Let’s be honest… writing brings a bit of a love/hate relationship for a lot of us. It’s not that we mean to push it to the side, but when the day feels short and your students are struggling just to get their names on the paper—writing can easily get bumped down the list.
Can you relate? I know I can.
Writing doesn’t always come naturally to little learners. It can feel hard—for them and for us. And when it isn’t modeled well, it can leave everyone frustrated. But here’s the thing… writing is a process. It takes time, yes. But it also takes really good modeling to help students grow into confident writers.
So… how do you take your students from writing simple sentences to writing with voice, details, and structure?
Two words: Mentor Texts.
The Benefits of Mentor Texts
Think of a mentor text like your students’ personal writing coach—sitting right there on the bookshelf, ready to help them level up their writing.
There are so many books out there that can do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to showing students how real authors write. You just need to grab the ones that fit the skill you’re teaching and bring them into your lessons.
How Can You Implement Mentor Texts?
There are so many ways to make mentor texts part of your writing routine, but here are a few of my favorite ways to use them with young learners:
Stretch Descriptions with Sensory Details
Use the author’s words to paint a picture in your students’ minds—and then challenge them to do the same in their own writing.
Model Beginning, Middle, and End
Show your students how to organize a story from start to finish.
Teach Writing Conventions
Show what capital letters, punctuation, and complete sentences actually look like in real writing.
Highlight Proper Nouns
Point out how authors use names of people, places, and things to make their writing stronger.
My Favorite Mentor Text
One of my go-to mentor texts is The Fish with the Deep Sea Smile.
It’s such a great one to pull out when you’re teaching students how to add describing words and sensory details. Every fish in this story is described with colorful, detailed language—but none of them are the right fish. Your students will love listening to the descriptions and seeing how the author makes the fish come alive with words.
Mentor texts like this one are gold for young writers. Not only do they model great word choice, but they also use repetitive sentence structure—which is so helpful for early writers who need that extra boost of confidence.
The great thing about mentor texts is that they aren’t just for kindergarten. You can use them in any grade level. The key is to choose books that fit your students’ needs and your writing goals.
So, next time you’re planning your writing block, grab a mentor text. Read it once just for fun… then go back and read it again with your teacher hat on. You’ll be surprised how quickly your students start picking up on those writerly moves and trying them out for themselves.
Need an Easy Way to Get Started?
Start simple with a free writing page that’s ready for you to print and use. It’s designed to go with The Fish with the Deep Sea Smile and helps your students try out the descriptive phrasing they hear in the story.
You’ll love watching your students stretch their sentences and bring their writing to life—without adding extra work to your plate.
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