Readers as Writers: Using Mentor Texts Lori Algrim (​ [email protected]​ )

Angie Gulliford (​ [email protected]​ )

Kristen Marchiando (​ [email protected]​ ) * * * * *

“With you [the teacher] as a guide, and literature as the landscape, you can open young writers’ eyes to the full range of possibilities before them.” - Ralph Fletcher & JoAnn Portalupi, Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide Literacy expert Kelly Gallagher on “Making the Most of Mentor Texts” (Educational Leadership, 2014) “Isn't this how people learn to do something unfamiliar? We stand next to someone who knows how to do it. We watch him or her carefully, analyzing what the person does and then copying those actions as closely as we can. There's a lesson for writing teachers here. If we want our students to write persuasive arguments, interesting explanatory pieces, or captivating narratives, we need to have them read, analyze, and emulate persuasive arguments, interesting explanatory pieces, and captivating narratives. Before you can film a dogfight, you have to know what one looks like. Before our students can write well in a given discourse, they need to see good writing in that discourse.” (Full article ​ can be accessed at ​ http://goo.gl/S30HCp​ ) Professional Books (Amazon): ​ https://goo.gl/o6t6B2

Pinterest Boards:​ https://goo.gl/QRDwN2 ​

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Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes (by Eric Litwin) -

Pete loves his school shoes! He goes through the day singing about all the exciting activities he gets to do in school while wearing his awesome school shoes!

● During Reading: ○ Discuss all the things that are similar in Pete’s school that are similar to our school.

● After Reading: ○ Talk with students about their school shoes. Take a picture of each child with his or her school shoes. Mount on poster board and display.

● Writing Project: ○ Using template, have child write what he would do in his school shoes. ○ Underneath line, glue child’s picture in school shoes and have child write his/her name beside it. ○ Tape “Guess Who?” label over picture and name

Amelia’s Notebook ​ (by Marissa Moss) -

Series of notebooks/journals written by nine-year-old Amelia, who writes about her life, thoughts, and memories - contain many illustrations, designed to resemble actual journals

● Good for beginning of the year - when introducing Writer’s Notebooks ● Read to students as a model for what a journal can look like ● Amelia writes about her life, adds small drawings with captions/labels - show students how to write about anything in their own lives

● Demonstrates that drawings can supplement the writing, exposes kids to captions and labels

Nursery Rhymes ●

Humpty Dumpty ​

○ Teach rhyme so that children are very familiar with it. Act it out.

● Writing Project: ○ Have child think of where he might sit if he was Humpty Dumpty ○ Using template, have child write his name and where he would sit ○ Illustrate, using details ○ Bind pages for class book ● Jack Be Nimble ○ Teach children rhyme so that they are very familiar with it, focusing on vocabulary such as candlestick and nimble. Act out, using child’s name in place of Jack

● Writing Project: ○ Using template have child write name three times (inserting their own name into the poem in place of “Jack”). After writing, have child read it to you.

○ Bind pages for class book

Diary of a Worm / Diary of a Fly / Diary of a Spider (by Doreen Cronin) -

Humorous diaries written from the perspective of these insects, chronicling things that happen in their lives

● While reading: ○ Make anchor charts of what facts were learned about each animal ○ Make one anchor chart about what all books had in common ■ Dated entries, characters have friends, lists of good/bad things about being that animal

● Writing project: ○ Research facts about animal/object ○ Pick season (months), friends, settings ○ Make lists of good, bad, scary ○ Brainstorm ideas for events ○ Decide on order of entries - events vs lists ○ Differentiate with formatted paper for lists, or providing sentence starters for entries (such as “Today I had a sleepover with …” or “Today at school we learned …”)

Memoirs of a Goldfish / Memoirs of a Hamster (by Devin Scillian) ● These books are written in diary form, and the main character (goldfish, hamster) tells about its daily life

● After Reading: ○ Discuss format of both books ○ Model/share examples of how to write using diary format ● Writing project: ○ Students write “Memoirs of a Caterpillar” using the diary format provided

○ They use information learned from the science unit on butterflies

The Important Book​ (by Margaret Wise Brown) ​ -

A rhythmic book about the importance of everyday things

● During Reading: ○ Discuss how the author explains the most important thing about an object and then ends it with the same observation. Ask, what does the author write about in the middle?

