Learning Craft Moves from Mentor Texts

Today students learned that good writers notice special craft moves as they are reading, and then try those craft moves out in their own writing! The following pictures show students working together to mark craft moves in a book that they think are really special, and that they might want to try. After marking, partners shared what they noticed the author did with the whole group. During writing time, all students had access to the marked books, and had the opportunity to try out one of the many craft moves they learned about or noticed. 

Some craft moves that students have tried or noticed so far:

• Using ellipses
• Using POP out words
• Writing in small steps
• Making characters think and feel
• Making characters move and talk
• Writing with EXACT actions
• Using words in pictures
• Giving words a shape