Mentor Texts for Writing Ideas

I'm joining my blogging buddy, Carla @ The Reading Tutor OG, for the Mentor Monday Linky. Carla is a guest blogger today, while Emily enjoys time with her precious newborn baby girl. :)

This week the topic is using mentor texts to wake up writing with wonderful ideas.

Ideas make up the content of a piece of writing, the heart of the message.  Writers develop ideas in a several ways:

• They choose fresh, original ideas.
• They write about something that matters to them.
• They narrow their topic and get specific.
• They develop their idea by adding interesting information.
• They make their idea come to life with juicy details.

However, sometimes writers have difficulty getting started.  They get stuck trying to select an idea that motivates them to write.

Heart Map {Freebie} created by 3rd Grade Grid Iron

Invite writers to create Heart Maps.  Students fill in their heart maps with things they love: interests, hobbies, sports, people and places that are close to their hearts, etc. Anytime students need inspiration, they refer back to their heart maps.

Mentor Text for Writing Ideas:
Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street by Roni Schotter

A few years ago I came across a book that is perfect for encouraging students to push past writer's block.  In the book, Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street, Eva's neighbors offer her advice as she struggles to come up with a good writing topic.  

After reading the story with students, we record the neighbors' advice on chart paper.  Then students use the advice to develop their own stories.

What books have you found helpful for waking up writing with wonderful ideas?  I'd love to know.  Leave a comment or link up with The Reading Tutor OG to share your thoughts.  :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Analyzing Characters {Freebie}

I'm joining The Reading Tutor OG, where I am the guest blogger today, for a discussion on using mentor texts to analyze character.

Characters reveal themselves through their words, actions, and feelings. Strategic readers gather clues to a character's personality by tuning in to what the character says, thinks, and does.  We want students to not only be able to identify the traits of a character, but also be able to support their thinking with evidence from the text.

The posters below provide a great visual for students when introducing character traits.  You can click on the image to download the {free} set.

Created by Lyndsey Kuster

In my experience with teaching character traits, students sometimes lack the vocabulary to 'label' the traits that they see in a character. Thus, their descriptions are vague. I've included a list of character traits that students can use as they begin to identify them. You can download it {free} by clicking on the image below.

Created by Workshop Classroom

One of my favorite books to read when I introduce character traits is A Bad Case of the Stripes.

Story Summary (provided by Amazon): Camilla Cream worries too much about what others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes, then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests appear vividly all over her body. The solution: lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote unpopularity with her classmates.

Storyline Online is a great place to go for videos of your favorite stories read aloud by famous actors. My students enjoy the videos, and I love how easy it is to pause the story to discuss our thinking about it.

I created a graphic organizer for students to use as they analyze Camilla's character.  Students record the trait that they inferred and the evidence from the text that supports their thinking.  Click on the image for your {free} digital copy.  

Clipart by The 3AM Teacher

What are your favorite books for teaching character analysis?  Please leave a comment below or link up with The Reading Tutor OG and share your ideas.

Determining Importance

I'm joining my blogging buddy, Emily @ The Reading Tutor OG, for her Mentor Monday Linky. I'm a little late to the party, but let's just pretend it's Monday.  ;)  The topic this week is using mentor texts for Determining Importance.

Let's start off with a brief explanation of the term. Determining importance is a strategy that readers use to distinguish what information in the text is important to know versus what information is simply interesting to read.

• With narrative text, determining importance requires the reader to identify main ideas and infer themes of the story.

• With nonfiction text, readers must be able to sift through information and decide what is most important. The focus is on retaining important information and learning from the text.  

Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, Strategies That Work 2002

The Wild Rumpus

Finding the main idea and supporting details is often difficult for children.  In order to help students develop this strategy, we must provide explicit instruction-with teacher modeling and think-alouds- and many opportunities for guided practice with both fiction and nonfiction text.

The Wild Rumpus blog offers a poster {freebie} with a great explanation for students.  I love the visual this poster provides.

One of my favorite picture books for teaching determining importance is The Night I Followed the Dog.  It's about a boy follows his dog to see what the pet does at night.  He discovers that his dog wears a tuxedo, rides in a limo, and visits a club where dogs can get treats (without having to roll over or play dead).  Students adore this book!

Here's a video of Amanda Bynes reading this book for Storyline Online.  

After we practice Main Idea with fiction books, it's time to apply the skill to nonfiction.  I like using Rosie: A Visiting Dog's Story.  It's a book about a service dog that visits sick and lonely people to lift their spirits.  The main idea is clear and details are easy to locate.  

Finally, here are two graphic organizers for determining importance that you may want to check out.  :)

Scholastic

The Wild Rumpus

What are your favorite books or tips for teaching this comprehension skill?  I'd love to hear your ideas!  Leave a comment or link up with Emily to share your thoughts.  :)

Figurative Language

I'm joining my blogging buddy, Emily @ The Reading Tutor OG, for her Mentor Monday Linky.  The topic this week is using mentor texts to teach figurative language.

Let's start off with a brief explanation of the term.  Figurative language is a word or phrase that goes beyond its normal everyday, literal meaning.  It is used by a writer for the sake of comparison or dramatic effect.  It often requires the reader to use background knowledge to infer the author's meaning.

Whether you are teaching students to interpret figurative language or apply it to their own writing, mentor texts are a great way to start. Here are a few of my favorite stories for teaching this skill.

Similes: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Metaphors: Tar Beach by Faith Ringold

Idioms:  Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Personification:  The Little House by Virginia Burton

You might be interested in this set of posters offered by Tiffany Matthews in her TpT store.  

Posters {Freebie} by Tiffany Matthews

Six common types of figurative language are explained in this tutorial. It's worth watching with students.  :)

What books do you use to teach figurative language?  I'd love for you to leave a comment and share your favorites.  :)

For even more mentor text ideas hop on over to The Reading Tutor OG. You'll be glad you did.

 

Mentor Monday Linky

I'm joining my blogging buddy, Emily @ The Reading Tutor OG, for her first ever Mentor Monday Linky.  This week the topic is using mentor texts for personal narrative writing, specifically for developing ideas from small, memorable moments.

We use the writer's workshop model by Lucy Caulkins in our school.  I simply love her writing lessons!  One of my favorite books to use for teaching students how to narrow their focus is The Snowy Day  by Ezra Jack Keats.  

The Snowy Day is perfect for introducing "Small Moment" writing because most students (especially where I live) can identify with having a snow day (we've had a lot of them lately).  

After reading the story, we discuss the big idea, smaller topic, and seed moment and record them on a chart.  Students quickly see how we keep narrowing the topic to zero in on the small, memorable moment.  (I use this chart idea from Kelley @ Buggy for Learning).

Buggy for Learning

Then we brainstorm all the things we do on a snow day that would be considered small moments. 

• make snow angels
• catch snowflakes on our tongues
• go sledding
• make a snowman
• build an igloo
• have a snowball fight

Finally, we think of our own small moment ideas for writing and post them on our chart.  We read them one by one and decide if they are "watermelons", "slices", or "seeds".  Don't you just love this chart?  It's from Colleen @ Totally Terrific in Texas.

Totally Terrific in Texas

I found these posters and the corresponding graphic organizer for small moment writing at Fit to Be Fourth on TPT.  You may want to grab a copy for yourself.  It's the perfect complement to this lesson. :)

Fit to Be Fourth {Freebie}

Do you have a favorite book that you like to use to introduce Small Moment Writing?  I'd love for you to share it.  Hop on over to visit Emily @ The Reading Tutor OG and link up your ideas.