1. Good morning! As you come in, please sit in the area that matches the grade level that you teach or in which in have a primary interest.

2. Diving Into Literature and Literacy: Using Mentor Texts for Writing Jessica Hicks, Rebecca Hunter, Kellie Miller and StephieMcCumbee North Carolina Reading Conference 2010University of North Carolina at CharlotteReading Education Graduate Students

3. The Read Aloud Experiencing great literature inspires great writing Conducted separately from your writing lesson Read alouds can help children uncover the memories connected with special places ~ Dorfman & Cappelli

4. “Mentor texts are pieces of literature that we can return to again and again as we help our young writers learn how to do what they may not yet be able to do on their own.” Dorfman and Cappelli

5. How do I prepare for using mentor texts in my classroom? Surround yourself with possible mentor texts to become informed about which ones will serve your students’ needs (Davis & Hill, 2003) Developing libraries of mentor texts immerses children in quality literature and encourages teachers to let students’ creativity grow from the seeds of well-loved books (Sturgell, 2008) Mentor texts should be known forewards and backwards to the teacher so that she can revisit texts with students (Ray & Laminack, 2001)

6. Why are mentor texts important instructional tools for writing? “When we set out to learn to do anything, we look to others who are expert at what we are trying to learn to do. Learning to write is no different.” (Davis & Hill, 2003) “Writing mentors support writers by maintaining high standards, building on strengths, valuing diversity and originality, and encouraging risk taking” (Fletcher, 1993)

7. Step 1- Provide Mentor Reread or display the portion of text that models your teaching point Point out what “smart” writing technique the author used The world is BIG. Trees too tall. Sky too . HIGH

8. Step 2- Model Model using the technique in your own writing or through a shared writing The tiny ants march s - l – o – w – l - y Up the Lugging their prize- Chocolate cake! hill

9. Step 3- Guided Practice Allow students to share with peers or you how they might try this strategy in their own writing

10. Step 4- Try It! Provide students the opportunity to try the technique in their own writing

11. Selecting a Mentor Text You and your students have talked about the text a lot as readers first. (Nia, 1999) The topic is one the kids can relate to and will spark ideas for their own writing. (Davis & Hill, 2003) The text is a little more sophisticated than the writing of your best students. (Nia, 1999) The text is a good example of a specific genre which you are studying. (Davis & Hill, 2003)

12. Turn and Talk What book that is already a favorite read aloud could you use as a mentor text for writing? Grab a book displayed near your grade level.What writing technique could you teach using this text?

13. Try it tomorrow! What writing genre are you currently teaching? What literature could you use to better model that genre for your students?

14. References Dorfman, L.R. & Cappelli, R. (2007). Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Nia, I.T. (1999). Units of study in the writing workshop. Primary Voices K–6, 8, 3–12. Davis, J. and S. Hill. (2003)The No-Nonsense Guide to Teaching Writing: Strategies, Structures, and Solutions. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

15. References continued Fletcher, R. (1993). What a writer needs. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Ray, K.W. & L. Laminack. (2001). The Writing Workshop: Working Through The Hard Parts (And they’re all hard parts). Urbana, IL: NCTE.