THE HOW

Mentor Sentences are really all about stepping away from finding what is wrong with written work and focusing on the positive elements in a well-written text. We start the week with a chosen sentence, usually from a grade-appropriate novel, and we decide what we like about it. Why is it a sentence we should model our own work around? It can be anything from the format used, descriptive words, tone, figurative language, or a chosen focus skill. As our week moves forward, we address parts of speech, make revisions to the sentence to make it stronger, and end with creating our own which follows the format of the chosen sentence.

THE WHY

Student writing comes alive when they imitate that of our mentor text. Students who tend to struggle with writing quickly gain the courage to create and share their work with others. Within no time, other writing products exhibit the skills we learn through Mentor Sentences. It is simply one of the most superb ways to completely revitalize what we see as exceptional work.

After attending a professional development session, taught by another BCPS educator, I shifted to Mentor Sentences in my classroom. The change I saw in my students' writing and their confidence was worth the work done to implement the practice. With each passing year, I make adjustments which only produce even more exceptional products than the year before. It will forever be a piece of our curriculum after seeing just how impactful it can be!