I am consistently moved by meaningful letters. When I write thank you notes, I am sure to take time with them so the recipient can feel my genuine gratitude. However, when I write other notes, specifically condolence notes, I find it more challenging. (Let me be honest, I've even looked for mentor letters to help… Continue reading Letters of Gratitude
Category: mentor texts
A Mentor Text that Deals with Social Issues
We’ve all had that kid in our class. You know who I mean. It’s the kid who sticks out like a sore thumb because of his weight, because of his hair, or because of the way his voice sounds. I had that kid in my class each year… sometimes more than one per year. That… Continue reading A Mentor Text that Deals with Social Issues
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Scaredy Squirrel Books in the Primary Writing Classroom
Ruth was shocked when she learned that I had never heard of Scaredy Squirrel Books when we passed the Kids Can Press Booth at the NCTE Conference. Quite frankly, once I started paging Mélanie Watt's first Scaredy Squirrel Book, which was published four years ago, I, too, was shocked. It was humorous! I found the… Continue reading Scaredy Squirrel Books in the Primary Writing Classroom
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Record-Keeping Forms
I recently tweaked some of the record-keeping forms I disseminate when I consult with teachers about conferring. Some of the forms now have space to record the mentor text a teacher studies in alongside a child in a conference or with a small group in a strategy lesson. I think it's important to keep track… Continue reading Record-Keeping Forms
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Picture Books in Upper Elementary School
The Fall of 2006 brought me the savviest class I ever taught. Nearly all 32 of them scoffed at me on Wednesday, September 6th when I pulled out Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street. "A picture book?" one student said disdainfully. "Yes, a picture book," I replied. "We're going to read lots of picture books… Continue reading Picture Books in Upper Elementary School
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Mentor Texts That Keep Students’ Interest
Every now and then I'd pick a dud-of-a-book to read aloud. However, more often than not, my students loved the books I read aloud and subsequently used as touchstone texts. Was it that they were all interested in the topics of every book? Not necessarily. Was it that they admired the illustrators for their artistic… Continue reading Mentor Texts That Keep Students’ Interest
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Using One Book for Many Purposes
When I started teaching I owned a handful of picture and chapter books. I came armed with this handful and my love for Judy Blume. I knew I liked to write, but really had no idea how to help a child become a stronger writer. Over time, with a lot of guidance and professional development,… Continue reading Using One Book for Many Purposes
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Planned & Unplanned Mentor Text Conferences
I have been a bit of a mentor text aficionada for the past three and a half years. It all started when I asked an incoming class of fifth graders this question at the end of fourth grade: “What have you learned about writing from reading?” Every-single-kid’s-response can be boiled down to one word: “Nothing.” … Continue reading Planned & Unplanned Mentor Text Conferences
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Author Studies Help Children Write Better
Last month I was consulting in a school with some primary grade teachers. They expressed concerns about infusing mentor texts into their classrooms. I provided them with some language for developing theories about what an author is doing in a text, as well as links to booklists I've created and a book that serves as… Continue reading Author Studies Help Children Write Better
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Mentoring Primary Writers
The past eight days have been exceedingly busy, while also being exceedingly great. First, Ruth was here and we spent a lot of time planning out the final third of our book. Then, I traveled to Philadelphia for the NCTE Annual Convention. On Monday, I was in a new school working with a dynamic group… Continue reading Mentoring Primary Writers
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Change & Personal Narratives
“There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus As a child, I didn’t know much about change. I moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey when I was a baby. I switched schools in the fall of sixth grade, thereby dividing the first thirteen years of my schooling between two educational institutions. I lived under the… Continue reading Change & Personal Narratives
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Ah, to be 13 again. Well, not really.
I’ve had 13, a collection of short stories edited by James Howe, sitting in my bookshelf for the past few years. I bought it based on the recommendation of a staff developer at the TCRWP who shared Rachel Vail’s “Thirteen and a Half” at a Calendar Day I attended. Since the book is geared towards… Continue reading Ah, to be 13 again. Well, not really.
