1. Mentor Sentences Teacher Guide
A Basic How-To for Implementation of Mentor Sentences

2. Rationale
Since Troup County’s new third grade curriculum focuses mainly on reading and writing standards, it is our job as teachers to make sure we include language standards into our curriculum as well.
Mentor sentences introduce students to a CORRECTLY written sentence. It shows students what GOOD writing is all about. Rather than students identifying what is wrong with a sentence, they have to find what is RIGHT about a sentence’s grammar, structure, and style.

3. How To Use It
Mentor sentences should be used every day at the beginning of your lesson. You will do a specific task (laid out on the following slides). Each part should last only 5-10 minutes.
Mentor sentences should cover every language standard for Grade 3 in a spiral review format. Rather than focusing on one standard at a time, you should be discussing multiple language standards within each sentence. It is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure each standard is taught and assessed as needed.

4. Day 1: Invitation To Notice
Sentence can be posted on the board on an anchor chart, in ActivInspire, or glued in a notebook.
What makes this sentence a good mentor sentence?
What does the writer do well?
Exciting words or descriptions?
Figurative language?
Vivid verbs?
Grammar usage?
Word meanings or context clues?
Punctuation?

5. Day 1: Invitation To Notice

6. Day 2: Invitation To Label
Students rewrite the sentence exactly as they see it, making sure to skip lines.
Find and label all the parts of speech you find in the mentor sentence.

7. Day 2: Invitation To Label

8. Day 3: Invitation To Revise
Your job today is to revise the sentence by adding more details and descriptions.
Rewrite the sentence and try to add or change the adjectives, certain nouns, and vivid verbs.
Try to make your new sentence a new mentor sentence.

9. Day 3: Invitation To Revise

10. Day 4: Invitation to Imitate
Use the structure of the sentence to create a brand-new mentor sentence that no one has ever seen before.
Try to use the style and order used.
Use the author’s style, but in your own words.

11. Day 4: Invitation To Imitate

12. Day 5: Sentence Showcase
Teacher allows students to share their sentences from Day 4 with their classmates.
What did you do that is the same as the original writer of the sentence?
How do you know your sentence is a great mentor sentence?
What impressed you about your classmates’ sentences?

13. Student Examples

14. Links Jeff Anderson http://www.writeguy.net/
The person responsible for and behind the idea of Mentor Sentences
ideas by jivey sentences.html
This blog offers a great explanation of why mentor sentences are so powerful in the classroom. Jivey also includes great links to the mentor sentences she has created.
Upper Elementary Snapshots
mentor-sentences.html
This blog gives GREAT detail about how to set up Mentor Sentences in your classroom. The resources available are great, too!