Mentor Text: Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens

Want to boost your students’ reading comprehension with reading strategies? Want to provide a rich context to teach (boring) grammar and writing strategies? Enter MENTOR TEXTS!

I read aloud my favorite mentor texts to my third graders every single day!

I do cherish my classroom library!

And, every single day I find ways to use these texts to teach Grammar, Reading, and Writing.

But that’s not all, my friends!

Mentor Texts also are my besties in teaching new content and concepts in Math, Science and Social Studies. They are perfect tools to get my students to think deeply about the content and make connections between the and issues. Plus, they are so much fun! 🙂

And I am passionate about reading books that I love. When we teachers are intentional and purposeful in choosing the texts we read to our students, our lesson planning becomes easier and our days are filled with… JOY!

One such book is The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens.

Teacheria Uno Little Red Pen Mentor text mentor sentence grammar writing journal

Mentor Text Mentor Sentence Love!

For me, my read aloud journey started with Mr. Manners, a stuffed moose I received as a holiday gift from a colleague during my first year teaching. Kindergarten! He was perfect! He came to life immediately, and he has been with me ever since – Kindergarten, preschool, 5th Grade, 3rd Grade. Mr. Manners’ personality has come to life with my imagination and visualization.

Boost students' visualizing reading strategy with use of puppets and props. — Mr. Manners!

I get such delight “speaking” for him – ok, channeling him! 😉 – throughout our day. He joins us at:

Circle Time
Reading and Writing Workshops
Math Talk & problem solving sessions
grappling with the issues in Social Studies
modeling the Scientific Process during a STEM activity.

He always “knows” what to say, and the children always listen to what he says.

But why am I telling you this to kick off this series on “Literature with Joy?”

What does Mr. Manners have to do with the mentor texts I choose for our Interactive Read Alouds?

Well… everything!

It IS Mr. Manners who has helped me bring to life all of the characters and problems we encounter in our Interactive Read Alouds. My Mr. Manners has made way for my pretending and visualizing the characters when I read, like…

finding a character’s voice – pitch, tone, and velocity
demonstrating a character’s gestures at different points throughout the text – face, head, hands, torso
modeling the onomatopoeia I hear in the text – both explicit and inferred!

I have discovered the link between active pretending and visualizing while I read. And, this has been a key for me to help so many of my students develop the critical reading comprehension strategy of VISUALIZING!

How can we capitalize on a mentor text to deepen our students’ thinking and learning?

Enter… The Little Red Pen!

Do you struggle to get your students engaged in revising and their writing?

Yup. Me, too.

When it comes to writing, it seems students are hard wired to be DONE – “I’m done!” – rather than to work until they communicates their thoughts in a creative, effective way. And, without effort to revise and edit our writing, our first draft is not our best draft.

The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens is a terrific resource to teach the visualizing reading strategy and use of mentor sentence to teach grammar and writing.

We love the Little Red Pen! Janet Stevens’s story celebrates the classroom and favorite school supplies. The dialogue shows the characters’ personalities, and just screams to be read aloud. Her Little Red Pen is a memorable, strong leader, responsible for grading students’ work and she likens this task to “saving the world!” All to the delight of my students year after year.

I love to capitalize on my students’ glee with a mentor text, and redirect it to the task of revising and editing our writing.

So, I read The Little Red Pen to…

kick off our Writer’s Workshop!

And, I give every writer…

their own Little Red Pen!

To begin, we use our pens to create a puppet, bringing our Little Red Pen to life – with voice and gestures. This visualization begins to build a relationship we have with our little red pens.

It allows my students to put the “burden” of revising and editing their writing on their new friend.

It makes a non-preferred and daunting task a little bit lighter and filled with creative possibility.

And I work to strengthen my students’ relationships with their Little Red Pen at every Workshop. Little Red Pens are even invited to our Share Circles at the end of Workshop!

Now, if that’s not joyful…

Another way I capitalize on my students’ love for their Little Red Pen is to work with a mentor sentence taken directly from the text. We use the mentor sentence to explore parts of speech, grammatical concepts, and writer’s craft.

It is amazing how a student’s love for the main character in a mentor text provides energy and motivation to grapple with grammar – a task that is typically less than desirable.

Mentor sentences are a game changer for me – and so I work to choose a mentor sentence from one of our beloved texts at least two times a month (or about 20 times a year).

