Step Up To Writing

Teaching writing through consistency and planning.

Vocabulary & Sentence Mastery Effective Writing Instruction

Creating Vocabulary Collectors

There are several ways to collect vocabulary. I use a book I created called Vocabulary Collector. But really, you can use anything. What you want to do is use a 4-column format that allows students to write the word, add quick short words to help define it use it in a meaningful sentence and draw a picture. Students could use steno pads, journals or some other form of book to keep their words in. This is something you should consider doing school-wide. Students in all grades should be collecting vocabulary. It is important that it is an everyday practice across grade levels. Give your students short, quick and clear definitions by pulling the MOST important WORD out of a definition. Textbook definitions are not always best. Use bullets and dashes while defining the word. Most importantly, use the vocabulary in MEANINGFUL SENTENCES that help define the word through context clues.

In 1945 a study indicated that an average 10-year old had a vocabulary of 25,000 words. The same study done in 1995 indicated that the 10-year old vocabulary had diminished to 10,00 words. We need to collectors of vocabulary words. Students become smarter with words. Students should be learning and working with 3-4 new words a day (at the most anything more is overwhelming and wont become part of their schema). There are many ways to work with and learn vocabulary words. Sentence Mastery is essential. K1 students should be able to write simple complete sentences with capitals, periods and spaces. 2nd3rd students should be writing more diverse and complicated sentences. Sentence writing can be taught in isolation. This concept should not solely be addressed during paragraph/essay writing.

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Vocabulary & Sentence Mastery

Sentence Mastery
CO MP L ETE SENTENC ES Students must be taught (at least once a week in K1 and once a month in 2-3) the difference between segments, fragments and complete sentences. Simple activities involving changing a phrase/fragment into a complete thought helps drive this point home.

Good writers write good sentences. Plain and simple. Take the time to teach sentence writing in isolation. There are many strategies that help students practice sentence writing skills.

FRAGMENT In a box By her bed

VS.

COMPLETE THOUGHT

The 3- & 4-P A R T SENTE NCE You can give the kids a 3- or 4column paper pre-labeled as shown, or simply have the students fold and label their own paper. (Notice the additional tiny column at the end for punctuation.) Students can work on their own, in small groups, pair-share, or work as a class to brainstorm words for each section. After the columns have been filled, the students work to make coherent, correctly spaced, capitalized and punctuated complete sentences with the sentence parts listed.

Because my friend told me about it Eating cookies and drinking milk With her grandma

WH O The student The artist

A CT IO N wonders paints

WH A T when it will be recess a picture of me . .

WHEN/WHERE

WHO

ACTION

WHAT

Teaching students good sentence writing skills empowers them to vary the length and structure of their sentences as they grow as writers.

Traci Clausen / DragonfliesInFirst.blogspot.com

Step Up to Writing

Vocabulary & Sentence Mastery

Sentence Card Game

Provide students (solo, small group, pairs) with cards that indicate WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and ACTION. It is not necessary to use ALL of the card categories but you must you ones that will allow for complete sentence building. subject/predicate order. Show the kids a picture. Have them write the information on the back of the correct card. The kids must understand that the WHO and the ACTION (verb) are essential always.. This activity helps EL students who struggle with

the baby

licks

Action cards the pig What card

the baby Who cards

licks

The more aspects you add, the more you can rearrange the sentence. As the kids master the skill, ask them: What can you move without changing the meaning of the sentence? Use your cards to create 3 different sentences using the same words.

This activity can be used with ALL grade levels increase the complexity of the sentence. WHO frog log WHAT WHEN morning WHERE pond ACTION jumped over

The frog jumped over the log in the pond in the morning. One morning at the pond, the frog jumped over a log. At the pond, the frog jumped over the log in the morning.

Next Week: EXPOSITORY WRITING & THE T-CHART

Traci Clausen / DragonfliesInFirst.blogspot.com 3