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

