Picturing Writing: Fostering Literacy Through Art

Picturing Writing: Fostering Literacy Through Art® is an innovative approach to teaching writing and fostering literacy designed to meet the needs of a wide range of learners. Developed by Beth Olshansky, this evidence-based model uses quality picture books and simple, captivating crayon resist-based art techniques to teach the art of writing.

Immersed in an engaging, high scaffolded creative process during Artists/Writers Workshop, participants will explore 4 different genre units aligned with grade-level standards and curriculum. They will learn to read like a writer and see like an artist. This June, Central Regional Education Association (CREA) and North Dakota Council on the Arts are once again teaming up to provide ND teachers with 3 OPTIONS for Virtual Picturing Writing workshops at GREATLY REDUCED COST! (Limited number of spaces are available.)

  1. June 10-11: For those new to the PW process or those wishing for a refresher – Introduction to Picturing Writing, Time of Day (includes new informational writing piece!) and Weather Poetry (poetic forms easily adapted to other content area curriculum). Registration Fee: $100*
  2. June 12-14: Looking for inspiration on how to integrate PW into other areas of the curriculum? Jump into the Picturing Writing Research-Based Animal Trifold and Stories. These highly structured units explore visual as well as text-based research and offer teachers engaging new ways to teach fact-based writing (through poetry and narrative writing). Introduction to Picture Writing (Option 1) or previous experience with PW is highly recommended prior to taking this workshop. Registration Fee: $150*
  3. June 10-14: TAKE BOTH for an even further discounted fee! Registration Fee: $225*

*Registration Fee includes all workshop art & instructional materials (teacher manual for each unit, PW mentor texts, posters & artists frame) shipped directly to you. This workshop has been generously subsidized by the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

Workshop is held from 8:00 am – 2:30 PM (CST) on all dates.

Registration closes May 10, 2024.

ND HB1388 SOR PD Online Course through UND (Asynchronous)

This online asynchronous professional development course for teachers provides a scientifically-based foundation of literacy and language development created by and provided through the University of North Dakota. Educators enrolled in this course will learn the scientifically-based reading research foundations needed to understand how reading develops and effective methods and strategies used to teach literacy skills to elementary learners. Educators will explore the development and instructional implications related to phonological awareness, phonics, fluent reading, vocabulary acquisition, comprehension, and writing instruction. Educators are also given an introduction to the most effective approaches to teaching reading across the grade levels. This course is designed for teachers grades K-5 but anyone is welcome to take the course! The $199 fee includes access to all course materials online through the Blackboard learning management system as well as one-credit of continuing education through UND.