Mentor Sentences

Sentences that Matter, Mentor, and Motivate

Using Mentor Sentences to Elevate Writing

So what is a mentor sentence?

Time to just dive in!

"The man who sells me ham is the first person who would notice if I were dead."

Teaching kids grammar in isolation simply doesn't work.

Reviews of over 250 studies says so... nationally only 27% of 8th and 12th graders being proficient in writing says so...

So why mentor sentences?

Study 1

Study 2

Studies at both Arizona State and the Community College of Baltimore revealed that students who enrolled below writing level and took remedial classes that immersed them in writing and provided support rather than direct instruction had higher percentages passing freshman English than proficient students

Toni-Ann Vroom, co-chief executive officer of The Writing Revolution, proved that through sentence-level strategies, writing improved significantly after 4 months in a high-poverty high school. They were able to shift from writing how they speak to employing structures specific to written language.

Followed 3 groups of students 9th-11th grade. Groups were given traditional grammar instruction, an alternative approach, or no grammar lessons at all. No difference except the narrative data that showed more posiitve attitudes towards reading and writing in the 3rd group.

How do we start? What does it look like?

So mentor sentences...

Choosing the sentence

First steps...

Highlight a skill you want them to incorporate in their own writing... OR, once they are used to the process, have them choose their own sentences!

What do you notice?-- don't tell them what to notice -- could be whole-group, small-group, partners, or independent

"Acres of magenta chiffon and piles of gold sequins and faux-emerald jewelry-- the regalia for my engagement ceremony-- lay on the bed."Anjali Vaidya

What do you notice? What is the skill?

Isolated Practice

• Write your own sentence using the highlighted skill!
• Write a sentence using the skill to describe a photo
• Cut up a sentence and have them arrange it

Integration

Use the skill in writing-- either a new piece or revise a previous piece of writing! Instead of a grammar quiz, have students highlight their sentence that uses the focus skill and score it!

Mentor Sentence Template 1

Mentor Sentence Template 2

Quick Sum Up...

and then we practice!

Review what you notice and clarify the skill

Identify a mentor sentence

Integration into writing

Isolated practice

Mentor Sentence Template 3