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The Power of Mentor Texts
North Carolina Department of Public InstructionELA Section
Nobody but a reader ever became a writer.
- Richard Peck
What are Mentor Texts?
A mentor text is any piece of writing that can be used to teach a writer about some aspect of writer’s craft.
The best mentor texts are those that can be used numerous times throughout the school year to demonstrate many different characteristics of a text. (ideas, structure, written craft)
“The simple rhythm of copying
someone else’s words gets us into
the rhythm of writing, then
you begin to feel your own
words.”-William Forrester, Finding Forrester
Ways to use mentor texts:
Idea: the text inspires the writer to create an original idea based on one from the text.
Structure: the text presents on organizational structure that the writer tries to emulate using original ideas.
Written Craft: the author’s writing style, ways with words, or sentence structure inspires the writer to try out these techniques.
Steal Like an Artist“Nobody is born with a style or a voice. We don’t come out of the womb knowing who we are. In the
beginning, we learn by pretending to be our heroes. We learn by copying.
We’re talking about practice here, not plagiarism – plagiarism is trying to pass someone else’s work
off as your own. Copying is about reverse-engineering. It’s like a mechanic taking apart a car
to see how it works.”-Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Steps to Using Mentor Texts
Select a text to emulate and reread – one that inspires an idea, models a structure, or demonstrates an author’s craft worth trying.
Read it (Read like a reader)
Analyze it (Read like a writer)
Emulate it (Write like the writer)
- adapted from Kelly Gallagher
Read Like a Writer
What does it mean?
•Read to identify the choices the author made so you can better understand how these choices might arise in your own writing.
•Reading to learn about writing
When you read like a writer you notice:
Word choice
Sentence structure
Organization
And……
What questions would you ask as a writer?
When you read like a writer: Annotate and Read Closely
• Read with a pen or highlighter in hand
• Make comments in the margins
• Write yourself notes and summaries
• Look for patterns
Underline and highlight the passage in the text itself and ask yourself:
What is the technique the author is using here?Is this technique effective?What would be the advantages and disadvantages if I tried this same technique in my own writing?
When you read like a writer: Annotate and Read Closely
• Read with a pen or highlighter in hand
• Make comments in the margins
• Write yourself notes and summaries
• Look for patterns
When you read like a writer: Annotate and Read Closely
• Read with a pen or highlighter in hand
• Make comments in the margins
• Write yourself notes and summaries
• Look for patterns
There, enormous in the ocean, were the whales. They leapt and jumped and spun across the moon.
Example: There, tiny in the nest, were the baby robins. They screeched and squirmed and opened their beaks wide for their dinner.
Try it out:
Walk Around in the Author’s Syntax From The Whales’ Song by Dyan Sheldon:
Structure Example using a mentor text:
Choosing a Mentor Text
• Quality vs. Quantity
• No longer a mile wide and an inch deep
• Having the end in mind
• You have to love it
• Worthy of rereading!
Questions to Consider…
1. Does the book provide examples of the kind of writing you want from your students?
2. Can it be revisited multiple times for a number of purposes?
3. Do you have a variety of genres do they address diversity?
What Now?
• Look through your favorite texts.
• Separate them out as idea, craft or structure mentor texts.
• Make sure you have mentor texts that cover all three categories.
• Begin creating and exploring lessons using mentor texts.
Mentor Text Resources
• Creating Successful Writers with Mentor Texts http://www.reading.org/downloads/53rd_conv_handouts/mentor_texts_cappelli_dorfman.pdf
• Mentor Text for the Traits of Writing http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/mentor-texts-traits-writing
• Teacher 2 Teacher – What are mentor texts? http://www.teacher2teacherhelp.com/writing-strategies/what-are-mentor-texts/
• How to Use Mentor Text to Teach Writing http://www.ehow.com/how_8216119_use-mentor-texts-teach-writing.html
• Teach Mentor Texts http://www.teachmentortexts.com
• Corbitt Harrison http://corbettharrison.com/documents/7Elements/7Elements_Mentor_Texts_WritingFix.pdf
• Teaching with Mentor Texts http://pinterest.com/nwilli/teaching-with-mentor-text/
Julie Joslin, Ed.D. Section ChiefEnglish Language Arts [email protected]
Anna Lea Frost, M.Ed.6-8 English Language Arts [email protected]
Lisa McIntosh, MSAK-5 English Language Arts [email protected]
Angie Stephenson9-12 English Language [email protected]
Kristi Day, M.Ed.K-5 English Language [email protected]
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