Mentor Texts to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies

Have you been searching for a quick reference of  texts to support you in teaching comprehension skills? I have researched and gathered some of my top Mentor Texts to Teach Comprehension Strategies. These texts can be used to teach skills such as: Main Idea, Summary, Context Clues, Character Traits, Setting, Plot, Cause and Effect, Inference, Drawing Conclusions, Predictions, Timeline of Events, Generalizations, Fact and Opinion, Connections, Author’s Purpose, Comparing and more!

Throughout my 18 years in education I have purchased many books for read alouds, book clubs, for teaching in small groups; these books I share with you will hopefully become part of your library and assist in making your teaching easier. I have added links to each of the strategies to make it easier for you to locate and use these books to teach these skills.

Mentor Texts Resources to Support Your Teaching

I have created several resources that are popular in my shop to help teach using mentor texts! Take a peek at my top sets here.

• Mentor Texts for Grammar Review
• Mentor Texts for Reading Strategies
• Mentor Texts Reading Passages 

Mentor Texts to Teach Plot Comprehension Strategies

Teaching plot which is teaching students the ability to recognize important events, problems, conflict and resolution is essential to understanding the story. I have found these books to be wonderful in teaching plot.

• Julius Baby of the World by: Kevin Henkes
• Thank you Mr. Falker by: Patricia Polacco
• The Patchwork Quilt by: Valerie Flournoy
• Millions of Cats by: Wanda Gag
• Come on, Rain by: Karen Hesse
• The Island of Skog by: Steven Kellogg
• Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by: Judith Virost

Texts to Teach Main Idea

Teaching and understanding the main ideas of the text is important. It gives the reader the ability to understand what the text is mostly about. Having books that help us teach this skill is important. These are some of my favorites to use.

• Exploring the Titanic by: Robert Ballard
• Leah’s Pony by: Elizabeth Friedrich
• The Important Book by: Margaret Wise Brown
• The Paperboy by: Dav Pilkey
• Swimmy by: Leo Lionni

 Texts to Teach Word Study

It is important for kids to be exposed to new words on a daily basis. Many times when we read we come across words we do not know the meaning of but have the ability to use context clues and other components to help us. Many of the books I love to use for read alouds focus on word study and teaching skills such as figurative language, synonyms, antonyms, suffixes, affixes, and more. Here are a few of the books I use to help teach word study.

• Baloney by: Jon Scieska
• Brave Irene by: William Steig
• Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors?
• What’s Mite Might? by: Guilio Maestro
• The Sun Played Hide-and-seek: A Personification Story

Mentor Texts to Teach Summary Comprehension Strategies

When teaching this skill these are some of my go to books as they are easy to focus on this skill. Summary is the retelling of the most important ideas and details from the text. We retell the events in sequential order from the beginning, middle, and end.

• Going Home by: Eve Bunting
• Koala Lou by: Mem Fox
• A Chair for my Mother by: Vera Williams
• The Snowy Day by: Ezra Jack Keats
• Water Dance by: Thomas Locker
• Someday a Tree by: Eve Bunting

Mentor Texts to Teach Character Traits Comprehension Strategies

Teaching students the ability to notice details on how characters look, feel, and act can be challenging. I have used a variety of picture books and chapter books. These books have helped teach and understand characters feelings, relationships, and so much more.

• Because of Winn Dixie by: Kate DiCamilio
• Wonder by: RJ Palacio
• A Day’s Work by: Eve Bunting
• Amazing Grace by: Mary Hoffman
• Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by: Judith Virost
• Amelia Bedelia by: Peggy Paris
• My Rotten, Redheaded Older Brother by: Patricia Polacco
• Romona Forever by: Beverly Cleary

 Comprehension Strategies

It is important for students to recognize the time and place an event happens in a story. Teaching this skill is fun with some of these books I have used and recommend.

• All the Places to Love by: Patricia Maclachlan
• Canoe Days by: Gary Paulsen
• Great Kapok Tree by: Lynn Cherry
• Owl Moon by: Jane Yolan
• Because of Winn Dixie by: Kate DiCamilio
• The Polar Express by: Chris Van Allsburg
• Zathura by: Chris Van Allsburg

Mentor Texts to Teach Sequential Order Comprehension Strategies

Teaching sequential order or order of important events is important as it allows students to understand when key events happen in a story. These books are easy for students to understand this concept.

• Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by: Judith Virost
• Patchwork Quilt by: Valerie Flourney
• The Paperboy by: David Pilkney
• Napping House by: Audrey Wood
• Stone Soup by: Marcia Brown
• Grandfather’s Journey by: Allen Say

Mentor Texts to Teach Cause and Effect Comprehension Strategies

These books are great for teaching students cause and effect, sometimes the author states it, other times it must be inferred in the reading.

• A Chair for my Mother by: Vera Williams
• A Day’s Work by: Eve Bunting
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by: Judi Barrett
• Fireflies by: Julie Brickloe
• Rabbit Stew by: Donna Kosow
• Napping House by: Audrey Wood

Mentor Texts to Teach Inference Comprehension Strategies

This skill is usually a difficult skill for my students as they have to take information from the text and use their schema to figure out something that is not stated. These books are my favorite for teaching this difficult skill.

• The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by: Chris Van Allsburg
• Babushka’s Doll by: Patricia Polacco
• Going Home by: Eve Bunting
• How Many Days to America by: Eve Bunting
• Is Your Mama A Llama by: Deborah Guarino
• Millions of Cats by: Wanda Gag
• The Wump World by: Bill Peet

Texts to Teach Fact and Opinion Comprehension Strategies

These books allow the students to understand fact and opinion. It is important to teach the skill of understanding that a fact must be proven and an opinion is someones beliefs, ideas or feelings.

• A Place Called Freedom by: Scott Russel Sanders
• My Rotten, Redheaded Older Brother by: Patricia Polacco
• Lightning by: Stephen Kramer
• The Reasons for The Seasons by: Gail Gibbons

Mentor Texts to Teach Comparing Comprehension Strategies

Comparing is fun for kids as they often do it in real life. I have found that they are able to notice how details are alike and different especially when  comparing two different texts. Here are several I use together. We focus on comparing : characters, setting, plot, themes and more.

• Thank you Mr. Falker by: Patricia Polacco and More Than Anything Else by: Marie Bradby
• Grandfather’s Journey by: Allen Say and My Freedom Trip by: Frances Park
• I was Dreaming to Come to America by: Veronica Lawlor and Journey to Ellis Island by: Carol Bierman
• Fairy Tales and Folktales are wonderful to use especially the newer versions comparing different points of views from characters.

Mentor Texts to Teach Author’s Purpose Comprehension Strategies

Students need to be able to recognize whether the author wrote the text to entertain, to inform, to explain or to persuade. At times the author may write the text for more than one purpose. These books help my students recognize this skill.

• Thank you Mr. Falkner by: Patricia Polacco
• The Ant Bully by: John Nickle
• Fly Away Home by: Eve Bunting
• Two Bad Ants by: Chris Van Allsburg
• The Diary of a Worm by: Doreen Cronin
• The Lorax by: Dr. Seuss

Mentor Texts to Teach Making Connections Comprehension Strategies

Making connections is something that will go beyond the text itself. Students will recognize whether the text connects to them personally, connects to a world event, or to another text. These books are great for making connections for students.

• Because of Winn Dixie by: Kate DiCamilio
• Wonder by: RJ Palacio
• Thank you Mr. Falkner by: Patricia Polacco
• My Rotten, Redheaded Older Brother by: Patricia Polacco
• Through Grandpa’s Eyes by: Patricia MacLachlan
• Enemy Pie by: Derek Munson

Hopefully this list of books will provide a quick reference of  texts to support you in teaching comprehension skills. I am always searching for books to add to my personal collection. Many books can be used for multiple skills and sometimes they lend to one skill. The great thing about using these books is that students can recall the book when practicing the skill.  Happy Reading!