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Lets Talk Texts: Using Mentor Texts to Teach Writing

Multilingual Learners Conference

Towson University

Spring 2024

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Agenda

  • Setting the Stage: The Writing Workshop
  • Mentor Texts: The Basics
  • Teaching with Mentor Texts
  • Mentor Texts and MLs
  • Closing Out

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Let's Chat!

What do you know about the Writing Workshop, including required elements and/or personal experiences?

What questions do you have about the WW model?

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Writer's Workshop

  • Created by Lucy Calkins
  • Focus on one genre at a time
  • Most popular method currently used in schools
  • Repeat these steps EVERY day that you teach a new stage of the writing process
  • Also follow this process if you are adding a new element to a stage of the process
    • E.g., revising for details; revising for word choice

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What should mini-lessons include?

  • Mentor texts
  • Teacher modeling
  • Student input
  • Anchor charts

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Mentor Texts: The Basics

What are mentor texts? Why do we use them?

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What are mentor texts?

  • High-quality versions of writing. 
  • These can be: 
    • Trade books
    • Teacher writing
    • Student writing
  • We will focus on trade books.

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Thompson & Reed (2019)

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What are trade books?

  • Trade books are those published for general readership.
  • They are available in most libraries.
  • They are NOT targeted toward impulse buys at an airport, drugstore, etc.
  • Trade books occupy a wide range of genres.

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(Scholastic, 2001)

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Trade Books are children's literature

  • Trade books contain:
    • Sophisticated vocabulary 
    • Variety of language structures
    • Typical genre characteristics
    • High-quality illustrations

Scholastic (2001)

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Trade Books are mirrors, windows, and sliding doors

Especially for our multilingual learners!

Bishop (1990)

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Why are mentor texts important?

  • There are many different genres of writing.
  • Mentor texts provide students with examples of how the features of those genres manifest in writing.
  • Mentor texts should serve as mirrors, windows, and sliding doors.

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Thompson & Reed (2019)

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Qualities of a good mentor text

  • It exemplifies good writing and would provide an accessible example for students.
  • It is understandable for students and engaging.
  • It is relevant to the genre that you are teaching.

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  • When selecting mentor texts, special consideration should be made to choose those that exhibit the feature(s) you are trying to teach from each genre.

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Let's Sort! Which books are trade books?

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Teaching with Mentor Texts

What and how?

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Mentor Texts for Personal Narrative Writing

Prewriting

Revising

Small moments

Dialogue

Organization and pacing

Show not tell (adding details)

Story introductions and endings

Figurative language

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Indirect/direct character and setting descriptions

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Vivid vocabulary

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Mentor Texts: Small Moments (prewriting)

  • Small moment in theme.
  • Small moment in time.

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Mentor Texts: Organization and Pacing (prewriting)

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Mentor Texts: Exposition & Conclusion (prewriting)

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Mentor Texts: Dialogue (revising)

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Mentor Texts: Show Not Tell (revising)

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Mentor Texts: Figurative Language (revising)

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Mentor Texts: Character Descriptions (revising)

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Mentor Texts: Vivid Vocabulary (revising)

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How to use mentor texts

  1. Provide direct instruction on the aspect/ feature that you want students to attend to within the text.
    • For example, if you are teaching about figurative language, specifically point this out within the mentor text.
  2. Engage students in a read aloud of the mentor text.
  3. Discuss the focal feature, noting why and how it was used by the author.
  4. Model the focal feature in a class story or teacher writing.
  5. Provide time for students to independently write, focusing on the feature illustrated in the mentor text.
  6. Assess the writing and provide feedback on that specific feature.

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Decomposition

Element of Mentor Text Use

Your Noticing's

What did you notice about the way the target skill was introduced and explained?

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How did the teacher share and model the target skill within the mentor text?

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How did the teacher involve the students while sharing the mentor text?

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How did the mentor text support the student's individual writing?

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Let's watch: Mentor text for vivid verbs

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Mentor Texts and Multilingual Learners

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Why are mentor texts important for MLs?

  • Mirrors, windows, and sliding doors.
  • Concrete models to learn specific writing skills.
  • Having access to diverse books can impact students' sense of themselves as writers and their evaluation of whether their stories are worth telling.

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Flores (2021)

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Mentor texts and MLs cont.

  • Mentor texts not only serve as a tool to teach genre, text structure, and craft moves, but also as a model for the use of a translingual approach that picture book creators use in writing, illustrations, and overall publication (e.g., dedication, book covers).
  • This book serves as a mentor text for the use of Spanish and English within illustrations, text, and speech bubbles.�

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Other bilingual mentor texts

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Bilingual mentor texts cont.

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Wordless Books

  • Foundational elements of writing a story- structure, organization, pacing.
  • Promotes family engagement.
  • Allows for translingual writing.

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Wordless mentor texts

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Wordless mentor texts

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Independent Work Time

  • Look through the mentor texts.
  • Search ALA database for other mentor texts.
    • Scan the QR code!
  • Make a plan: How can you use mentor texts in your classroom to promote ML writing?

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References and Resources

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Mentor Text List

  • Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
  • Bluebird by Bob Staake
  • Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema
  • Chalk by Bill Thomson
  • Crickwing by Janell Cannon
  • Dear Primo: A Letter to my Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh
  • Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
  • Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
  • Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
  • Ho'Onani Hula Warrior by Heather Gale
  • Hot Dog by Doug Salati

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Mentor Text List

  • I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada
  • Journey by Aaron Becker
  • Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
  • Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
  • Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elya
  • Maddi's Fridge by Lois Brandt
  • Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina
  • Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match by Monica Brown
  • Morris Mickelwhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino

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Mentor Text List

  • My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
  • My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
  • Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez
  • Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
  • Spencer's New Pet by Jessie Sima
  • Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o

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Mentor Text List

  • Thank You, Omu by Oge Mora
  • The Ghost-Eye Tree by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archmabault
  • The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
  • The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow
  • Tuesday by David Wiesner
  • We are the Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
  • When Sophie Gets Angry- Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

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Reference List

Thompson, S. & Reed, D. K. (2019). Using mentor texts to learn from the best and improve student’s writing. Iowa Reading Research Center. https://iowareadingresearch.org/blog/mentor-texts-student-writing#:~:text=Mentor%20texts%20are%20written%20pieces,in%20crafting%20their%20own%20piece.