Developing your own Mentor Sentences routine will catapult your grammar and writing instruction to the next level. It will provide you with an engaging platform that invites students to dig into hard work, and think more deeply about grammar, writing, and communicating their own ideas effectively.

Plus… mentor texts bring us all JOY!

If you’re interested in starting your own mentor text mentor sentence routine, check out these resources in my TPT shop.

Teacheria Uno Mentor Sentence resource for The Little Red Pen

Teacheria Uno mentor sentence resource for The Name Jar

Blog Post #2 on Teaching Grammar with Gestures

Grammar is Communication

3 Engaging Ways How to Teach Grammar with Joy!

July 13, 2023August 11, 2023 Susan Hall

I’ve been told a time or two that I talk with my hands… Is that a gift for how to teach grammar?!

OK, sometimes it can be a distraction.

But usually, gesturing enhances my communication.

And, gesturing engages my peeps.

I am motivated by my gestures. They keep me moving along.

Well, almost always, gesturing sparks a little JOY!

Ah-hah! We are on a pursuit to spark a little joy in our teaching! So how can gestures help us in the classroom? How can gestures enhance our teaching?

My Whole Brain Teaching (Before Grammar)

A few years back I was excited to find Whole Brain Teaching! Chris Biffle and his team provide guidance on teaching to the whole child with a whole host of strategies, tips, routines, and procedures all designed to boost engagement, develop discipline, strengthen classroom management, and foster classroom community, largely with consistent use of common gestures. If you are new to WBT, click on the image below to learn more at their website.

How to Teach Grammar with Whole Brain Teaching Link to Website

So, WBT has transformed my teaching. It has improved my relationships with my students and it has helped me be more available to my parents. Makes me a little excited!

And as I used WBT consistently over the years, I began to morph many of the routines, movements, and procedures into gestures that were intrinsic to me, more natural, more comfortable to me. Kind of from the inside out. The more natural the movement, I noticed the more consistent I was in using it. I began to understand how to teach grammar with gestures!

Enter University of New Hampshire’s Dr. Calculator…

In my last teaching assignment, I was a Special Education Team Facilitator for our district-wide integrated preschool program. One year we called on Dr. Stephen Calculator, Ph.D., CCC-SLP from UNH to develop a teaching-learning protocol with students with communication disabilities.

And, I embraced Dr. Calculator’s Enhanced Natural Gestures strategy that improves the communication of people with Angelman Syndrome, who desire to be social but who lack the motor skills to use sign language and augmentative devices. His Enhanced Natural Gestures strategy harnesses the natural gestures of a child (movements that they do easily on their own – oh, from the inside, out!) and then he supports parents, teachers and caregivers to intentionally use these gestures in their communication with the child.

My take-away? Individual gestures – unique to the child – rather than a prescribed dictionary of common gestures, are of great value. They can deepen communication.

Yes, sign language is universal, and may be more precise and efficient.

But Enhanced Natural Gestures are far more intimate. They naturally enhance the communication between a person and his peeps. The gestures can be more engaging when they are organic, not prescribed. I was refining my way of how to teach grammar with gestures and JOY!

And, remember, I just love a good gesture! 😉

Fast Forward to Teaching Grammar in Grade 3…

With my experience with Dr. Calculator’s work and WBT, I found myself making my own gestures in my classroom… My own natural gestures that I easily use throughout the curriculum every day.

And it does spark joy — for me and my students!

My Favorite? Grammar!

Grammar can be boring.

Yes, grammar instruction can be mundane. It can take years for some people to master even the most basic grammar concepts. And some never do.

But how can we teach grammar with a practice that is more engaging and effective? And also sparks a little joy!)? With gestures!

Here are my Top 3 Ways to Teach Grammar!…

#1 Parts of Speech & Grammar

First, find a natural gesture for YOU. One that your body will do easily and naturally while it relays the essence of the part of speech. Make it natural for you so you will be inclined to do it EVERY time you say the word or indicate a part of speech.

Next, pair your gesture with a little vignette — a song or phrase on the concept.

Here’s a peek at where my body has taken me to the following for NOUNS and VERBS:

NOUN

My little vignette:

“A noun is a person that you know, a place where you can go, a thing that you can show and an idea that you know.”

Then, here’s my little gesture sequence for when we say the vignette:

A noun is a person that you know (stick thumbs out to point to your left and right)

a place where you can go (palms up, hand over hand, move arms out toward your sides)

a thing that you can show (pound fists together twice)

and an idea that you know (tap your temple with you index finger and nod)

VERB

My little vignette:

“A verb is a physical action, a mental action, or what exists.”

Then, here’s my little gesture sequence for when we say the vignette:

A verb is a physical action (elbows bent, move arms quickly to show “running”) ACTION

or mental action (tap temple while making a concentrating squint) HELPING VERB

or what exists (spread arms across front of body with palms up) LINKING VERB

Physical Action = ACTION Verbs, where you move your body or being

Mental Action = HELPING Verbs, like could, should, would have — “I could eat a sandwich for lunch.” . . Am I doing it? No. It’s in my mind.

What Exists = LINKING Verbs, like is, am, are, seems — “The water is cold.”

. The water doesn’t do anything. It just “exists.” But the verb “is” links the water’s description.

These little vignettes paired with natural gestures help my third graders understand the complexities of NOUNS and VERBS. We use these grammar vignetts to play games at snack three times a week. After a while, my students naturally use the gestures as they continue to study grammar throughout the year.

Getting Started to Teach Grammar

If you are looking for a set of Parts of Speech Anchor Charts click on the image below. My Anchor Charts come in both projectable Google Slides™ and printable version (color and B&W). As you can see in the TPT Preview, I have diagramed the same sentence with each part of speech highlighted. This consistency has helped my students master the content more quickly and thoroughly.

How to Teach Grammar with TPT POS Anchor Charts Resource

#2 — Diagramming Sentence & Grammar

Diagramming sentences! Whew!

Diagramming in third grade begins with… SUBJECTS and PREDICATES! Boring?! Mundane?!

Ooh… not so fast!

Let’s use natural gestures paired with a little vignette!

This time, I rely on an old favorite from School House Rocks™ — “The Tale of Mr. Morton!” My students immediately engage because they fall in love with the story (and ending!) It is a perfect vignette for teaching grammar — Subject and Predicate — that I use all year long.

The SUBJECT is the “who” and the PREDICATE is the “do.”

Then, here’s a peek at how I use this little vignette.

A COMPLETE SENTENCE has both parts — a subject and a predicate. My gesture for a complete sentence is to put my fingertips together to form a mountain peak. What goes up, must come down — complete.

The SUBJECT is the “who” (with RIGHT hand, make half the mountain peek)

The PREDICATE is the “do” (with LEFT hand, make the other half the mountain peek)

I start with my RIGHT hand because students will see it on their left and “read” it left-to-right.

The SUBJECT is a “noun” (with RIGHT hand, make half the mountain peek)

The PREDICATE is a “verb” (with LEFT hand, make the other half the mountain peek)

When we sing “Mr. Morton” it looks like this…

“Mr. Morton walked down the street. Mr. Morton (with RIGHT hand, make half the mountain peek) walked (with LEFT hand, make the other half the mountain peek)… Mr. Morton was lonely. Mr. Morton WAAAAS (lift LEFT hand and shake it in the air.)” Ooooh, “was” is the verb (“what exists”)!

We do the mountain peak gesture for ALL the sentences in the video…

Mr. Morton talked…Mr. Morton knew…Mr. Morton grew…Mr. Morton WAAAAS…The neighbor chased… You get the picture

Throughout the year — during whole group, in small groups, in a writing conference — whenever my students use an incomplete sentence — in their speech or writing — I make the half-a-mountain-peak gesture and they know to correct their grammar!

#3 — Punctuation & Grammar & Mentor Text

Gestures are the best-est for learning punctuation!

My favorite mentor text is Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver. I use it throughout the year. And, for it to be effective, you have to rev up your gestures and sound effects! Don’t be shy! 😉

This text with your gestures is a highly engaging way to teach grammar and punctuation. You can PRACTICE the gestures and sounds that come naturally to you way before you read aloud to your students. That way you will USE the gestures EVERY TIME to refer to a punctuation mark. You got this! Now, own it! 🙂

How to Teach Grammar and Punctuation with Mentor Text Punctuation Takes a Vacation

A Little Disclaimer

Please note: I am not an affiliate marketer, but have provided a link (in image above) to order this text on Amazon for your convenience.

In my teaching I prefer to buy used copies in good condition at a fraction of the price, and have had great success on abe.com and thriftbooks.com. Just be mindful of the shipping (or no shipping!) costs. I also am a great fan of and advocate for using the Public Library, and want to give a shout out to the Haverhill Public Library staff, my public library, who do an exceptional job purchasing mentor texts and other teaching materials we teachers need to fully teach concepts, content, vocabulary and skills at every grade level! Thank you public libraries everywhere!

