Mentor Texts are Models for Writing.
Mentor texts provide students with real-world examples of strong writing. By analyzing and emulating diverse mentor texts, students expand their understanding of various writing styles and techniques. It’s important to choose texts from diverse genres and cultures, ensuring students see a range of voices and perspectives.
See Stephanie’s Example of an Entire Year of Mentor Text Work.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
"Mentor texts in every subject provide students with real-world models of effective writing, demonstrating how experts communicate ideas. When teachers write alongside their students, they illuminate the writing process, showing that writing is not just a skill to be mastered but a tool to think, explore, and express—across all content areas."
Mentor Texts Can Be Used in All Content Areas
English Language Arts
Mentor Text: Personal Narrative (e.g., 11 by Sandra Cisneros)
Assignment: Write a personal narrative about a meaningful experience.
Mentor Text: Book Review (e.g., New York Times Book Review excerpt)
Assignment: Write a review of a book you’ve read recently.
Mentor Text: Poem (e.g., Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein)
Assignment: Create a poem that uses figurative language and imagery.
Science
Mentor Text: Lab Report Example (e.g., student-written report)
Assignment: Conduct an experiment and write a formal lab report following the mentor model.
Mentor Text: Science Article (e.g., Science News for Students)
Assignment: Write a summary or informational piece explaining a scientific concept.
Mentor Text: Environmental Proposal (e.g., Example from YES! Magazine)
Assignment: Write a proposal for improving the environment in your community.
Gym/Physical Education
Mentor Text: Fitness Journal Entry (e.g., Example from a student’s fitness journal)
Assignment: Keep a weekly fitness journal, reflecting on progress and goals.
Mentor Text: Sports Report (e.g., Sports Illustrated for Kids article)
Assignment: Write a report on a recent sports game or athletic event.
Mentor Text: Personal Goal Setting Plan (e.g., SMART Goal worksheet example)
Assignment: Write a personal fitness or health goal using the SMART format.
Math
Mentor Text: Real-World Math Problems (e.g., Problems from YouCubed)
Assignment: Write a word problem that connects math to an everyday situation.
Mentor Text: Data Interpretation (e.g., Infographics from Newsela)
Assignment: Create a data visualization with a written explanation of findings.
Mentor Text: Math Autobiography (e.g., “How I Learned to Love Math” by Steven Strogatz)
Assignment: Write your own math autobiography, reflecting on your experiences with math.
Social Studies
Mentor Text: Biography Sketch (e.g., Who Was... series excerpts)
Assignment: Write a biography of a historical figure or leader.
Mentor Text: Letter from a Historical Figure (e.g., Letters from Frederick Douglass)
Assignment: Write a letter from the perspective of a historical character.
Mentor Text: Current Events Article (e.g., Time for Kids)
Assignment: Write a news article on a topic affecting your school or community.
Art
Mentor Text: Artist Statement (e.g., Example from a student art exhibit)
Assignment: Write an artist statement for a personal art project.
Mentor Text: Art Critique (e.g., Example from Scholastic Art)
Assignment: Write a critique of a famous artwork or a peer’s work.
Mentor Text: Visual Journal Entry (e.g., Mixed-media page from a sketchbook)
Assignment: Create a visual journal entry with a written reflection.
Spanish/Other Languages
Mentor Text: Pen Pal Letter (e.g., Example from an exchange program)
Assignment: Write a letter to a pen pal in the target language.
Mentor Text: Simple Short Story (e.g., Example from El Principito)
Assignment: Write a short story in the target language, using vocabulary from recent lessons.
Mentor Text: Restaurant Menu (e.g., Menu from a Spanish-speaking country)
Assignment: Create a menu in the target language for an imaginary restaurant.
Music (Choir/Band/Orchestra)
Mentor Text: Concert Program Notes (e.g., Example from a symphony program)
Assignment: Write program notes for an upcoming performance.
Mentor Text: Song Review (e.g., Review from Rolling Stone)
Assignment: Write a review of a song, analyzing its structure and impact.
Mentor Text: Composer Biography (e.g., Example from DK Eyewitness Music)
Assignment: Write a biography of a composer or musician.
On-Stage/Theatre
Mentor Text: Monologue (e.g., Example from Our Town by Thornton Wilder)
Assignment: Write and perform a monologue from a character's point of view.
Mentor Text: Play Review (e.g., Review from New York Times)
Assignment: Write a review of a school play or local theater production.
Mentor Text: Script Scene (e.g., Scene from The Giver stage adaptation)
Assignment: Write a short script for a scene inspired by a book or theme studied in class.
Grammar Resources
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Adjectives and Introduce Snapshots
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Compound Sentences
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Helping and Linking Verbs
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Irregular Verbs
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Onomatopoeias!
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Similes in Writing
Close-Reading Exercises
Exercise #1: Using Mentor Texts to Analyze How Kids See Schools and Teachers
Exercise #2: Middle-Grade Narrative Writing: Using Mentor Texts to Describe Setting (Snapshots)
Exercise #3: Middle-Grade Narrative Writing: Using Mentor Texts to Describe Skin Color
Exercise #4: Middle-Grade Narrative Writing: Using Mentor Texts to Describe Characters
Whether or not school was in session, I always found that the lessons embedded in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches were invaluable mentor texts for teaching writing and inspiring young people. My last year in the classroom, I was particularly moved by a tweet from Julia E. Torres, a librarian, educator, and activist, in which she shared a conversation she overheard:
That gave me pause. How often did I see my colleagues relying on MLK videos, or worse, skipping over this day entirely? How often had I felt like I couldn’t carve out the time to honor his legacy? I knew I needed to take the lesson of teaching dreams to a new level. I wanted my students to see Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not just as a figure in history, but as an author to imitate and admire. His speeches made people listen to the issues that mattered. And no matter how pressured we feel to move through the curriculum, some lessons are simply more important.
On that day, it mattered. I reflected on how I could integrate Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech into our mentor text work. The lesson wouldn’t take the entire hour, but my goal was clear: I wanted my students to notice the craft of his writing—specifically his use of repetition, metaphors, and the cadence of his voice—and then have them write about their own dreams in a similar way.
This post outlines the three-step process I used to teach his speech as a mentor text and offers further activities to extend the lesson.