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    3-5, Mastering Mentor Sentences

    Getting Started With Mentor Sentences

    August 17, 2016

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    Ideas by Jivey walks you through each day of the first week of mentor sentences.
    Some common emails I get when people are ready to start mentor sentences, or are in the first week and feel like it’s not going like it should, go something like this:
    “Help! My students aren’t able to write anything down the first week!”
    or
    “What do you do if students don’t know anything?”

     

    I want you to think about everything else you teach through the course of your day, and every other routine you have to explain and demonstrate at the beginning of the year. How many times do you repeat yourself? How many times do you have to walk them through the same thing over and over again before they understand expectations? How many times do you not get through all your first week plans because it takes three times longer to do EVERYTHING than it should? Mentor Sentence time is no different, especially if this is the first time your students have EVER done mentor sentences (if they didn’t have it in a prior grade).

     

    Your students are going to need a TON of modeling, prompting, and explanation the first few weeks of school, just as with any other routine. And they AREN’T going to just magically know everything. But if you start out slow and gradually build up to “grade level expectations,” students will feel more successful, and you will be helping them establish the routine necessary for the whole year. And one of the BEST parts of mentor sentences… the spiral review every week! Students who aren’t “getting it” the first few times will get it down the road after seeing it several more times.

    In this post, I am going to lay out exactly what I would do the first week of school for mentor sentences with explanations and pictures, as well as video at the end. Buckle up- this is a long one!
    No matter where you are in the school year, when you start mentor sentences you should all start the same way. You might have already read this post about not teaching grammar in isolation (and if not, go read it first!) where I lay out the reasons why I don’t “start the year” by explaining all the different parts of speech. Start mentor sentences as soon as you can (I suggest the first full week of school) with LOTS of modeling. Most of the learning during mentor sentence time is going to happen through discussion. Practicing having class conversations (listening and taking turns talking) is going to be essential to teach- and a great thing to implement, not just for mentor sentence time!
    The first week you begin mentor sentences, you may not even want students to write in their notebook. I like to walk them through the routine by writing it all out for them to see, and not worry about whether they are copying or not.
    In this demonstration blog post, I will be using lessons that are in this Do Unto Otters pack in my TPT store:

     

     

    Yes, it is necessary to read the book for students to have context of the sentence. If you can, try to read it at some point before starting your lesson, but if not, you definitely want to read it before Wednesday. I encourage you to use the book for other lessons too, not just mentor sentences. Mentor texts are great for reading and writing mini-lessons, too! Many books can be found on YouTube as read alouds, and even on websites like Storyline Online!

     

    If you want to skip over the written explanation and JUST SEE THE VIDEO, scroll to the bottom of this post! 

    DAY 1

    On this day, you are going to teach students to look at a sentence for what makes it special/different/unique from a “normal” sentence. This is their time to notice. Because many of them aren’t used to analyzing a sentence this way, it will be important for you to prompt them a lot and even tell them what YOU notice about the sentence if they truly don’t say a single thing. Generally though, someone will always be the “talker” and anxious to speak up. 🙂 Read the sentence together, and then ask them what they notice about the sentence.
    Prompts you might use:
    What do you see in this sentence that looks different than other sentences?
    What do you notice about this sentence that makes it a good sentence?
    Does anything stand out to you in this sentence?
     
    Students might tell you they see a capital and a period first. We want to move them away from those answers as we continue through the year, but that’s a great start for the first week! They might tell you they see an apostrophe in the contraction. This would be a great time to talk for just a minute about contractions and remind them of that skill from previous grades. You also hope they will tell you there are adjectives, or describing words. This would be the focus skill for the week. If they don’t tell you that, IT’S OK!! It’s the first week, and this will be a great time for you to model a think-aloud about what YOU notice in the sentence.

     

    List all of the things they (and you) notice about the sentence either on a chart or in a notebook under a document camera.
    Tell them this week, you will be focusing on making writing more exciting with adjectives, and if appropriate, allow them to do something during your writing time with this skill as well. This will help begin the transfer of mentor sentence time to writing time.

     

    DAY 2

    On the second day, you will want to discuss the specific parts of speech they see in the sentence. This is generally when teachers want to cry in the beginning of the year. But listen, the important thing here is to start off simple and build through the year. Yes, fourth graders should know more in a sentence than the nouns. But guess what? If they have been taught with grammar in isolation all of their school career, they are going to have a really hard time applying those “rules” to a sentence. Remember, the key is to make sure they understand WHY those words are what they are, and how they connect to other words in the sentence. (In other words, don’t label just for the sake of labeling!)