My Punctuation Gestures and Vignettes

Here are my basic punctuation gestures and sound effects that I use with my students every day:

capital letter (put palms together like a sandwich; “grow” top hand up as you make a pshhhhh sound)

period (move your right foot to “put on the brakes” as you make the errrrr sound)

exclamation mark (draw the line in the air as you a cshhhh sound, then mark the dot as you make a “pop” sound)

question mark (shrug shoulders with open palms at either side as you say “hunh?”)

comma (whisk a comma in air as you breathe out a quick “whiit”)

quotation marks (starting on your RIGHT, use two fingers in the air to make the first marks with a click sound, then your LEFT two fingers to make the second mark with a click sound)

And That’s How to Teach Grammar with Gestures!

When my students’ writing needs editing… I just make the gesture and sound! And soon they start to use the gestures and sounds to help their peers revise and edit their writing! Win-win!!

So, what do you think? What gestures do you use in your teaching? Leave a comment down below!

As you rev up your teaching, here are some other activities that might spark a little JOY!:

How to Teach Grammar with TPT Kaboom Map Skills Cover

Kaboom!
Mentor Sentence Journals from your favorite MENTOR TEXTS!

How to Teach Grammar with TPT MSJ Bundle #1 Resource Cover

Or click below to read more on the Blog!…

How to Teach Text Connections Reading Strategy Blog

Teach with joy!

🙂 Susan

Grammar is Communication

Grammar?! We Got This!

August 4, 2021July 13, 2023 Susan Hall

Let’s Teach to Think Deeply with Joy

Hi teacher friends! I’m sitting here contemplating the daunting task of teaching grammar to my 3rd graders. Ooof! Right?!

Well, for the past few years I’ve been in full swing to improve my ELA instruction. Making it more engaging. More meaningful. More connected between the four — reading, writing, speaking, listening. And guess what?! I am starting to LUV teaching grammar, too! Here’s my why and how…

What Is It That Ya Mean?

Reading and writing is simply communication. Writers convey their thinking, and readers understand the writer’s message. Language skills. Communication, just like speaking. Our reading and writing skills develop the way as our speaking does — with lots of practice, practice, practice.

So, I wonder, why don’t we teach reading and writing (and grammar and spelling) the same way we support young kids when they are learning how to speak? I wondered, then set out to create authentic opportunities for my students to practice all of their language skills. Emphasis communication. And, then, practice, refine. And practice, refine. Hear me out…

Remember When?

It’s been a while, but when we were toddlers just learning how to talk, our caring caregivers encouraged us with every syllable — clapping for our “dah-dahs“, and modeling with glee the longer sentences we couldn’t say yet. They had every expectation that our little language would come, and no expectation that it must be perfect to be considered worthy. We learned to speak by practicing in authentic experiences, motivated by our desire to share our own wants and needs with someone else. We applied new skills every day, because we were rewarded by the every growing realization that we were getting our point across.

Enter reading and writing instruction. For some reason, we caring teachers change our minds about how to teach reading and writing — we develop routines to teach these communication skills starting with the skill, not the communication. Instead of providing daily, ongoing authentic experiences in reading and writing, and becoming gleeful when our students make (and use!) their own discoveries of reading strategies and writing conventions, we tend to focus on the skill, expecting students to memorize the rule first and then accurately apply it on a worksheet or quiz.

children sitting on brown chairs inside the classroom — Photo by Arthur Krijgsman on Pexels.com

Sooo… How do we get kids engaged with grammar? Enter, mentor sentences! You can carefully select a prime sentence from a beloved book that you and your class have already read together and use it throughout the week to explore the grammar and syntax the author has used. This routine is so motivational because it engages kids and makes the grammar meaningful! I use mentor texts every day across all content areas, and choose a mentor sentences from them that model the writing strategies, skills, and grammar concepts we are learning. My kids beg for more!

Developing a Mentor Sentence routine that works for your teaching style and classroom schedule may take some time. But it is so worth it when you and your students share the joy. So, check them out! Try one today! Pick a sentence from one of your beloved texts and have a go! Or, click on the image below to link to my Mentor Sentence Journals resources. Let me know what you think! Let’s teach to think deeply with joy…

📚✏️❤️ Susan

Category: Grammar is Communication

How a Strong Mentor Text Helps Me Teach with Great Joy (and Purpose) #1