1. The Power of Mentor Texts CRWP 2009

2. Mentors/Mentor Texts Writing mentors are for everyone- teachers as well as students Mentor texts are books that offer many possibilities for our students and ourselves as writers They become our coaches and partners as we bring the joy of writing to our students

3. What are mentor texts? Literature we return to again and again They help writers learn how to do what they may not be able to do on their own Texts well loved by the teacher and known inside and out Snapshots into the future

4. Why use Mentor Texts? To ignite the writer’s imagination and determination To create text that mirrors the mentor helping students feel comfortable taking risks To allow us to focus on writing skills and strategies because the text is so familiar To show not just tell students how to write well

5. Choosing a Mentor Text 1. Connect with and love the book 2. Find examples of author’s craft: powerful language, effective repetition 3. Ask how does the book serve your students’ needs and connect with your curriculum 4. Choose books from many genres

6. Introducing Mentor Texts Introduce them as read-alouds, appreciating and responding to them as readers Look at them through the eyes of a writer Revisit mentor texts to: Search for craft Gather ideas

7. Shelley Harwayne reminds us, “Writers take their writing very seriously. When they read, they discover topics for their writing. They become interested in new genres and formats. They study authors’ techniques to learn how to improve their own writing. They develop mentor relationships with their favorite writers, aspiring to be more like them.”

8. Teacher as Writer Is a core belief we must articulate to students, colleagues, and ourselves Writing for our students is part of the explicit instruction we do for them Helps us engage in the same struggles and problem solving strategies as our students

9. How Mentor Texts Fit into the Curriculum Teachers need to model the strategy they hope their students will use Find mentor texts where the author’s use is clear A small section of text is needed to model the strategy

10. Gradual Release of Responsibilty Pearson and Gallagher, 1993 To ◦ Model - demonstration of strategy With ◦ Shared/Guided Writing By ◦ Independent Writing Reading mentor texts is important prior to modeling the target strategy

11. Reflection Time Writing is creating text and critiquing what was created Students notice things and ask questions about: ◦ particular strategies ◦ craft ◦ organizational structures ◦ Reflection is the most powerful form of revision

12. Writing Workshop 10-15 minute focused mini-lesson 35 minutes of working time (students writing/teacher conferring) 10 minutes of reflection time 10 minutes of sharing time

13. References Cappelli, R. & Dorfman, L.R. 2007. Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6. Portland: Stenhouse. Fletcher, Ralph. 1993. What a Writer Needs. Portsmouth: Heinemann. Calkins, L. & Oxenhorn, A. 2003. Small Moments: Personal Narrative Writing. Portsmouth: Heinemann. Walther, Maria. 2009. Marvelous Books and Lively Mini-Lessons That Teach the Six Traits of Writing. Torrance: SDR. Websites http://www.proteacher.org/c/722_Writing_-_Descriptive_Writing.html Google Images http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi