Using Mentor Texts and AI to Transform Grammar Instruction: Part I

Patty McGee

| May 09, 2025

Have you ever watched your students ace grammar worksheets only to see those same skills vanish in their writing? You're not alone! When I discovered mentor texts for grammar instruction, everything changed in my classroom.

Mentor Texts and the Standards Challenge

Think of mentor texts as your grammar instruction's best friends. They're amazing pieces of writing that showcase the grammar concepts you want to teach. Here's something important I discovered along the way: While published authors create beautiful, effective writing, they often bend grammar rules for stylistic purposes. For example, many skilled writers skip the comma before a conjunction in compound sentences—which works beautifully for their style, but doesn't align with state standards.

This created a dilemma for me. I loved using authentic texts, but I needed to teach standard grammar conventions. What to do?

Mentor Text Workarounds

Thankfully, you don't need to abandon your favorite mentor texts! Here are three approaches that have worked wonderfully:

Cherry-pick perfect examples: Select individual sentences or short passages from mentor texts that do align with standard grammar. Use these gems to study sentence construction and expansion.
Adapt beloved texts: I've found success taking published text and adapting it (with proper attribution) to demonstrate standard grammar usage. This gives students the best of both worlds—engaging content they love with the grammar patterns they need to learn.
Create custom examples: Sometimes, I ask AI to generate content about topics my students care about, specifically requesting standard grammar usage. Just be sure to review the text carefully to confirm it truly follows the standards you're teaching! AI is not always accurate.

Here’s an example of one piece of text generated by AI. I indicated the different types of sentences by keeping simple sentences in plain text, underlining compound sentences, and italicizing complex sentences.

The Hidden Language of Trees

Trees may appear silent and solitary, but they participate in complex communication networks beneath our feet. Simple mycorrhizal fungi connect tree roots through an intricate web scientists call the "Wood Wide Web." These fungal threads allow trees to share nutrients while they send chemical signals to neighboring trees.

When a tree is attacked by insects, it releases airborne chemical compounds to warn nearby trees of danger. Once alerted, the neighboring trees begin producing defensive chemicals to protect themselves. This remarkable system resembles an early warning network that protects the entire forest community.

Older, larger "mother trees" serve as hubs in these networks, and they support younger saplings by sharing essential nutrients. Although these connections are invisible to the human eye, they create a cooperative environment where trees support one another during times of stress or limited resources.

Scientists have discovered that some tree species recognize their relatives and preferentially share resources with them. They maintain these connections through the seasons, and they create a resilient forest over time. As we learn more about these communication networks, we gain a deeper appreciation for the sophisticated relationships that exist in seemingly quiet forests.

Two Possibilities for Mentor Text and Grammar Learning

One of the most engaging parts of science instruction can also be used in grammar instruction. In science, phenomena provide a real-world context for learning, allowing students to actively engage with observable events and "figure out why" something happens. Essentially, phenomena act as a driving force for inquiry-based learning, sparking curiosity and motivating students to explore and explain what they see around them. In grammar instruction, a mini-inquiry using a mentor text acts as a phenomenon, allowing for context, curiosity, and collaboration. How a mini-inquiry may unfold:

Read the mentor text aloud (maybe a few times), allowing students to enjoy and understand the content.
Return to the text and pose an inquiry question. For the mentor text above, consider the question: What are some similarities and differences in simple, compound, and complex sentences?
Partner (or trio) students up and ask them to come up with as many similarities and differences as they can. They may even jot these down.
Listen in as students discuss their ideas. Jot down relevant theories or questions.
Share something you jotted down and ask students to explore. Share a theory: Simple sentences are shorter (which is not a plausible theory). A question: Is there always a comma in a complex sentence?
Explore the mentor text for proof of the theory or potential answers to the question.
Gather guidance from the inquiry in a resource for students to use when writing.

It is true that mini-inquiries can transform grammar instruction by turning mentor texts into “phenomena” that spark curiosity, helping students discover grammar patterns in authentic contexts rather than isolated worksheets.

In the next post, we’ll explore another powerful approach to grammar instruction using mentor texts called Imitation and Innovation. Can’t wait for you to add this to your grammar instructional repertoire!

Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive. With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies. Not Your Granny’s Grammar is her third book. Connect with Patty at www.pattymcgee.org.