Saturday, March 30, 2013

Mentor Text Linky

I just found a linky that I am super excited about!  It is a new mentor text linky going on over at Collaboration Cuties. 


Every Sunday, people can link up with their favorite mentor texts.  After this week, there will be a schedule to follow based on subject area, but this week, anything goes.  I can't wait to see what everyone links up with!

Since anything goes this week, I will write about one of my favorite books to use at the very beginning of Writing Workshop, when kids think that they have absolutely no good ideas to write about.  The book is called Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street


In the story, a little girl, Eva, has her writing notebook and is supposed to "write about what you know,"  according to her teacher.  But Eva keeps thinking, "Nothing ever happens on 90th street."  She's sitting out on her apartment steps, and we begin to meet her neighbors.  They all stop by to give Eva some writing advice.  We realize that Eva's neighbors are all very interesting people, but she is so used to seeing them every day that she doesn't realize they would be great writing topics.  Also, the advice that her neighbors give her is all really good writing advice.  When I read this story to my class, I like to write an anchor chart with them as we go titled: "Writing Tips from 90th Street."  

If you need a fun, inspiring book to get your writing workshop started, or your students need a reminder throughout the year that writing topics are all around them, this is the perfect mentor text for you! Let me know what you think if you have also read this book to your class.  What are some other books you like to use to get writing workshop started?




4 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for linking up! I have this book because someone recommended it for writing workshop but I haven't used it yet. :O(

    I love that you make an anchor chart with ideas from that book about writing topics! Great idea! Now I can pull out the book and have a place to start with it!

    Thank you!
    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

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  2. Thanks for the book suggestion. I will put this on my list of books for next year. I love books that show students how to find writing topics!

    Looking From Third to Fourth

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  3. I love this book! It is definitely great for generating writing ideas--it's amazing how many different things happen on 90th Street!

    I had forgotten about this book! I'll have to dig it back out :)

    --jen
    teaching,life,and everything in between

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  4. I haven't ever seen this one - I'm going to get a copy this week :) Since I'm planning on focusing heavily on writing next term this will be a good starting point (and I have two blissful weeks of holiday to plan :)

    Lynn

    Fun in the Fours

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