Kids often feel as though that they are the only ones who have ever been stuck for ideas, or been laughed at, or had a story rejected (by a teacher, or friend). No matter where you live, no matter what you write, there is no need to discover every writing problem all on your own. That's where characters in books come in. Why not learn from them?
Category: mentor texts
I’m Trying to Love Spiders: A Review & Giveaway
When my principal handed me a copy of Bethany Barton's I'm Trying to Love Spiders, I was intrigued. She had chosen this book as our Everybody Reads title for the month and I was wondering why. I mean, who would try to love spiders? Ew. I was immediately impressed with both the colorful illustrations and the… Continue reading I’m Trying to Love Spiders: A Review & Giveaway
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New Mentor Texts for Information Writing
The books featured in this post, all of which were published in 2015, represent a variety of information writing. All of these are texts that can pull double- and even triple-duty in your classroom, thereby allowing you to use a text during read-aloud time so you can revisit it during a writing workshop minlesson and/or in a content area.
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A Closer Look
Try typing out a mentor text to get a closer look.
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Teacher-Written Mentor Texts: Diving into Information Writing
I've long believed teacher-written texts can serve as excellent mentor texts during a unit of study. While I'm a huge advocate of student-written mentor texts, sometimes student writing doesn't have everything we need it to contain. We can tailor our own writing to our units of study. We can do this because we can be… Continue reading Teacher-Written Mentor Texts: Diving into Information Writing
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Allowing Student Choice within Information Writing: Diving into Information Writing
How do you encourage students when beginning the writing process for information writing? Give them choices!
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Writing Workshop is Hard Work
Last Thursday, I endeavored to explain writing workshop to parents in my district at Parent University. As I drove home after the presentation, I felt unsettled, like there had been a gap in what the parents were hoping to learn and what I delivered. What would you be sure to include in a presentation to parents on writing workshop?
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Notes from the TCRWP workshop with Carl Anderson: Writing With Mentor Texts — Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
It is Throwback Week on Two Writing Teachers! Revisit this post from Tara on analyzing mentor texts in your classroom.
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A New Mentor Text for Opinion Writing
Finally! I've found a new picture book I can use in opinion writing units of study. Learn more about One Word from Sophia by Averbeck and Ismail in this post. Then, leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of this book.
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Who’s Up For a TWT Voxer Book Club?
Are you a Voxer skeptic? Read on to find out how Voxer can enrich your teaching life and an opportunity to use Voxer with others in our TWT community.
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Let’s invite every writer in our classroom to create mentor texts!
As a writing teacher, I am always on the lookout for rich and varied mentor texts to share with my students as we work our way through genres and, more importantly, try to live writerly lives...
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Walk Like a Writer
Observational walking is useful for professional writers and it can be good for students too! This fall, head outside with your students for a walk around your school's neighborhood. But first, read ASK ME by Bernard Waber and Suzy Lee!