     

    Once again, you need to model, model, model. And just because I labeled all of the words in the lesson plan for your reference doesn’t mean you need to label all of the words for the class!

     

    Start off by asking them if they know how to name any of the words in the sentence. You can remind them of how to name them: nouns, verbs, adjectives… in my past experience, just like on day 1, you’ll usually have at least one kid who knows SOMETHING and they will speak up.

     

    In the sentence from Do Unto Otters, the two most important things I’d make sure to talk them through are nouns and adjectives (because adjectives are the focus). If you want to label other parts, especially if students speak up and say they know that word, then do it! What I would NOT do is talk them through every other word they do not know and try to teach them what those parts of speech are. For one, you don’t have time for that in a mini-lesson. But also, you don’t want to overwhelm them. Take it slow and work your way up over the next several weeks. I promise, halfway through the year, they are going to know those parts of speech because of the consistent spiral manner of the routine.

     

    This is also the day to do some more focused work on the skill of the week. I like to use interactive notebook activities to review and/or teach my skills.

     

    DAY 3

    On the third day, students are going to revise the mentor sentence. You will want to explain what this means- making the sentence better than it already is…making it sound better… etc.

     

    Guess what you are going to do this day? MODEL AGAIN! 🙂

     

    Since the focus of this week is adjectives, it will be very easy to revise for adjectives. Create a scaffolded, cloze sentence to show them how you will think through revising the sentence.

     

    Allow them to help you think of words that could belong in the blank or to replace “good.”

     

    Once you get into the routine after a few weeks, you will continue to show a model of a revised sentence (but not necessarily doing a think-aloud every time) so they can discuss and identify what you’ve done to revise the sentence, which gives them ideas of things they can do on their own.

     

    DAY 4

    This day will be the trickiest for them at first, but will soon become their favorite day because they get to write about whatever they want to write about! On the fourth day, students will imitate the style and structure of the sentence. This is another reason why the sentences start off  “easy” at the beginning of the year. Students need to understand how to imitate a simple sentence before they can ever do it with more difficult ones. Every now and then, I get emails and feedback about the sentences being too easy in unit 1- remember, you are setting them up to be successful for the rest of the year! 🙂

     

    I bet you’ll never guess what I’m going to tell you to do on this day…………… MODEL! 🙂

     

    Provide students another scaffolded cloze sentence- this time with blanks replacing words. Most of them have seen mad libs before, so I like to set it up that way.

     

    Talk through your thoughts as you decide what to write. Discuss picking a topic first, and then moving to write words in each blank. “I want to write about all of my new friends in this class, so I’m going to write classmate in the blank for my noun. Now what kind of classmate do I want? Well I’d like a helpful classmate! It’s nice to have a helpful classmate.”
    Just like on day 3, once you get into the routine after a few weeks, you will continue to show a model of an imitated sentence (but not necessarily doing a think-aloud every time) so they can discuss and identify what you’ve done to imitate the sentence, which gives them ideas of things they can do on their own.

     

    DAY 5

    This is the day when you will want to have students see how they will be assessed each week. I encourage you to use the quizzes as formative assessments to see what students still need for pulling small groups or one-on-one conferencing…. BUT I am not discouraging you from using them as grades. Just be mindful of how long you have taught the skill before taking it for a grade. 🙂

     

    I would display the quiz on the board and do it together as a class the first week.
    This will help them understand what needs to be done each week. It’s also a great way to continue teaching the concept of adjectives- having them talk to you about how they know the words are adjectives!

     

    I like to write on a chart that stays up all week long, but do what works best for your classroom style!

     

     

    Here is a wonderful example of how it looks in a fourth grade classroom from Lindy Bulsterbaum’s students in San Antonio, Texas!

     

    Want to learn even more?

    Join the free training!

    I hope this post has been helpful and encouraging to you- your students WILL get better with a lot of practice, MODELING 🙂 and time!If you want even more IN-DEPTH step-by-step help with implementing mentor sentences, check out my courses!

     

    If you are looking for guidance to pick the “just-right” bundle for your needs, click below!

    Don’t forget to check out Jeff Anderson’s books! I adapted his ideas to make them work in my elementary classroom!

    Ideas by Jivey walks you through each day of the first week of mentor sentences.

