Mentor Texts That Multitask [Grades K-8]: A Less-Is-More Approach to Integrated Literacy Instruction: Corwin Literacy

As teachers plan for the post pandemic school year, a must-have professional resource that will guide their instruction is Mentor Texts That Multitask by Pam Koutrakos!  Multi-tasking mentor texts are beloved favorites and exciting new titles that can help students learn about reading and writing! Multi-tasking texts are worthy of revisiting. They are learning tools in a student-centered classroom that invite teachers to model and students to practice then reflect on their learning experiences.  Pam’s voice is powerful, and she quickly draws you into her book. Every page returns to a central point: it’s you, the teacher, who makes a huge difference in students’ learning. Using compelling examples, this book shows you how multi-tasking mentor text lessons motivate and engage students in their learning and make you want to implement instructional ideas immediately. You’ll learn how to use diverse genres and formats across grades and students’ learning stages as Pam helps you make this important work your own. Along with guidelines for creating mentor text sets, you’ll explore how to develop units with outstanding culturally relevant texts. The book opens with a matrix of featured texts and text pairings, as well as a chart of recurring features in the lessons. I guarantee that Mentor Texts That Multitask will become one of your most valued and helpful professional books—one you’ll return to again and again!  
While reading Mentor Texts that Multitask, I found myself agreeing over and over again with Koutrakos and thinking about all the ways we can become more efficient through the use of smaller, strategically chosen collections of texts. The day in and day out work we do as educators is complex and multi-faceted. In this beautiful book, Koutrakos offers us ways to maximize time and find quality resources that enhance instruction with a less is more approach. This book will be a staple on my bookshelf and as I work alongside teachers.  

Mentors that Multitask?! This is what all educators need. Thrilled this playful and thoughtful book exists in the world as a practical yet inspirational springboard for using books teachers love over and over again for a variety of instructional, holistic instructional purposes! Pam shares tons of ideas for integrated literacy lessons and shows us why it all matters. From the text pairings to the inquiry ideas to the high-quality (and cross-genre!) text titles, I know educators with this book in their hands will feel more confident and excited about the possibilities. It is invaluable.
The moment you open Mentor Texts That Multitask it’s clear that you are in the company of a passionate professional who loves books, respects learners, and delights in bringing the two together. In this dynamic resource, you’ll benefit from Pam’s asset-based approach as she charts a path for redefining the role of mentor texts in your learning space. The flexible lesson sets offer infinite learning possibilities to illuminate and integrate the essential aspects of literacy. Pam will cheer you on as you make multitasking mentor texts work for the children in your care.
When I am thinking through a classroom challenge or looking for insight, Pam is one of the people that I turn to. Mentor Texts that Multitask resonates with Pam's characteristic wisdom, and it is imbued with her unshakable belief in children. This is not just a professional text, this is a transformative conversation with a powerfully capable friend.
Mentor Texts That Multitask helps teachers connect different parts of the curriculum to create a more cohesive and connected set of learning experiences. Koutrakos' model has the benefit of saving teachers time as well as supporting depth of thinking for students. It is grounded in research and classroom practice and is the type of book that teachers can return to again and again for ideas to try right away. After reading this book teachers will know how to shift to a more student-centered and inquiry-based way of using mentor texts throughout the day that brings joy, engagement, and deep learning. 

With an emphasis and deep commitment toward asset-based instruction that is unwaveringly responsive to students, Pam Koutrakos invites readers into the endless possibilities for learning that exist within the pages of books. While Koutrakos provides replicable lessons and resources based on specific texts, she also empowers readers to be able to select their own mentor texts and develop their own lessons. Mentor Tasks That Multitask weaves research, resources, and practicality, inspiring teachers with lessons they can use right away, as well as approaches to take within classrooms that maximize minutes, learning, and joy.

