A+ Spanish Mentor Texts for Writing - PROGRAM SAMPLER

7 Lesson Plans and Activities skills instruction. Exposing students to regular practice with material from a variety of genres and text types is essential in developing writing skills. That is why these kits focus on the use of mentor texts to support writing instruction. In addition, mentor texts not only help children develop into great writers, but also support and enable teachers in developing these great writers. The use of children’s books as mentor texts helps students learn how to do what they may not yet be able to do on their own. Children’s books make great mentor texts because students can read them many times throughout the school year in their search for a craft idea they hope to imitate. Children’s books also provide examples in every genre, support multiculturalism, and often are beautifully illustrated, something reluctant readers and writers can find appealing. Educators may of course be concerned by the idea that a student imitating an author’s craft could result in the student simply copying or “parroting back” the work. The reality is that from birth, the learning process is based on imitation. This is why the writer’s craft found in children’s books can become an integral tool in igniting students’ desire to create pieces of writing. Thesementor texts help students notice things about an author’s work that are completely different from what they might have studied or done previously, and this novelty can inspire them to produce their own writing pieces. Allison Marchetti and Rebekah O’Dell, authors of Writing with Mentors: How to Reach Every Writer in the Room Using Current, Engaging Mentor Texts, indicate that mentor texts have become the most important element of writing instruction. Now students read to write, when before, they used to write and read as separate entities. The mentor texts are texts for students to study and imitate, which is different from what students have been exposed to in the past. The selections in the A+ Spanish Mentor Texts for Writing Kits provide a myriad of examples of effective writing craft that support students, allowing them to take risks and become stronger writers. Exposing students to engaging high-quality children’s books developed by professional writers is key for instilling in students the desire to emulate these works and to create their own writing pieces. The challenge for educators remains how to teach to the standards while immersing their students in an environment that engages them as they develop the behaviors and attitudes that will prepare them for college or the career path of their choice. That is why we firmly believe that the way to introduce writing is through reading. Good literature is a powerful tool for bringing the world into the classroom, whether it be through classical folk legends or an explanation of the latest technology. Reading standards focus on students’ ability to read and grasp information, arguments, ideas, and details based on evidence in the text; writing standards focus on students’ ability to identify different types of texts and purposes. In the writing process, students produce and edit, review, revise, and investigate, and learn to present knowledge acquired through these steps. Therefore, it is a natural process to use reading as a vehicle to learn writing (Dorfman & Capelli, 2017). Today’s standards expectations are that students read a variety of worldwide classic and contemporary literature and challenging informational texts. Coupling this with the complex analysis required by the Common Core and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, it becomes apparent that these goals can best be met by teaching with authentic literature. Every mentor text has something to teach the writer, whether it be an idea, a trait, or a skill that students can learn and apply to their own writing. Research suggests that students who are regularly exposed to authentic literature show greater improvement in vocabulary and comprehension than those who are not (Beverly, Giles & Buck, 2009; Hassett, D.D., 2009). 9