     

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    Mentor Sentence
    by Jessica Ivey 

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    Welcome!

    Welcome!

    Hi, I'm Jessica, also affectionately known as Jivey! I am passionate about making literacy accessible for all students using research-based strategies. Students learn best through content integration and in-context skills, and my goal is to help you deliver your instruction with these best practices!

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    2 days ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    Next week is the kick-off for Global Read Aloud!🌎 Are you joining in on October 2?πŸ€— I was so excited to hear about the picture book creator choice this year because she is definitely a favorite... Jacqueline Woodson!😍 I can't think of a better way to start Week 1 of the next six weeks of #gra23 with this amazing author than the one selected: The Day You Begin!πŸ“This book helps explore the feelings of being different and the courage it takes to share our unique stories. It's an incredible way to open up conversations about diversity, acceptance, and finding common ground with one another.πŸ“šπŸ–οΈ Get the weeklong unit for grades 3-5 to go along with this book and maximize your teaching time! You'll cover figurative language, mood, and modifiers while also integrating SEL to celebrate our differences. www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Day-You-Begin-Mentor-Text-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-4742262 ... See MoreSee Less

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    Ideas By Jivey
    Did someone say 50% off resources?! πŸ’ƒToday is DAY 3 of our Sweet Savings event, which means you can get 42 resources for half price!! πŸŽ‰You can get my grades 3-5 Mentor Text Club Bundles 50% off the list price today ONLY! 🎊Yes!! 30 WEEKS of done-for-you ELA plans for half the price! πŸ™€There are THREE bundles - choose one or get them all! For each mentor text unit, you'll have:πŸ’œa week of plans that integrate multiple skills and subjectsπŸ’œdetailed explicit lessons, including teacher samplesπŸ’œa week-at-a-glance planπŸ’œdigitally converted activities in Google Slides and Forms, when applicableπŸ’œmentor sentence lessonπŸ’œreading and writing lessonsπŸ’œintegration of other subjects (science, social studies, or social/emotional skills)πŸ’œprintables for skill practiceπŸ’œat least one other text (poem, article, paired passages) to integrate with your lessons πŸ’œshort assessmentsShop each day’s deals until tomorrow by visiting the link below. πŸ‘‡ ⭐ Download 14 FREE Resources!⭐ Enter to win our SWEET Giveaway!Find all the details here: bit.ly/sweetsavingsweek ... See MoreSee Less

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    Today is DAY 2 of our Sweet Savings event, which means $2 DEALS! ✌️I've got three sets of leveled paired texts with multiple-choice and constructed response questions marked down to just $2 each today. 😍PLUS, you can grab a fiction AND nonfiction set of differentiated reading assessments for key ideas and details standards for only $2 each! πŸ€—If you missed out on yesterday’s deals, they are still discounted! πŸŽ‰β­ Plus, you can still download all 14 FREE resources!⭐ AND enter to win our SWEET Giveaway!Find all the details here: bit.ly/sweetsavingsweek🍬 Know a teacher friend who would LOVE these free resources and deals? Tag a friend or share this post with them! ... See MoreSee Less

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    Next week is the kick-off for #GlobalReadAloud!🌎 Are you joining in on October 2? 

πŸ€— I was so excited to hear about the #picturebook creator choice this year because she is definitely a favorite... Jacqueline Woodson!

😍 I can't think of a better way to start Week 1 of the next six weeks of #GRA23 with this amazing author than the one selected: The Day You Begin!

πŸ“This book helps explore the feelings of being different and the courage it takes to share our unique stories. It's an incredible way to open up conversations about diversity, acceptance, and finding common ground with one another.

πŸ“šπŸ–οΈ Get the weeklong unit at the link in my profile @ideasbyjivey -for grades 3-5 to go along with this book and maximize your teaching time! You'll cover figurative language, mood, and modifiers while also integrating SEL to celebrate our differences. 

