identities · mentor texts · Reflective Practice · writing workshop

Exploring Identity in Writing Workshop

Read about how one school is working together to think about how to support students in exploring and bringing their identities into their writing.

book review · independent writing projects · mentor author · mentor texts · picture book

Mentor Texts for Independent Writing Projects

Discover the transformative power of independent writing projects for students as they embark on their summer break. Explore a range of captivating mentor texts, from science and poetry to cooking and forgotten skills, that will inspire and engage young writers. Don't miss out on the chance to enter the book giveaway for a chance to win ALL EIGHT featured books.

mentor texts · opinion writing · Ready-to-Go Tip

Energize Opinion Writing with Surprising Mentor Texts: Ready-to-Go Tip

Unlock engagement in an opinion writing unit of study with mentor texts that widen the possibilities for students.

book review · mentor texts · picture book · point of view

Mentor Texts for Navigating Second Person Point of View

Stories and novels written in the second person, where the narrator uses "you" to talk to the reader, are not as familiar as stories told from the perspective of a character or an observer. I've compiled a small group of picture books you can use as mentor texts for teaching students how to address their readers in the second person and do it well! Leave a comment for a chance to win all of them for your classroom library.

digital tools · end of year reflection · engagement · inspiration · mentor texts

ICYMI: Two-Week Recap

You will be all caught up with this, in-case-you-missed-it post recapping the past two weeks here at TWT!

mentor texts

Mentor Texts as Springboards for Writing

I'm always on the hunt for books that capture a universal experience in a way that opens possibilities for writing in response (or in conversation). Mentor texts that invite writers to riff off their brilliance while creating something entirely new. April Pulley Sayre’s latest picture book, In Between, is exactly that kind of book (Beach Lane Books, 2023).

mentor texts · SOLSC Classroom Challenge

Lessons from Abdul’s Story: The 2023 Classroom SOLSC

As we enter the fourth week of the Classroom SOLSC, read how "Abdul's Story" can help students stay motivated.

mentor author · mentor texts · poetry · tools of a poet · writing workshop

Make and Take: Poetry Lesson

Do you need a print-and-go poetry lesson? This can serve as a starting point for multiple age groups.

mentor texts

Micro Mentor Texts: A Review and Giveaway

This book is the absolute GIFT of thinking alongside Penny Kittle while she makes the thinking work necessary to choose and use mentor texts visible.

assessment · mentor texts · student work

We’ve Got Anchor Papers…Now What?

Have you ever found yourself with student anchor (exemplar) papers and not known what to do with them? Today's post provides several ideas for using student writing in powerful ways for assessment, instruction, and communication.

immersion · mentor texts

What’s the Big Idea?

Ever get lost in the details of a writing unit? Ever get overwhelmed by the "bigness" of your vision? Plan for that and shift: from details to the big idea and back again.

craft · mentor texts · reading-writing connections

Tap Into the Power of Whole-Class Text Studies

Whole-class text studies are one of the most impactful ways to strengthen our reading-like-a-writer work with students.