[MOSAIC] Sentence Combining

[Renee]

I have not worked with "sentence combining" but I have done an activity  
with students that I call "Silly Sentences" or "Sentence Quest" which  
gives them an opportunity to play with words and sentences. I wrote it  
up as a lesson for Read-Write-Think a few years ago. Check it out if  
you're interested:

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=6

Renee Goularte

On Jul 5, 2007, at 8:14 AM, Michelle TeGrootenhuis wrote:

>
> In the book "Best Practices in Literacy Instruction" (2nd Ed) edited by
> Michael Pressley, there's a chapter entitled, "Building a sound Writing
> Program" and on page 145 of that chapter the author states, "Studies  
> show
> that teaching formal grammar to students has 'a negligible or even  
> harmful
> effect on improving students' writing'...The only isolated skills  
> teaching
> that does seem to show a positive effect on writing is teaching  
> students how
> to combine sentences."  (in other words, teach grammar in CONTEXT of
> students' writing.)
>
> After reading that a few years ago, I purposely incorporated some  
> sentence
> combining lessons into my 2nd grade writer's workshop and the kids did  
> very
> well with the activities and the lessons had some carry over. I did  
> these
> lessons in the spring after introducing adjectives and adverbs, but I  
> think
> I'm going to begin the year with sentence combining this year (I'm  
> moving to
> 5th grade) and make sure to intersperse these lessons throughout the  
> year
> for maximum effect.
>
> Anyone tried this throughout the year? Have you seen carry over and  
> improved
> writing as a result?
>
> -Michelle TG, 5th IA
>
>  
>
>
>
>
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