A CONCRETE IMAGE OF HOW SENTENCES WORK

A CONCRETE IMAGE OF HOW SENTENCES WORK

Sentence Building Procedures Establish that a sentence can pass two tests: 1. Tells “who or what?” and “what about it?” (bicycle structure) 2. Can pass the “It is true that…” test * Use the visuals to apply the sentence tests to sentences that are found: 1. around the room 2. in their books 3. in their writing 4. in signs that they read around town *Unless the sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so) for emphasis

Sentence Building Procedures • Phonics Cards: • Arrange children in cooperative learning groups. Give out various picture • cards (some with action; some, without) • 2. Ask the children to select a card in which “something is happening.” They • compose sentences. They should use different words in each sentence. They • should practice the “who or what/what about it?” and “It is true that…” rhythms • to test for completeness. • 3. Then, ask them to choose cards in which no action is happening. They should • compose non-sentences

Sentence Building Procedures Establish that a sentence can pass two tests: 1. Tells “who or what?” and “what about it?” (bicycle structure) 2. Can pass the “It is true that…” test * Apply the sentence tests to sentences that are found: 1. around the room 2. in their books 3. in their writing 4. in signs that they read around town *Unless the sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so) for emphasis

Sentence Building Procedures • Green Cards/Yellow Cards • Make a two-word sentence: Subject (green); Predicate (yellow) • Switch subjects with someone else. Ask for the sentences that “don’t • sound right.” Bring those sentences forward and “fix” them • 3. Add to the green (expand the noun phrase): Which one? What kind? • How many? Where? When? (add to both sides of the noun headword) • (Establish that the noun phrase structure is replaceable by IT or THEY) • 4. Add to the yellow (Where? When? Why? In what manner? • To what extent?)

Learning Goals for Writing: Grades 1,2 Students will learn to: • Build phrases: • Sensory detail • Where? and When? detail (prepositional phrases)

Vocab: Three Tiers of English Words Tier 1: Conversational words (vernacular) (high frequency in natural conversation) Tier 2: Academic words: “school-loving” words (Latinate: prefix, root, suffix): 4th grade; lower in frequency than Tier 1; literary air; church-like air; business-like air; “dress-up” words Tier 3: Technical words: Low frequency; used for particular technical subjects: photosynthesis; polyhedron; metamorphosis; No synonyms

Spelling: What works? • Patterns and Partners (associating words with similar words) • Rhythm: grouping letters and saying them rhythmically; clapping out rhythms, etc. • Air-writing (with unbent arm) • Engaging multiple senses • Tactile experiences: finger paint, sand, shaving cream, etc.

Spelling: What works? • Repetition • Rules: The prefix rule • The doubling rule • When two vowels go walking… • I before E • Word games (reinforcing patterns) and puzzles (crosswords, jumbles, cryptograms): reinforcing common letter combinations as well as letters that almost never go together

Spelling: What works? • Exaggerations: Write the word with the hard part emphasized • Personal spelling journals • Mnemonics: There’s a rat in separate • Student-created classroom visuals • Exaggerated pronunciation

Important Spelling Rules • When adding a prefix, the spelling of the original word does not change: Disappear Dissatisfied Impossible Irregular

Important Spelling Rules II. When adding a suffix, double the final consonant if three conditions exist: • The base word ends in cvc (consonant, vowel, consonant) • The accent falls on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix • The suffix begins with a vowel

Important Spelling Rules Examples: Occurrence Accuracy Transference Referral Hopping Regretting

Important Spelling Rules I before E except after C, or when sounded as A, as in NEIGHBOR or SLEIGH

Important Spelling Rules IV. Drop the final e when the suffix begins with a vowel.

Change the Y to an I when the suffix begins with a consonant. Merriment Carrying Important Spelling Rules

Important Spelling Rules When two vowels to walking, the first does the talking:

Informal and formal English got, gotta hafta gonna wanna lemme woulda, shoulda, coulda cuz have, have to going to want to let me would have, should have, could have because

Informal and formal English briefcase dress shoes sit-down restaurant football on the team lunch cooking, baking, roasting backpack flip-flops McDonald’s frisbee on the lawn snack zapping/nuking

NY State Rubric (Scoring Guide) 1. Meaning: Addressing the task 2. Development: Providing reasons, examples, details 3. Organization: Introduction, body, conclusion, transitions 4. Language: Use of formal language tone 5. Conventions: grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization

Writing Guide: Planning I am supposed to__________________________________________. My reader will be___________________________________________. Special words that I will use: _____________________ _______________________ _____________________ ________________________ Draw a picture of the “shape” of your writing piece on the back. Writing Rubric to be used by students in Grades 1-2

Writing Guide: Checking My Work Do all of my sentences begin with a capital letter?_______ Do all of my sentences end with end punctuation?_______ Have I used some new words?_______ Is my work clean and neat?________ Did I write my work more than one time?_____ Do I have enough sentences?________ Do my words help my reader see a picture?______ Have I included pictures?______ Writing Rubric to be used by students in Grades 1-2

A CONCRETE IMAGE OF HOW SENTENCES WORK