My first three reviews of the 2014 NCTE conference have been clearly based upon the common theme of mentor texts. As a teacher who has some but not enough experience with mentor texts, it can be quite intimidating to think what is a good mentor text and where do you find the time in a busy profession to find them?
Well, the aforementioned Ruth Culham recently wrote a book called The Writing Thief that is a bible of mentor texts for various themes, literary techniques and writing conventions. In short, the book is worth checking out.
In the meantime, consider these mentor texts that Culham suggested at the NCTE conference as a nice starting point for instruction blending reading and writing.
To make this post more efficient, I am going to list a topic and then some suggested mentor texts. Perhaps in the future, I will add to this post or build a specific page with mentor texts for various themes.
Well, the aforementioned Ruth Culham recently wrote a book called The Writing Thief that is a bible of mentor texts for various themes, literary techniques and writing conventions. In short, the book is worth checking out.
In the meantime, consider these mentor texts that Culham suggested at the NCTE conference as a nice starting point for instruction blending reading and writing.
To make this post more efficient, I am going to list a topic and then some suggested mentor texts. Perhaps in the future, I will add to this post or build a specific page with mentor texts for various themes.
Topic: Ideas (e.g., the meaning and development of an author’s message)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
That Is Not A Good Idea by Mo Willems
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
What’s Eating You? by Nicola Davies
· Note all of these make great read alouds, even beyond the primary grades.
Topic: Informational Text
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Anything by Nicola Davies, who Culham called an “informational text superstar”
Topic: Organization (i.e., the structure of a text)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner (a great model for transition words)
Umbrella by Taro Yashima (a great model for sequencing and problem and solution)
Topic: Voice (i.e., the tone of the piece and the personal stamp the writer brings to the writing)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Snakes by Nic Bishop
Have I Got a Book for You by Melanie Watts
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
Topic: Word Choice (the specific vocabulary the writer uses to convey meaning)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
The Word Collector by Sonja Wimmer
Telephone by Marc Barnett
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak from The Office
Topic: Sentence Fluency (the way words flow)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Locomotive by Brian Floca
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon (free verse poetry)
The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle (also great for learning to write in metaphor)
Topic: Conventions
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Greedy Apostrophe by Jan Can
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Eats, Shoots, Leaves by Lynn Rosenthal Truss
Topic: Presentation
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Older Than the Stars by Karen C. Fox
One last thing that Culham adamantly mentioned: “Students learn to write well using picture books.”
With that said, here are some picture books she suggested as mentor texts.
The Book That Eats People by John Perry and Mark Fearing
If… (A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers) by David J. Smith
Quite honestly, Culham was my favorite presenter at NCTE and a great start to the conference. She was very engaging and personable when I briefly spoke to her after lecture.
For more on Culham, check out her website: www.culhamwriting.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @WritingThief or Pinterest at the Writing Thief.
In my next post I am going to share some great insights on close reading, specifically how to simplify what has become a complicated process in some regards. Until then.
Source: Ruth Culham
As presented at the 2014 NCTE Convention during the lecture “Literary Models and Mentor Texts to Teach the Craft of Writing”
Friday, November 21, 2014
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
That Is Not A Good Idea by Mo Willems
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
What’s Eating You? by Nicola Davies
· Note all of these make great read alouds, even beyond the primary grades.
Topic: Informational Text
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Anything by Nicola Davies, who Culham called an “informational text superstar”
Topic: Organization (i.e., the structure of a text)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner (a great model for transition words)
Umbrella by Taro Yashima (a great model for sequencing and problem and solution)
Topic: Voice (i.e., the tone of the piece and the personal stamp the writer brings to the writing)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Snakes by Nic Bishop
Have I Got a Book for You by Melanie Watts
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
Topic: Word Choice (the specific vocabulary the writer uses to convey meaning)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
The Word Collector by Sonja Wimmer
Telephone by Marc Barnett
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak from The Office
Topic: Sentence Fluency (the way words flow)
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Locomotive by Brian Floca
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon (free verse poetry)
The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle (also great for learning to write in metaphor)
Topic: Conventions
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Greedy Apostrophe by Jan Can
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Eats, Shoots, Leaves by Lynn Rosenthal Truss
Topic: Presentation
Culham’s Suggested Mentor Texts:
Older Than the Stars by Karen C. Fox
One last thing that Culham adamantly mentioned: “Students learn to write well using picture books.”
With that said, here are some picture books she suggested as mentor texts.
The Book That Eats People by John Perry and Mark Fearing
If… (A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers) by David J. Smith
Quite honestly, Culham was my favorite presenter at NCTE and a great start to the conference. She was very engaging and personable when I briefly spoke to her after lecture.
For more on Culham, check out her website: www.culhamwriting.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @WritingThief or Pinterest at the Writing Thief.
In my next post I am going to share some great insights on close reading, specifically how to simplify what has become a complicated process in some regards. Until then.
Source: Ruth Culham
As presented at the 2014 NCTE Convention during the lecture “Literary Models and Mentor Texts to Teach the Craft of Writing”
Friday, November 21, 2014
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