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Publishing Student Work
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Last week Jodee wrote: “ I have just read your book and am so excited to use your ideas in my classroom. I have been trying to find a way to do writing workshop that fit me and this is it!” She also had a number of specific questions about publishing student work. I suspect that others might have similar questions, so I’ll post my answers. To read more about publishing go here. You can also preview the entire text of No More I’m Done online.
List of Mentor Texts
I recently spent a week in Omaha, Nebraska conducting writing workshop inservices. The Omaha teachers were fabulous and had so much to offer! It was a high-energy, roll-up-our-sleeves week in which I was definitely both the teacher and the learner.
I was reminded of what a gift a two-day inservices can be. (I worked with teachers in grades 4-6 at the beginning of the week, primary teachers at the end.) One day of six traits or writer’s workshop is an introduction. By the end of two days, however, I’m fairly convinced that teachers have the information and practice they need to make significant changes in their teaching. (Big thanks to Christina Warner for arranging the perfect schedule.)
With both groups, we took some time to examine our favorite picture books and identify ways in which they could be used as mentor texts. Fourth Grade teacher Holly Sobota offered to compile a list and she’s given me permission to share this list with all of you. Thanks, Holly!
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Mentor Text
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Ideas for how to use the text
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Raising Mr. Yoder’s Barn
By Jan Yolen
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Word Choice, voice
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Dinosaur Days
By Liza Baker
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Organization, sentence fluency, voice (artistic voice)
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The Hello, Goodbye Window
By Norton Juster
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Voice, beginnings, endings
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The Adventures of Spider
By Joyce Cooper Arkhurst
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Word Choice, beginnings
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Froggy Goes to School
By Jonathan London
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Beginning, vivid verbs, onomatopoeia
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Is There Really a Human Race?
By Jamie Lee Curtis
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Endings, fluency, conventions
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Queen of the Class
By Mary Engelbreit
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Word Choice
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That’s Good, That’s Bad
By Margery Cuyler
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Organization-patterning Word Choice onomatopoeia, adjectives
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Fortunately
By Remy Charlip
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Organization-text and pictures (black/white) word choice, adverbs, prediction
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Falling for Rapunzel
By Leah Wilcox
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Word Choice, organization
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Amelia Bedelia
By Peggy Parish
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Organization: Order (first, then, next)
Word Choice: idioms
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Once I Ate a Pie
By Katy Schneider
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Personification
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Earth: Feeling the Heat
By Brenda Z. Guiberson
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Organization, vivid verbs, onomatopoeias
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Beardream
By Will Hobbs
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Voice, rule of 3, Native American-multicultural, beginning
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Hooway for Wodney Wat
By Helen Lester
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Word Choice (synonyms for talk), alliteration, strong verbs, pattern of 3
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The Relatives Came
By Cynthia Rylant
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Organization, “bookend” circular organization beginning and ending, symbolism, growing, ripening grapes represent the passage of time, descriptive writing, values, importance of the extended family
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We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
By Michael Rasen
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Voice, onomatopoeia, Organization-circular writing
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Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski
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Voice, circular writing, word choice
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Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
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Conventions-dialogue, Point of View
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Stand Tall Molly Melon
By Patty Lovell
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Organization-Repetition, circular, word choice, voice
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Moosetache by Margie Palatine
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Word Choice, Voice
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Foodle by Patricia Pavelka
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Voice, Word Choice, Conventions
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Purple Hair? I Don’t Care! By Dianne Young/Barbara Hartman
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Organization-surprise ending, word choice, voice, quality details
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The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Grummel
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Word Choice
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Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup
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Organization-Voice
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The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane DeRolk
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Voice, Conventions, Free Verse Organization: Problem Solving
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You are Special by Max Lucado
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Organization-Rule of 3 Voice-character development
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The Tortoise and the Hare by Janet Stevens
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Organization-Rule of 3, Word Choice
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It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! By James Solheim
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Word Choice, Voice
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Take Me Out of the Bathtub
By Alan Katz
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Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency
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Wiil Waal: A Somali Folktale by Kathleen Moriarty
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Ideas, Organization
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A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee By Chris Van Dusen
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Word Choice, Sentence Fluency
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The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
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Organization-Time Order
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Lighthouse Family Series: The Whale by Cynthia Relliant
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Voice
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Writing Center
I am posting my article about Writing Centers from my weekly primary newsletter in hopes that you will share your list! What works well for you? (scroll down)
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Dear Colleague,
When considering what to post this week, I stumbled upon a wonderful article by Gayle… |
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