This book is not a collection of texts or an anthology of stand-alone activities.  Instead, it meets students and teachers where they are and helps them grow.  Pam Koutrakos shows how simple, well-chosen texts can serve in so many ways, but she also fills the air with rich teaching practice, modeling how to embed humanity, compassion and understanding into the standards.  It’s a book that should go into every teacher’s tool belt.
Nothing (not even the greatest of books) can replace the human genius of a teacher; a teacher with a great multitasking mentor text and a practical set of tools in their hands is a force to reckon with. Pam sets us up for success by reminding us of the importance of seeing the brilliance of students through an asset-based lens and the way she guides us through our decision making process by setting up frameworks for us to think about the student process as emerging, developing, and extending is not only a refreshing way of thinking, but a necessary one. Pam invites us to think about practical ways in which we can reduce our decision fatigue by leaning into our love of books and integrating those books across our curriculum all while centering students at the heart of our classrooms. As I scan the books on my bookshelves, I can imagine how to employ them as trusted mentor texts that multitask by integrating across the elements of curriculum.  From one obsessed book fan to another, thank you Pam for giving us the gift Mentor Texts that Multitask! 
Mentor texts have been a favorite for teachers and students as a touchstone for deep learning. A big thank you to Pam Koutrakos for revealing to us an even more expansive potential of what a few carefully selected mentor texts can hold across learning contexts. What this book teaches us is a paramount implementation of responsive teaching, in a streamlined, learner-centered way. Pam’s deep pedagogical knowledge paired with a love of books of all sorts (yes, even some books we may not imagine!) brings us this seminal book that will only evolve our instruction in the most joyful and impactful ways.  Pam does so through favorite text selections, ways to use those texts to teach, and a pathway for educators and students to multitask their favorite mentor texts.

Mentor Texts That Multitask gives educators access to one of the most authentic voices and thought leaders in literacy practices.  With all angles and lenses considered, and the face of every potential student honored, Pam Koutrakos gives teachers the tools to be intentional about their use of  powerful mentor texts.  This gift for teachers offers a strong and manageable platform on which to build community and enhance literacy instruction in their classrooms utilizing some of the most meaningful mentor texts. 
Classroom teachers at the elementary level, middle school teachers, and literacy coaches (especially literacy coaches!) will feel equipped to teach in a meaningful and comprehensive way with Mentor Texts That Multitask.  Gone are the totes loaded with books when traveling from classroom to classroom.  Pam invites teachers to open a book, any book, and list the learning possibilities that can be pulled out of it.  

Mentor Texts that Multitask is a must-read for every educator, instructional coach, and literacy leader! Pam Koutrakos’ latest book shares limitless possibilities on simplifying instruction into smaller collections of strategies that are layered with multidimensional texts! Her work is both student-centered and teacher-supportive. She eliminates the myth of “more books” by outlining a framework where books can be used in a variety of ways through flexible design and multifaceted learning. This book is an educator’s dream!
One thing I often hear from educators is they wish they had more time--more time to plan, more time to play and practice, more time to READ! Pam Koutrakos’ Mentor Texts that Multitask tackles this challenge of time with thoughtfulness, innovation, and clarity. This text not only provides teachers with a rich list of student-centered learning experiences, but also shares a roadmap of how to implement these experiences in conjunction with authentic, engaging texts. The strategies Pam gives teachers have the beautiful balance of being supported by research while also being practical and adaptable for the classroom. You can read through a chapter, select a text type, choose which lesson(s) best match your students' next steps and implement that lesson the following day. A true gift. Pam has shown us that less can be more. We don’t have to select a new text every lesson and there is real power in revisiting a mentor text through various lenses and focuses. While there is no “best” or “perfect” book, this resource certainly comes close to being the best time-saving gift for educators to select and plan lessons with rich texts at the center.

This book deserves a space on every educator's bookshelf. In Mentor Texts that Multitask, Pamela Koutrakos understands that the never-ending search for "perfect" mentor texts can eat up time that educators could use to prepare for student-centered responsive literacy instruction. Her carefully chosen texts and thoughtfully crafted lesson sets leave the reader inspired to try them out with learners. Thank you, Pam, for ensuring that we feel confident enough to curate our own stack of multitasking texts, facilitate affirming and integrated literacy learning experiences, and engage students in the process!

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1: The Essentials of Multitasking Mentor
Chapter 1: What is a Multitasking Mentor Text?
Chapter 2: Instructional Practices that Support Mentor Text Multitasking
Part 2: Teaching with Multitasking Mentor Texts
Chapter 3: Wordless Texts and Images
Chapter 4: Graphic Texts
Chapter 5: Realistic Fiction
Chapter 6: Creative Nonfiction: Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoir
Chapter 7: Informational Texts
Chapter 8: Poetry
Part 3: You've Got This!
Chapter 9: DIY Processes for Creating Multitasking Lesson Sets
Chapter 10: Stepping Aside: Student-Initiated Learning with Multitasking Mentor Texts
Epilogue
References

Streamline literacy learning with power-packed children’s books
Pam Koutrakos shows how to streamline and integrate literacy instruction using a single children’s text for a variety of purposes, weaving together different aspects of literacy from reading and writing to spelling and grammar. This user-friendly resource is packed with ready-to-go lessons and tools to create and teach using multitasking texts. Resources include

• Full lessons centered on high-quality, inclusive children’s literature
• A DIY section to help teachers plan and teach lessons
• Dozens of student and classroom examples

Printables available online to help with immediate implementation