Second Grade Personal Narrative Mentor Texts

This fall, I would like to improve my writing conferences with students. One way I will improve is by using mentor texts as examples to demonstrate specific teaching points. For the remainder of the personal narrative unit I will use Those Shoes and Big Red Lollipop as my mentor text.

Teaching Point	Mentor Text Example
Authors start their story in heart of the action to capture the reader’s attention.	I’m so excited I run all the way home from school. (Big Red Lollipop)
Authors include their inner thoughts by showing what’s happening inside so that the reader can get to know the main character better.	We shoot baskets—a loose piece of tape on Antonio’s shoe smacks the concrete every time he jumps. I think, I’m not going to do it. We leap off the swings. I’m not going to do it. (Those Shoes)
Authors write action and dialogue together to make the reader feel like he is in the story.	My heart is pounding hard as I take off my shoes and hitch up my baggy socks. “How exciting!” Grandma says. “What size are they?” I shove my foot into the first shoe, curling by toes to get my heel in. “I don’t know, but I think they fit.” (Those Shoes)
Authors use punctuation to make their writing clear for the reader.	In the morning, I get up early to have it. Sana’s already up. When she sees me, she runs away. I open the fridge door. All that’s left of my lollipop is a triangle stuck to a stick. “SANA!” (Big Red Lollipop)
Authors show, not tell, how the character is feeling to paint a picture in the reader’s mind.	At home, Grandma says, “How kind of Mr. Alfrey.” I nod and turn my back. I’m not going to cry about any dumb shoes. But when I’m writing my spelling words later, every word looks like the word shoes and my grip is so tight on my pencil I think it might bust. (Those Shoes)