Repairing Run-On Sentences

One of my goals for next year is to help my students really strengthen their sentence control. Many teachers feel daunted by this, so it's no wonder the confusion trickles down to the kids! Understandably, it's hard to keep it all straight: simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, fragments, comma splices, run-ons, etc. On top of that, our budding writers are expected to vary their sentences throughout a written piece! It's like the never-ending writing skill, but it's vital in fourth grade and in life. One thing I can do over the summer (that I actually enjoy) is beef up my collection of resources. I'm thrilled with these task cards I created today:

 CLICK HERE to download the set from TpT!

Rather than relying on multiple choice answers, this exercise enables students to:

1. Identify if the sentence is truly a run-on sentence.

2. Rewrite run-on sentences in a variety of ways.

It will take lots of front loading (reviewing parts of speech, reteaching subject and predicate, etc.) to give my students the foundation they need before tackling those tricky run-on sentences. Modeling sentence writing, explicitly teaching the compound sentence pattern, and showing them a variety of mentor sentences helped my most recent group of fourth graders. Other tips include encouraging students to read their sentences aloud and revising drafts as they go (rather than finishing an entire draft before rereading it.) 

How do you teach your students to develop sentence control? Please spread your knowledge and leave a comment!

Pass the Prompts, Please!

Usually when I make an anchor chart, it's for students. This one, however, is for a special group of educators I'm presenting for at an upcoming convention. I thought the resources were too good not to share!

Refreshing Reads

Just like that, my tenth year teaching 4th grade flashed by. It was one of the best school years so far because my team and I were blessed with an extraordinary group of kids. (Don't you just love years like that?) Trying my best to be a good teacher and mom has really forced me to put my blog on the backburner, but now it's summer! Here I am again! As I type this. there are two shiny new books on my night table. (Now, if I actually have time to finish them this summer, THAT will be an accomplishment!) I've read the first few chapters of both, and I'm loving them so far!

The Wild Card

By Hope & Wade King

These two dynamic educator-authors teach at the famed Ron Clark Academy. Although they are a married couple, they come from different backgrounds and share how their personal struggles and triumphs have molded them into the educators they are today. The Kings also provide insight on how to be the most engaging, authentic teacher you can be and why it is so important to do so. (Did I mention I just wrapped up year 10? I believe it's perfect timing for me to read this book.)

The Happiness Advantage

By Shawn Achor

My principal did a book study on The Happiness Advantage with some of her colleagues, and she is living proof of its main theme: Happiness leads to success; NOT the other way around! The bits and pieces she's shared with us as a faculty have sparked my interest. I'm hoping to gain a fresh perspective and some useful tools for being a true optimist!

I realize this post wasn't quite what you'd expect given the title of my blog, but what kind of writers would we be if we weren't readers? What kind of teachers would we be if we weren't learners? 

If you are gifted with some quiet time, what books are you reading this summer?