#ideasbyjivey #mentorsentences #mentortexts #diversebooks #iteach345 #teacherspayteachers #readingteacher 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Day-You-Begin-Mentor-Text-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-4742262
    😎 Wishing you could try a week of the All-Acces 😎 Wishing you could try a week of the All-Access Mentor Text Membership for free? πŸ“² Head to the link in my profile! @ideasbyjivey 

#ideasbyjivey #mentortexts #teachermembership #mentorsentences #teacherslovebooks #picturebooks #iteachtoo 
https://members.ideasbyjivey.com/free-trial
    Have you ever wondered what a book looks like afte Have you ever wondered what a book looks like after I finish using it to create a #mentorsentence unit? πŸ™ˆ I just completed the six-week mini-unit for A Rover's Story, which is this year's Global Read Aloud for Middle Grades/Upper Elementary! #GRA23

Will you be participating with your class? It all kicks off on October 2nd. πŸ€“

In this book, Resilience, or Res for short, is a Mars rover who is determined to live up to his name. πŸ€– He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop humanlike feelings. I never thought I could feel so much for a robot. I might have even shed a few tears at the end...! πŸ˜… #GRARover

Head to the link in my profile (@ideasbyjivey) to grab this brand new mentor sentence unit for A Rover's Story with six lessons that follow right along with the reading schedule for Global Read Aloud πŸ’²ON SALEπŸ’² for 48 hours! πŸ€— 

#ideasbyjivey #globalreadaloud #mentortext #mentorsentences #iteach456 #iteach4th #iteach5th #iteach6th #chapterbook #novelstudy #upperelementary 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Rovers-Story-Global-Read-Aloud-Mentor-Sentences-Interactive-Activities-10208469
    πŸ““Do your students struggle to understand a voca πŸ““Do your students struggle to understand a vocabulary word that has multiple meanings? 

This is why teaching vocabulary in context is SO important! πŸ€“

If your students are just "looking up a list," how many of your students pick the first definition and write it down, then move on to the next word? πŸ“

Or better yet… raise your hand if you have one of *those* students who finds the SHORTEST definition of the word to write! πŸ™‹β€β™€οΈ

πŸ’‘Come check out the post at the link in my profile (@ideasbyjivey) where I share some research-based tips for teaching vocabulary. 

#ideasbyjivey #mentortexts #scienceofreading #teachingvocabulary #vocabularylearning #iteachtoo #readingteacher 

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/vocabulary-in-context-journey/
    For today's #MentorTextMonday, I'm sharing an oldi For today's #MentorTextMonday, I'm sharing an oldie but a goodie: When Lightning Comes in a Jar. This is one of my FAVORITE Patricia Polacco books! 

I'd love for you to check out this blog post where I shared how I tie it all together with ONE #mentortext, and pick up the #freelessons I used to demonstrate these ideas for you! Link in profile @ideasbyjivey

#ideasbyjivey #mentorsentences #iteach345 #picturebooks #upperelementary #upperelementaryteachers #upperelementaryreading #iteach3rd #iteach4th #iteach5th
https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/tying-it-all-together-with-mentor-texts/
    Listen up, friends! πŸ“£ If you're not using #ment Listen up, friends! πŸ“£ If you're not using #mentorsentences in your classroom, you're missing out! 

This blog post breaks down how they support the #scienceofreading research, and ways to get started. πŸ“– Read at the link in my profile: @ideasbyjivey

#ideasbyjivey #mentortexts #iteach345 #grammarteacher #iteach3rd #iteach4th #iteach5th 

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/teaching-grammar-supports-science-of-reading/
    ⏳Ever wonder just HOW to fit it all in? I laid o ⏳Ever wonder just HOW to fit it all in? I laid out some suggestions based on how much time you have for ELA in the blog post at the link in my profile: @ideasbyjivey ⏰ 

#ideasbyjivey #mentorsentences #mentortexts #teachingreading #iteachreading #iteachwriting #iteachgrammar #teacherlife #teacherproblems 

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/language-arts-schedule/
    πŸ“₯ Ready to try out a week of the All-Access Men πŸ“₯ Ready to try out a week of the All-Access Mentor Text Membership for free? 😍 Head to the link in my profile! @ideasbyjivey 

#ideasbyjivey #mentortexts #teachermembership #mentorsentences #teacherslovebooks #picturebooks #iteachtoo 
https://members.ideasbyjivey.com/free-trial
    πŸ“ Let's talk vocab. If you're still using that πŸ“ Let's talk vocab. If you're still using that old workbook, it's time for a change. This blog post is all about my journey to teaching vocabulary IN CONTEXT!

πŸ€“ Come check out my research-based suggestions for contextual vocabulary at the link in my profile πŸ‘‰ @ideasbyjivey 

#teachingvocabulary #mentortexts #iteachtoo #readingteacher #vocabularylearning #scienceofreading

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/vocabulary-in-context-journey/
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