artists/Writers Workshop. – Laura, grade 1

I can’t believe a child actually made this book! (spoken about her own book) – Logan, grade 1

I figured out that before you do the words, you should do the picture because then you have better ideas—like the pictures tell you how to write your story. – Andrew, grade 1

It was fun painting my pictures because it took me into my story and I could imagine it. – Chelsea, grade 2

When I was making my pictures, I looked at a book and it exspired me to make a better picture within myself. In my story, when I read it to the class, the animals came to life out of thin air! – Jared, grade 2

It’s important to look at books to see how other authors and illustrators make their books. You can learn a lot from looking at other people’s books, like that’s how I learned how to draw animals so good. – Eric, grade 2

Look at the picture for a long time and you kind of get into the picture and feel stuff, like if there is a breeze or something. – Cooper, grade 3

So if you use good words, it like it creates pictures in your brain, and it makes it look like it’s actually moving. – Eli, grade 3

I think my silver dollar words made it so my picture could make magic. – Zander, grade 3

The picture has a lot of details which helps me write so I can write more detailed things. – Oolena, grade 5

When I write to my picture, I use many active verbs to make my picture move. – Catherine, grade 5

The pictures paint the words on paper for you so your words are much better. The words are more descriptive. Sometimes you can’t describe the pictures because they are so beautiful. – Serena, grade 6