● Writing Project: ○ The important thing about _____ is _______ ○ Bind pages together to make a class book

I Wanna Iguana​ /​ I Wanna New Room (by Karen Kaufman Orloff) -

Series of letters written back and forth between young boy and his parents, in which he provides arguments for receiving something he wants, and his parents provide arguments for why he shouldn’t get it)

● While reading: ○ Make anchor chart of similarities between books: ■ Child/parent take turns writing letters giving reasons ■ Reasons have details that provide more information ■ Letters are signed with adjectives relating to the content of the letter

■ Parent starts to be convinced closer to end of book ● Writing project: ○ Decide what they want to ask for (animal, item, experience, etc) ○ Make list of reasons they want it / should have it ○ Decide who they are writing to ■ Make list of counter-arguments ■ Differentiate if letters directly respond to previous argument or just start next argument ○ Graphic organizer to add details to each reason ○ Students write rough drafts, final copies

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (by Jon Scieszka) -

In this book, the wolf tells his side of the story. According to him, there is more to this fairy tale than has been told. He was framed!

● After Reading: ○ Discuss how there are various perspectives to every story ○ Students take a stand by defending the original story (told by the pigs), or the wolf’s story (as told in this book). Students share their reason with partners, then small groups

● Writing project: ○ Students write an opinion piece stating whether they think the pigs are telling the truth, or the wolf is telling the truth

○ Defend reasons with support from the texts

“The Three Little Pigs” ​ (any version of the original story) -

Building a house out of sticks and straw will not hold when the Big Bad Wolf comes knocking at your door!

● During Reading: ○ Discuss the various materials used for building the houses ○ Advantages and disadvantages to each ● After Reading - special activity: ○ Discuss what materials we could use to build a house ○ Put out various materials (sticks, cotton balls, paper, straws, toothpicks) ○ Put students into groups of three, and explain that they will each build a house, and see if it can stand up to the “Big Bad Hair Dryer”

○ Students work on their houses in groups ● Writing project: ○ After building, students write out the materials they used to build, and the step-by-step procedure used to build it

○ After the “Big Bad Hair Dryer” test, each student reflects on the process of building the house using the sheet provided

The OK Book ​ (by Amy Krouse Rosenthal) -

No one can be great at everything. It’s OK to be OK at something, at which eventually you may become great.

● During Reading: ○ Have children notice that the illustration of “OK” is actually the character in the story

● Writing Project: ○ Have child think of something that she is ok at ○ On writing paper, have child write: I’m ok at _____________ ○ Illustrate ○ Bind for class book

Chopsticks​ (by Amy Krouse Rosenthal) -

Chopsticks have been together their whole lives, until one of them gets injured. This clever, creative story shows how one chopstick learned to venture out on his own, and what he learned by doing so.

● After Reading: ○ List the things that Chopsticks did together, and things they did apart

○ Discuss how we each have an opinion on whether it is better to do things alone, or together.

○ Students take a stand on which they prefer (doing things alone or together)

● Writing project: ○ Students complete an organizer stating their opinion, three reasons with supports, and a conclusion ○ Students write an opinion piece about whether it is better to do things alone, or together ○ Share writing with a partner Additional writing activity for “Chopsticks”

● After Reading: ○ Make chart of things that come in pairs (socks, shoes, earrings, etc.) ● Writing project: ○ Decide what pair of items they want to write about (salt and pepper, etc.) ○ Define problem that occurs in their story (model after mentor text) ○ Students write and illustrate their own book

Quiet/Loud​ (by Leslie Patricelli) -

A book about opposites (contrasting items that are quiet vs loud)

● Writing Project: ○ On one side of the paper: A _________________ is quiet. ○ On the back side of the paper: A ________________ is loud! ● Pair with ​ “ Good News/Bad News” ​ by Jeff Mack and “D ​o’s and Don’ts” ​ by Todd Parr

The Day the Crayons Quit​ (by Drew Daywalt) -

Crayons write letters telling how they are feeling about being overused, not used enough, etc.

● During reading: ○ Discuss format of letter-writing and writing from personal perspective

● Writing project: ○ Discuss other forms of writing to share how you feel (i.e. speech bubbles)

○ Model writing speech bubbles, conversational writing ○ Pass out paper with speech bubble templates ○ Students write their own short story in speech bubble format using crayons as the main characters

“​ A True Book​ ” series by Scholastic -

Huge variety of topics: planets, animals, landforms, people, countries, etc.

