Spring 2022      Volume 50, Number 2

Well-Versed: Using Poetry Mentor Texts to Increase Writing Motivation
By Diana M. Wolf

Document: Article 

Introductory Paragraph:  The motivation to write decreases for students at the middle-school level. The purpose of this study is to explore the use of poetry mentor texts to increase writing motivation for middle-school students. Students were taught how to read like a writer using the novel in verse, The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander (2014) as a class read-aloud. While reading like a writer, students were encouraged to emulate the author’s writing within their own writing. Results from surveys and student responses indicated that writing motivation increased for these middle-school students when presented with poetry mentor texts. This method of instruction can provide students with innovative ways to write that will encourage them to use their own unique writing voices.

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.33600/IRCJ.50.2.2022.15

Page Numbers:   15-25