Writing Lesson: Reducing Sentences

Teaching upper elementary students to expand sentences and combine sentences has always been on my radar.... but reduce? Well, that's another story. Yes, I've helped students revise run-ons and shorten sentences that are longer than necessary, but I began to question whether this was enough... especially after I discovered that, according to the Common Core standards, fifth grade students are expected to expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.3.A). Ultimately, I decided to research this topic, and I discovered a handful of practical reduction tips that can be shared with students.

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Leave a Comment 5th grade, 6th grade, 6thWriting, Anchor Chart, Freebie

Lailah's Lunchbox: A Mentor Text Activity that Focuses on Asking Higher-Level Questions

Welcome to our Celebrating Diversity mentor text link-up! The book I'm choosing to feature is Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi. This is a powerful read-aloud that will touch everyone in your classroom. Your Muslim students will be excited to find a proud, strong Muslim main character that may be facing difficult situations similar to the ones they face on a daily basis. Furthermore, your non-Muslim students will connect with a character much like themselves, as well, who worries about her classmates' and teacher's opinion of her. The author of this book explains the tradition of fasting during Ramadan in a sensitive, positive manner that is perfect for the upper elementary classroom. (Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.)

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2 comments 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, Freebie, mentor text, Read Alouds

Recognizing and Correcting Sentence Fragments and Run-ons

Being able to write a complete sentence is the foundation upon which all writing skills are built. It sounds simple enough, right? As we teachers know, however, some students struggle with forming a complete sentence, even in the upper elementary grades. If they make it too short and omit the all-important subject, they're left with a fragment. If they string too many ideas together and make it too long, they're left with a run-on sentence. To quote Goldilocks, it needs to be "just right". Today I'm going to share a couple tips with you that you can use as you teach your students how to recognize and revise fragments and run-on sentences.

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Leave a Comment 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, Freebie, Writing