Their thinking is there. But their writing doesn’t show it.2nd graders often write sentences that are short, basic, repetitive, or incomplete. Strong writing depends on strong sentences.
Before they move on to paragraphs, it’s important to strengthen the sentences first – because
weak sentences don’t turn into strong paragraphs.Teaching Complex Sentence Writing Using Children’s Books gives students focused practice building sentences that connect ideas, add detail, and show relationships through award-winning, teacher-approved children’s books that build students’ knowledge around important themes and topics.
Each featured children’s book (sold separately) includes about a dozen sentence-writing activities written specifically for that text, so comprehension and sentence structure awareness grow hand-in-hand.
Here’s how it works:1. Read one of the featured children’s books in this volume.Use your own copy, buy it from your favorite bookseller, or check it out from the library.
2. Discuss the ideas. Then teach students how to use those ideas to write stronger sentences. Choose from about 12 activities written for that specific book. Target the sentence skills your students need.
3. Meet the different needs in your classroom. Use an activity with the whole class when students need modeling and shared practice. Pull it into a small group to target a particular skill. Or assign it as independent work when students need more practice.
4. Writing prompts and sample student responses are provided, so everything is ready when you are.Every activity includes a fully written prompt and sample response. Choose the activity, modify as you’d like, and teach.
5. Give it six weeks. Compare the sentences your students wrote before with what they can write now.
Choose the theme in the Grades 2 & 3 band that best fits what your students are learning:Volume 1 Changes in SeasonsFocuses on weather, nature, and seasonal changes
Volume 2 Westward, America!Explores westward expansion in the 1800s, pioneers, Native peoples, railroads, cowboys, and American legends
Volume 3 Standing Up for Civil RightsExplores people who challenged injustice and helped move America closer to equality
Volume 4 Food for ThoughtExplores where food comes from, how the body uses it, and the traditions and stories connected to what we eat
Compilation Edition Combines Volumes 1-4 in one book for less than buying them separately.
Or choose from 8 additional themes in the Grades 1 & 2 and Grades 3 & 4 bands.
Here’s What You’ll Find in This Volume:- About 12 sentence-writing activities for each featured children’s book – from helping students recognize what makes a complete sentence, to strengthening precision and detail, to showing relationships between ideas and building more complex sentences
- Suggestions for differentiation and scaffolding for each activity type
- Fully written prompts and sample responses
- Practice with combining ideas, adding details, incorporating dependent clauses, and communicating cause, contrast, and result
- Activities that require students to think about what they’ve read and turn those ideas into stronger sentences
Don’t ask students to build paragraphs on sentences that still need work. Strong writing depends on strong sentences.
