Using'tMentor TeKs" in aPrimary Classroom

Pented by Can*e A, H.{dsLitency Specialist an.t ReadiE Recoyety Teacher

csncil Rck sch@l DFtrictNewtown, Pennsylvania

February, 2O1O

Overview of Session

. Rationale-Invite real authors into yourclassroom

r Four Models of Writing. Fortunatelv. Unfortunatelv by Remy Charlip

by Mary O'Neill

by Linda Oatman High

. The Important Bmk by Margarct Wise Brown

r Wrap-up/Conclusion

The Secret of Writing

"Itt misleading to think of writere as special ffeaturg, word sorcere6who possess some sort of magic knowledge hidden from everyoneelse. Writers are qdinary people who like to write. They feel theurge to write and scratch that itch ewry chance they have. Wrlbe6get their ideas down on paper using particular strdtegies that seemto work for them. The strategis are available to anyore who wantsto be a writer.

REVEALED!

There is no s€cret, but there is a process. fu writing isn't forged bymagic or hakhed out of thin air. Good writing happens whenhuman beings follow partjcular steps to take conkol of theirsentences-to make their words do what they want them to do."

( serpt from HOW WRITERS WORK by Ralph Fleicfw)

Using Scaffolds to Organize Texts

''Hoq to make a tcxl sork together in inbresiing,effici*t *4 s is a ch6llmge aU wiu's faoe. . .WerJ to ovmimplii ihis aspect of witiilg, leaching

shdent to \wite eleD thdg s a sto4 Rilh a

chronological beginnirg , middlc, and end or d messq Eitl 3-5 pdagraphs... But I beliele fd sludents

b Mir€ well lhe] nwd a reptr;e of stutualudsshdrngs fiat go bE) ond rhese Flo bsic

fms."

-Katie Wood Ra), Wondrous Words

So...

Who ya gonna call??

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Fortunatelyone day, Ned got a letter that said,"Please Come to a Surprise Party."

l,r rt&*,icFrR#otr"EFpffieF**t

But unfortunately

the party was in Florida

and he was in New York

Fortunatelya friend loaned him an airplane.

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Unfoftunately

Unfortunatelythere was a hole in the Darachute.

4

Unfortunatelythere was a pitchfork in the haystack.

Fortunatelyhe missed the pitchfork.

Unfortunatelyhe missed the haystack.

Foftunatelyhe landed in water.

Unfortunatelythere were sharks in the water.

Foftunatelyhe could swim.

Unfortunatelythere were tigers on the land.

Fortunatelyhe could run.

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Unfoftunatelyhe ran into a deep dark cave.

Fortunatelyhe could dig.

A seesaw storyl

A se6aw story g@s back and fofih, and back andforth!

It's tons offun!

FoftunatelyForarnalely, one day red roses were delivercd to my front door.

Unfortunately, thele wasn't a mrd attached to the bouquet.

Fortunateiy, I tound the €rd on the pavement.

unfortunately, the €rd wasn't signed

Fortunately, the delivery girl came back to tell me that the flowers werefrom Rita.

Un{ortunately, I don't know anyone named Rita.

Fortunately, my neighbor walked by and announ@d that she has afriend named Rital

Unfortunately, that meant the flowers weren't for me.

Fortunately, my husband 6me home with yellow daisies just for me.And fortunately they are my favorite and fortunately I smiled.

I

Now It's Your Turn!

Fortunately, Unfortunately,

.€- _:w4<

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Bones

OHN WALLNER

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12

Wbat I: Rall

Blazy and brighrRd k feling biareWith Jl ro!' mi8ht.

Whcn )o! .ut your haod.Red is a brick and

Wkn you re cmlarruse<l

What is Pink?

On a little gir{'s handNail polish is pinkYou may find pinkIn a shell tossed on the sandItb the soft inside of a bunnYs earOr sticky, sweet cotton cndyWhen a crnival is n6rPink melts and dripsFrom a strawberry conePink is the color of a young girl's lipsPink never shoutsPink always whispersPink is just red's sweet little sister

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&q duik HA6t@ES AM HAUM PNE9Yd Bl tux a c&- thn cb* Fur eF sd Shi iM tM sbr' Md dn P s? ka lde? #r?

Hd dos ft mkeyDu |w Jd doM ryr itu.-,...

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Explode a Moment

r Snapshots

r Thoughtshots

r Slow the action

r Show, Don't Tell

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sep@ up b the phte a.d hii a homer. kryore cheEd. We had iust won the

eFme

,,..,.EPLODE ilE MOMENTII IIIThe July sun we like a hot bulb bakng us in the dugout as re wafted our tum b hl.

unifurm E€ moist, and dirt duck b 6 like re were dipped in gl€. nE game was tdI hard tlE Coach Fll out my mme.

I sbod up like I had €ment in both p€keb. I raisd try brsm b wiPe away lheS I sbpped up to the pbte. I ould fel ffiryone's eY6 boring itu re, and I knew what they

ft b do. I cllEhed tte bat fimly, adiGting nry sbre. I beganb shift my Eight back and turth in the lo6e did . I t@k a tuw swir€s to !€t the fel of the bal

cufing though ttE hot and humid cu&in of air. You an do E I bA fryself. AI that bafringptfrb will pay oF May Kep a gaod erc! WaEh aM walt tur a g6od pibhI gla€d at the pltcher as he liH om toot off of the Mnd. Hb body begEn b shift shaps as

he began hb wlnduP. l wd like a hawk wabhing the *urrying ffiments of my p€y. I would

b €dyb spring inb &n-The pibher relesed the ball. It was in th sHke zore'

I swung tfE bat mkirq glid @nbd with that powerfll ljfrle sphe€. whacklIt's headed for ouEr spae. Itb od oF herc! I bolted b fi6t bas like I was fi€d from a fpt 6tI could s the cFwd ris fFm the sbnds 6 if they shared ooe tedy b bllow the arc of the ball

My a6 re€ .inging. ht mre sbmplng. voics weE whsping ft uP we had jct won

chatrpionship game. As I rcunded third be headed tor hone plate, I knew vitury was 0/61

THEIMPORTANT

BOOK Take notice ofhow MargaretWise Brownorganizes andstructures herparagraphs.

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The imF)rtant thirg alxxrt

mos is thal it is white. Ir irmld, and light. ir falls softl;

ont of llrc skY. it is hrii:ht'*nd lhe shaln ol'linr llar*antl rrrstals. It ir al*ar sr:old'

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TIF isrlnrbnl rhing alxrur a shu'

ir that rd ltrrl t'orrt f(sl it iL

to wall in it'

anrl roa bht il ofl er ,righl

and it's ranl slkn r(N t!L'' il rlll:%llut lhe irnlErhrl thingdxxt o rho

i- lhal v(D pst Your f6t in ir.

TH' IMPORTANT BOOK

Theimportant thiry about rrow is lhst il Mn k fuL

YDU ce! rotl it, tlro* it rnd build !jolly 3!o*mm with ! tlp hrt rnd crrmt doic.

Yo! cm trudge Srough freshb lilhn ilos and B.b path foryouryourg.r brother to follow

SDor is Ik€ ! iurya rhte bhnket tbat cov.ri 6e.afrb in tirter

But thc inpo*ut tNbg lbout snoq k il cu h tun.

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In Conclusion...

r Marinate your students in good literature

r Provide scaffolding

r Allow opportunities for experimentationwith language ancl structures

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