In this clip, I conference with Nicole, who is experimenting with some of the writing techniques that Libba Moore Gray used in My Mama Had A Dancin' Heart. Nicole clearly demonstrates the effective use of a mentor text.
The reason I chose to conference with Nicole is because she is doing exactly what I asked the students to do in the mini-lesson. She is experimenting with some of the writing techniques that Libba Moore Gray used. Nicole has the book right there, and she is using it as a mentor text. After listening to her writing, I know that I should ask her to share at the end of writing workshop. Her work will help tie together the day's lesson with a connection back to the mini-lesson about using a mentor text to try out beautiful language and writing strategies. I know I can also use Nicole's writing to give a quick lesson on alliteration.
| MOD: | So you're experimenting with some of the techniques from which author? What technique did you try? |
| FEMALE: | She tipped tapped... I tried to do it like differently sort of. |
| MOD: | But lots of descriptions and I noticed that splash toes summer sun. ss-ss-ss What is that? |
| FEMALE: | I don't know. |
| MOD: | Remember what that's called, with all the same letters? Do you know that that technique? |
| FEMALE: | No. |
| MOD: | That's alliteration. Remember that? You didn't even realize you did it. It sounds like the ocean. So listen to this again. She'll swish and smash her toe in the sea shells salty splashy beach in the bright summer sun. I can hear that, that squish because of all those s's. And she did that in her book. I notice she has some alliteration. |
| FEMALE: | Maybe I can try to do that in all this. |
| MOD: | Yeah. And you don't have to always do that but sometimes when you want to try to give the reader not just a picture, but to give the reader a sound in their head. Then you try to use alliteration so you get that sound in their head. |
| FEMALE: | So it does make sense? |
| MOD: | Yeah. So you don't have to do it every time you describe something. But in a case like this it works perfectly. |