using #mentorsentences to teach grammar

After some incredible professional development days this past summer, I have added so much to my teaching arsenal.  One of the ideas that I knew would fit right into my classroom is the idea of using mentor sentences to teach grammar through writing.  I know that you have heard it a million times like I have: grammar is taught more effectively when it is taught along with writing and through writing.  But really though...has anyone ever shown you how to do this?  They had not shown me.  Until this professional development day that I went to this past summer where I absolutely fell IN LOVE with mentor sentences.

So, let me share with you how this works.

What happens is: you, as the teacher, choose a sentence that you feel is beautifully written and has components that you'd like to see in your students' writing.  It should be from something you are reading, and for me, I am choosing mentor sentences by the week so that we can study it for 5 days that go along with the format I learned in the PD day.

#mentormonday
Monday is the day that you introduce the sentence to the students.  So, for me, I will have them write the sentence in the Bell Work section of their interactive notebooks. (IN LOVE already with the notebooks!)  On this day, I will have students investigate why they believe this sentence was chosen.  For 8th grade, I might choose 2 sentences if they are shorter sentences.  We make notes about why it was chosen and I am sure to identify why I really chose it if they did not figure it out.

#partsofspeechtuesday
On Tuesday, I will highlight certain parts of speech in the mentor sentence.  So, if the sentence used an incredible subordinating conjunction, I might point that out and show them how this conjunction connects the sentences.  You have to choose the sentence that shows what you are going to teach.  Also on this day, I will give a grammar mini-lesson about whatever is in the sentence (grammar-wise) that I am teaching them.

#revisewednesday
Wednesday is when the students will change something in the sentence.  Now, this does not mean that the sentence has anything wrong with it, but it means that we, as writers will change something to make it different.  As the teacher, I will instruct them about what they need to change.  This will also be something we are focusing on this specific week.  So, if we noticed a subordinating conjunction, maybe the are to change the subordinating conjunction to see what happens.  How does it make the sentence different. Something I loved that the teacher at the PD said is that "Kids need to play around with language to learn to manipulate it."  LOVE!

#transcribethursday
On Thursday, my students will create their own sentence in the style of the mentor sentence. Have you heard of the karaoke versions where the music is in the style of Taylor Swift? So, that is what we are doing here.  I will also set the focus as not to overwhelm students.  I might have them imitate the subordinating conjunction that is used in the sentence.  Or I might have them imitate that it is a compound sentence.  Just be sure to let them write and to make sure you have taught them what they need to imitate properly.

#funfriday
Friday is when I will quiz them on their vocabulary and the mentor sentence.  I will have them respond to a short (and fun) writing prompt in which they will use so many of their vocabulary words and mimic the mentor sentence.  I cannot wait to see this #funfriday in action!


Here is a little example plan I made:

Mentor Sentence Week 3

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

#mentormonday Invitation to Notice Mentor Qualities ·         Dialogue ·         Uses hyphens “Where’s the what’s-its-name?” she would ask. “Don’t tell me you forgot the what’s-its-name.”

#partsofspeechtuesday Invitation to Notice Parts of Speech ·         Multiple verbs in a sentence ·         Hyphenated nouns ·         Imperative sentences “Where’s the what’s-its-name?” she would ask. “Don’t tell me you forgot the what’s-its-name.”

#revisewednesday Invitation to Revise “Where’s the what’s-its-name?” she would ask. “Don’t tell me you forgot the what’s-its-name.”

#transcribethursday Invitation to Imitate ·         Imitate the sentence by creating your own hyphenated word ·         Tell what part of speech your hyphenated word is ·          Use dialogue “Did you get to ride in the flying-machine?" asked the little boy when he saw his father for the first time since his deployment to Iraq.

#funfriday  Quiz