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Great use of text features

● While reading … ○ Students work in pairs/groups to look through books and observe similarities

○ Make class anchor chart of characteristics of nonfiction ○ Discuss various text features, show multiple examples ○ For each cluster of topic (such as animals) - make notes of the different chapters and how information was organized

● Writing project: ○ Students select a topic (within any parameters set by teacher) ○ Research facts about topic - organize according to the types of categories observed in mentor texts (this can become Table of Contents)

○ Write body paragraphs ○ Add text features - photos, captions, diagrams, labels, timelines, bold words, glossaries, etc

Notes for nonfiction in Kindergarten: ○ Choose an animal to research as a class ○ Use books with simple text and vivid illustrations ○ After reading, record on graphic organizer: ■ Picture of animal ■ What does it eat? ■ Where is its habitat? ■ What does it look like? ■ How does it move? ○ Writing Project: ■ Child chooses 3 interesting facts and copies them onto writing paper and adds illustrations ■ In small groups, the children share what they wrote

Who Has This Tail? ​ (by Laura Hulbert) ● During Reading:

○ Students guess which animal the tail belongs to ● Writing Project: ○ Using template, child draws the tail of a chosen animal using the mentor text as a resource

○ On other side of paper, child draws the whole animal (with the same tail) and writes which animal it is

○ Bind pages together to make class book ● Companion Books:

○ “What If You Had Animal Hair?”​ By Sandra Markle ​ (three other books too - W ​hat if You Had Animal​ .​ .. Feet, … Ears, … Teeth​ )

Poetry ● Reading - Poetry Explorations - reading and discussing poems with partners, observing and noticing different aspects of poems, such as ...

○ Sound: repetition, alliteration, rhyme ○ Stanzas: how many, how do they build on each other ○ Imagery: how does the poem appeal to your five senses, what can you picture in your mind (or hear, or feel, etc)

○ Figurative Language: metaphors, imagery, personification ● Writing - imitating those observations in their own poems ○ Sharing with partners/groups and having peers identify what was used

About the Author​ (Introduction to editing)

● Throughout the school year, take notice of the “About the Author” blurb in all books you read so that children are familiar with this concept

● After writing and sharing their first individual book that they have written during Writer’s Workshop, teacher takes each student’s picture in the Author’s Chair.

● It is time for them to write their own “About the Author!’ ● Discuss what type of information published authors share about themselves ● Have students write a rough draft about themselves in the style of a published author ● During conferencing, work together to edit for a final copy ● Students make a clean copy which is mounted on construction paper with their author picture and displayed with the heading: Read about the Authors!

Extras: Favorite Fiction Graphic Organizer: ● Found in​ “Wee Can Write Using 6 + 1 Trait Writing Strategies with Renowned Children’s Literature” ​ by Caroline McMahon and Peggy Warrick

○ This graphic organizer is a large drawing of a hand. ○ In the palm is a line for the title of the book ○ Below the title is a line for the author ○ Above the thumb is written “Setting” ○ Above the pointer finger is written “Characters” ○ Above the index finger is written “Beginning” ○ Above the ring finger is written “Middle” ○ Above the pinky is written “End” ● “​ King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub” ​ by Audrey Wood

○ A story about a King who refuses to get out of the bathtub and all the members of the court who come up with ideas to get him out. There is a surprise ending for the reader when the lowly Page pulls the plug!

Halloween Costume Book (incorporating writing into the celebration) ● On the day of the celebration, take a picture of each child in his or her costume ● The following day, have child fill in prompt: ______________ was a ______________ for Halloween. ● Fold paper in half and have child draw a picture of himself in costume, focusing on the details ● Add actual picture of child on opposite side. ● Bind together as a class book. Send home for families to enjoy.

The Mitten (​ by Jan Brett) -

When Nikki loses his mitten, many forest animals decide to keep warm in it, until it stretches with surprising results

● During Reading: ○ Predict what will happen using side bars for clues ● After Reading: ○ Children act out the story using an unzipped sleeping bag to act out the story, while the teacher retells the story. Use laminated pictures of each animal for child to hold while acting out the story

○ Compare and contrast with other versions of this story