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Education: Language Arts Mentor Texts For Forms of Writing K-8

What are Mentor Texts?

Mentor Texts are pieces of literature that we can return to again and again as we help our young writers learn how to do what they may not yet be able to do on their own.  Mentor texts serve to show, not just tell, students how to write well.  They, along with the teacher provide wonderful examples that help students grow into successful writers through supportive partnerships.  (Dorfman & Cappelli, 2017). 

This guide offers a selection of "mentor texts"  that model the various forms of writing listed on the left side of this guide. 

Dorfman, Lynne R & Cappelli, Rose.  Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature K-6. Second Edition.  Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 2017.

Additional Titles on Teaching Forms of Writing