A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.
—Oprah Winfrey
Protect Hearts
Recently, a colleague said to me, “You know, 10 or 15 years ago we used to love discovering mentor texts. We’d bring possibilities to our weekly planning meetings and get so excited about the ways they would connect to different kids, and the ways we would introduce new cultures and ways of thinking to our classes through mentor texts. We spent the bulk of our planning meeting sorting out mentor text possibilities.
I smiled at the memory and said, “It’s even more exciting today, because there are so many more quality texts. It’s beautiful the way we can access texts with more representation and curate multimedia text sets.”
Besides being a top-notch way to teach literacy skills, mentor texts offer opportunities for readers to experience seeing themselves in a text or learn about others who lived storylines different from ours. Mentor texts are a powerful force for validating lived experiences, drawing a wider circle around our communities, and opening our eyes to humanity.
My friend sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s not the way things are going.”
We talked about the reality of putting mentor texts in play. These days, they tend to come from the reading curriculum because they are easily available and often mandated. Although there are some solid titles, many are outdated and limited in representing different perspectives. They also don’t take into account the kids in the room; they’ve been curated in offices with decisions based on ease of access, copyright laws, and politics.
“It used to be,” my colleague continued, “that if we needed a mentor text, we went to the library. We checked the bookstore. We talked about books during lunch. Now, teachers are turning to AI. They enter a prompt and it spits out a ‘mentor text.'” (She used air quotes.)
This conversation lingered with me. I began thinking about the mentors in my own life. Those who shaped me as a teacher and a leader. Those who taught me the ropes of delivering workshops. Those who opened doors for me as a writer.
They didn’t come pre-packaged, and they gave a lot more space for reflection than an AI chatbot. They had heart, and they cared about my heart. I understand all of the ways science backs mentor texts as a wise instructional move. And, I understand that there’s more, too.
I understand the importance of touching hearts with mentor texts. We have mentor texts coming out of all the curriculum crevices in our classrooms, but that doesn’t mean they have the heart needed to reach all readers and writers.
It is with a humble heart that I offer this week’s newsletter to you. Choice Literacy readers and contributors know the importance of protecting hearts. You’ll find brand-new articles and videos that help us think deeply about mentor texts and offer them to students in ways that will build them up as readers and writers—plus more, as always.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
Whenever a tricky literary concept comes up, Tammy Mulligan finds herself returning to a favorite mentor text to guide students. She explains the value of shared simple stories for understanding complicated literary elements.
Ruth Ayres shares some of her favorite mentors and mentor texts for developing good writing processes and habits.
Melanie Meehan shares four important tips for using mentor texts effectively with students of any age.
This month we celebrated the 15th World Read Aloud Day. Make sure to check out the website for some amazing resources, and next year plan to join the 90 million people worldwide who celebrate.
If you’re an instructional coach, we’d love for you to join our FREE coaching network called Coach-to-Coach. This simple and mighty group is led by Ruth Ayres and hosted by our sister site, The Lead Learners. The next meeting is Thursday, March 20, at noon EST. Click here to register.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Bitsy Parks uses mentor texts to elevate her students as writers. Although mentor texts are included in many curriculum programs, Bitsy offers more opportunities for students to use mentor texts to strengthen their reading and writing lives.
Mandy Robek thoughtfully connects a field trip to multiple literacy experiences. If you’re looking to leverage the field trip experience for reading and writing, you’ll love Mandy’s process.
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills describe how they use one mentor text, Owl Moon, to teach multiple lessons on craft during a writing unit.
NEW VIDEO | Gwen Blumberg offers ways to make the library a welcoming space for readers to settle in with their choice of books. Classroom teachers can consider creating a living room, too.
Don’t miss our massive booklist collection that has been curated by Choice Literacy contributors. This is a great place to discover mentor texts!
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Gigi McAllister is a fantastic guide to navigating World Read Aloud Day. Whether you want to join for the first time or you’re a veteran participant, Gigi’s tips will make it easy to participate.
Many schools have seen an influx of multilingual learners. Coaches with little experience may struggle to assist teachers with large multilingual populations. Stella Villalba shares some tools and strategies for in-class coaching in classrooms with multilingual learners.
Coaching Minute | David Pittman emphasizes the importance of instructional coaches taking the time to plan.
Quote It:
Your mentors in life are important, so choose them wisely.
—Robert Kiyosaki
That’s all for this week!
