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  • Ideas by Jivey

    Jivey shares ideas and lessons to make literacy accessible for all.

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    3-5, Mentor Texts

    Why I Love Using Mentor Texts All Year (And You Should, Too!)

    July 29, 2021

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    Teachers know that using literature is the perfect way to introduce a lesson, but starting EVERY lesson with a new book would make it impossible to teach all of the required standards! That’s why it’s important to use mentor texts: a short text like a picture book (fiction or nonfiction), a chapter from a novel, an article, a song, or a poem, which can be used to teach several skills.

    Mentor Texts

    Using mentor texts is a best-practice strategy that maximizes your teaching time. You’ll have more time to teach because once you’ve read the book one time, you only need to re-read or refer back to parts of it for your different mini-lessons.

    And best of all, a well-chosen mentor text will be enjoyable to read, and one you will want to return to over and over!

    Choosing Mentor Texts

    When choosing mentor texts, you’ll want to find models that inspire students to practice a few skills.

    It’s typically easy to identify reading standards that can be addressed with a book, but make sure to step back and look at the book with a writing eye, too.

    A good mentor text will always have writing and language techniques that students can imitate. (This is another reason why using picture books is SO important, even in upper grades!)

    More Bang For Your Buck

    Of course, it’s a bonus when you can tie in another content area, too!

    It’s so great when you find a book that also incorporates some science, social studies, math, or even social-emotional skills!

    A new favorite of mine does just that! You do not want to miss the book, Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds. (This link is an Amazon affiliate link- if you use it to purchase the book, I earn a few pennies which I put toward book giveaways for teachers, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra!)

    Say Something by Peter Reynolds

    In this empowering picture book, students will discover the many ways that a single voice can make a difference with our actions, our words, and our voices.

    This book can be used for SO many skills across all content areas!

    Peter Reynolds writes this book almost entirely in conditional statements (these are sentences with dependent clauses beginning with “If,” followed by an independent clause with advice or directions). This is the PERFECT way to help students practice writing conditionals, as it’s been modeled over and over for them in this book.

    Say Something Mentor Sentence Conditional

    There is also a VERY clear message in this book. Students can identify key details in the text to determine the message.

    Say Something Reading Details

    (Want this lesson for free? Receive it directly in your inbox by clicking here!)

    And of course, what better way to reflect the message than to show students that even kids can make a difference when they say something? Allow students time to learn about famous young people like Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, or Mari Copeny, just to name a few. I like to provide an article that can be used for more reading comprehension practice, like the one below about Mari Copeny and the Michigan Water Crisis, but you can also let them practice their research skills to learn about them, too.

    There is so much more that can be done with this book and topic!! I have an entire mentor text unit that provides a week of explicit lessons and activities for reading, writing, and grammar:

    Say Something Mentor Text Unit by Ideas by Jivey

    This unit is a part of my Mentor Text Club: Second Edition, where teachers get a weeklong mentor text unit once a month which THEY get to have input, and even WIN the mentor text for their classroom! This club is NOT a membership- it is a one-time purchase and then all 12 weeklong units are yours to use year after year.

    Want even more ideas for mentor text integration?

    I have a FREE database where I have listed all of the mentor texts I’ve used in my resources, as well as all the skills covered with those books. Check it out!

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    by Jessica Ivey 

    About 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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    Recent Posts

    • Planning a Language Arts Schedule (How To Fit It All In!)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Assessment)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Time to Imitate)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Time to Revise)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Parts of Speech)

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    Ideas By Jivey

    2 weeks ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    My club units have been some of my favorite resources to create because the planning and creation were guided by the teachers using them!Because of the input from your fellow teacher community, I know these units will be such a benefit to you, too! Every unit in the bundle has: 📕a week of plans that integrate multiple skills and subjects📙detailed explicit lessons, including teacher samples📒a week-at-a-glance plan📗digitally converted activities in Google Slides and Forms, when applicable📘mentor sentence lesson📕reading and writing lessons📙integration of other subjects (science, social studies, or social/emotional skills)📒printables for skill practice📗at least one other text (poem, article, paired passages)* to integrate with your lessons *this will vary each unit depending on skills covered!📘short assessmentsCheck out the latest bundle - www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MENTOR-TEXT-CLUB-by-Jivey-2ND-EDITION-for-Grades-3-5-7058941 ... See MoreSee Less

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    Ideas By Jivey

    2 weeks ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    Did you know I have a total breakdown of how mentor sentences can look day by day in your classroom?Head over to my blog! www.ideasbyjivey.com ... See MoreSee Less

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    Ideas By Jivey

    3 weeks ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    This feedback means so much to me because as I’ve made my mentor sentence lessons over the last ten years, I’ve put so much thought into the way I craft my units and bundles! Thank you for trusting me! ❤️ #mentorsentences ... See MoreSee Less

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