How to Teach Sentence Writing in Kindergarten and First Grade Successfully

As teachers, we have all been there! We’ve worked and worked at a skill, practiced and practiced, and taught it every way we can think of… but one or two students just aren’t getting it. It happens to the best of us! 

Sentence writing is one skill that has about a hundred different concepts wrapped into one. For that reason, it can be one of the most difficult things to teach in the primary grades. Sometimes students just need a new way of looking at it. Sometimes they need explicit instruction combined with new ways of practicing. 

I’ve created a unit that combines all that. My Sentence Writing Unit is just the thing for you if you have kindergarten or first-grade students struggling to understand sentence structure! 

What is it and how will it help me? 

The Sentence Writing Unit is a four-week, stand-alone unit that will take your students through everything they need to know to be successful sentence writers. By the end of the unit, students will be able to use punctuation and capital letters correctly. They’ll know how to use finger spaces and sound out words they don’t know. And perhaps most importantly, they’ll be able to write complete sentences independently! 

Each lesson includes a clear teaching point, and a short and explicit mini-lesson, followed by a chance for students to practice their skills. 

I know I know… at this point, you may be thinking… why is this so different than what I am already doing? How will it help? 

There are a few reasons this unit is different than any other. 

It is truly developmentally appropriate for your young learners. Kindergarteners and first-graders learn best in very short chunks. Most curriculums call a mini-lesson 20 minutes…my lessons are 5 to 10 minutes max! I help you use anchor charts and modeling to teach the concept of the day in a simple and straightforward way. 

The activities are actually engaging and different from many other curriculums. Students will have the chance to write about things that interest them. Throughout the unit you’ll lead the students through writing their very own sentences, editing and finding errors in previously written sentences, and unscrambling sentences! There are over 75 practice pages included!! 

There are so many different ways to use it! As I mentioned above, it’s a stand-alone unit. This means at any time throughout the school year you could pull it out and complete it! It also fits very nicely sandwiched in between two of my writing curriculum units. You could complete this unit after teaching labeling and before moving on to narrative writing! Last but certainly not least, if you notice your students (or even just a small group of your students) having a hard time grasping a specific skill, you could always just complete that lesson! For example, if most of your class is still struggling to use spaces, pause your curriculum for one day and teach the lesson on finger spaces! 

This unit seems like a lot of work, it covers so much ground, there’s no way we have time! 

One of the beauties of the lessons I’ve created is that they are so simple! These lessons won’t take you more than 20 minutes. They are made to fit in your schedule alongside your required curriculum. 

Prep-wise, I know that teachers don’t have time for all the coloring, cutting, laminating, and everything else that often goes along with creating anchor charts and engaging activities. The anchor charts are all available to you electronically, or you can print them off in color. There are over 75 print-and-go practice pages! You’ll also find a handful of activities that require a minimal amount of cutting but I keep it simple for you. 

How can I get started?

Head over to my TPT storefront and grab this unit! It is jam-packed with activities but if you are looking for more, all you need to do is search “sentences” and you’ll have plenty of options. If you are looking for even more explicit writing instruction, my Kindergarten Writing Curriculum will take you through the entire year!