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Happy New Year: New Posts for Teachers and Writers in 2014
January is an exciting time—a time for new things. So on this blog, there will be some new things rolling out in 2014. Here are some of the things I have planned. For Teachers Teacher Useletter I am introducing my useletter for teachers. I will include links to things…
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Mentor Text Tip Tuesday: Familiar Books
Tip: Use a book students are already familiar with as a mentor text. When I pull out a book to use as a mentor text and students say, “Oh I’ve read that book,” I’m always thrilled. You know why? The first time we read a book, we are interested…
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Guest Post on Using Mentor Texts
I write a lot about mentor texts in the classroom, but I also use them to help my own writing. Today, one of my guest posts is live on DIYMFA on reading like a writer. It’s called “Reading and Studying Mentor Texts.”
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Mentor Text Tip Tuesday: Pictures as Mentors
Tip: Sometimes students need more than an author’s words to help them in their writing. Many students respond well to pictures. I know many primary teachers that start students out with drawing a picture first, then writing. This can work for older students too. Pictures can be mentors for…
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10 for 10: Top 10 Favorite Picture Books to Use as Mentor Texts for Word Choice
UPDATE OCTOBER 2014: This post has become so popular that I expanded it and turned it into a downloadable PDF. You can get the downloadable PDF for free when you sign up for my teacher newsletter (sign up is on the right-hand sidebar). This year, I’m participating in…
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Mentor Text Tip Tuesday: One Thing at a Time
Tip: Revise one thing at a time. If you are working on describing the setting, then only work on composing and revising the setting. As a writer myself, revising a whole host of things at one time can be overwhelming. Many professional writers I know do several passes of…
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Mentor Text Tip Tuesday: Use Non-Book Resources
Tip: Use examples from non-book sources like newspapers and magazines. I tend to focus a lot of my energy on fictional mentor texts. However, much of what students will have to write and read in their school career will be non-fiction. So I’m working on incorporating more non-fiction into…
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Mentor Text Tip Tuesday: Scavenge the Books
Tip Scavenge your favorite books for good writing. In a recent onomatopoeia lesson, one of the activities includes creating a Noisy Words chart—looking for onomatopoeic words for every letter of alphabet. But looking for onomatopoeic words is just the beginning. Young writers can go on a scavenger hunt for…
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Writing Quote Wednesday: Do It!
“Doing is better than not doing, and if you do something badly you’ll learn to do it better.” —THE CREATIVE HABIT by Twyla Tharp One of the things that’s been plaguing me lately is noticing that I’m not executing something particularly well in my writing. When it comes…
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Mentor Text Tip Tuesday: Make a Chart
Tip When I’m introducing a mentor text to students for the first time, we talk together about the things we admire about the writing. One way to do this is by making a chart. It gives us a chance to color-code phrases or words and talk about it in…