This presentation was first presented at the AMTESOL Conference in Oxford, Mississippi in January, 2012. The focus is on why it is important to use mentor text and how we can effectively do that in the classroom.

1. The Importance
of
Mentor Text
Keith Pruitt, Ed.S
Words of Wisdom
Educational Consulting
www.woweducationalconsulting.com

2. A “mentor piece” is a short
text or portion of a text used
as a support for the work we
are trying to accomplish in the
workshop.
Judy Davis and Sharon Hill, The No-
Nonsense Guide to Teaching Writing, p10
Pearson’s From Reading to Writing capitalizes on
connecting reading and writing and using
mentor text.

3. Have students reflect on what they have
read.
Important to look at the vocabulary in
the reading. These become key writing
transfers.
Let’s Write!!! Here’s the model.

4. Harriet Tubman
By Eloise Greenfield
Harriet Tubman didn‟t take no stuff
Wasn‟t scared of nothing neither
Didn‟t come in this world to be no slave
And wasn‟t going to stay one either
“Farewell!” she sang to her friends one night
She was mighty sad to leave „em
But she ran away that dark, hot night
Ran looking for her freedom
She ran to the woods and she ran through the woods
With the slave catchers right behind her
And she kept on going till she got to the North
Where those mean men couldn‟t find her
Nineteen times she went back South
To get three hundred others
She ran for her freedom nineteen times
To save Black sisters and brothers
(repeat first stanza)

6. Harriet Tubman
By Eloise Greenfield
Harriet Tubman didn‟t take no stuff
Wasn‟t scared of nothing neither
Didn‟t come in this world to be no slave
And wasn‟t going to stay one either
“Farewell!” she sang to her friends one night
She was mighty sad to leave „em
But she ran away that dark, hot night
Ran looking for her freedom
She ran to the woods and she ran through the woods
With the slave catchers right behind her
And she kept on going till she got to the North
Where those mean men couldn‟t find her
Nineteen times she went back South
To get three hundred others
She ran for her freedom nineteen times
To save Black sisters and brothers
(repeat first stanza)

7. This exercise just showed an
example of how to use a
mentor text.
Let’s look at some other ways
of using mentor text and
discuss why mentor text are
important.

8. The Importance
of Mentor Text
1. Serves as a starting gate for
writing.
2. Mirrors the expectation for
the writing to be done.
3. Serves as a point for mini-
lessons, ie. Using
adjectives effectively
4. Gives students guidance for
different genres and text
types.

9. Next you will see a
picture.
With a partner, I want
you to just list the
things you see in this
picture.
You will only see the
picture for 5 seconds.

11. Take one of the details
from the picture and with
a partner tell each other
the beginnings of a story.
Now I want you to just
make some notes about
what your partner told
you.

12. My Mind’s Eye
Projection Screen Image The Author’s Words

13. My Mind’s Eye
Projection Screen Image The Author’s Words
He sat close to the fire, his
chin in his hand. It was
dusk, and the dogs lay
beside him on the warm
hearthstones.
--Sarah Plain and Tall, p.1

14. Every Sense Counts

15. Good writers are good
readers…. Notice how
authors craft their
writing because I find
great writing
fascinating and
because I am always
looking to become a
better writer.
--Regie Routman, Writing
Essentials
p. 43

16. And the more experience
children have in reading
and writing, the more
meaningful their writing
becomes. Growth in
reading positively impacts
writing, and growth in
writing positively impacts
reading.
--Regie Routman, Writing
Essentials,
P 120

17. The concept of a mentor
text is important. A mentor
is one who models,
coaches, and lifts another to
higher levels. With that in
mind, a mentor text must be
chosen carefully to ensure
that it can establish a model
of quality writing that is
worthy of guiding our
learners.
--Linda Hoyt, Interactive Read-
Alouds
Teacher’s Guide,

18. What Makes a Piece of Literature a
Good Mentor Text?
Engages students imaginations.
The text is well written and provides many
opportunities to teach good writing
practices (Davis & Hill, p. 10)
The text can obviously serve to help
students understand what is expected in
their writing.

19. In working with English
Language Learners, what are
the obstacles to teaching
Writing?
How can mentor text help
provide a bridge from reading
to writing for these students?
Turn and Talk

20. In this
presentation we
have looked at the
importance of
mentor text. The
importance of
connecting
reading and
writing is definite.

21. Thank You
Keith Pruitt
Words of Wisdom
Educational Consulting
www.woweducationalconsulting.com