Sentence or Fragment Writing | Printable Classroom Resource | Miss DeCarbo

This sentence-level writing resource and center was designed to reinforce, reteach, and/or practice identifying sentences and sentence fragments, as well as turning fragments into complete sentences. Use this resource after students have learned about sentences and fragments, or use it to teach students about sentences and sentence fragments. Each card is a great opportunity for scaffolding and to practice examples as you and your students complete this sentence-level writing activity.

Each of the 18 cards contains either a complete sentence or a fragment. If it is a complete sentence, students will need to rewrite the sentence using correct capitalization and punctuation. If it is a fragment, students will correct it by turning it into a complete sentence and then rewrite it using correct capitalization and punctuation. It may be helpful to review and remind students that a complete sentence must contain a subject and a predicate.

This sentence-level work is important to the foundational skills of your writers. If we want our students to be successful, competent writers for paragraphs and essays, we need to first explicitly teach them the foundation of writing pieces – the sentence!

This resource now includes a DIGITAL GOOGLE SLIDE for every writing card! Display each question digitally for all your students to see. There is also space to type or write your answers right on each slide!

Ideas for Using this Resource:

• · Use the resource as a teacher-facilitated oral language activity. Use the cards to orally restate and create complete sentences for each card. Oral writing, or verbally stating the complete sentence aloud, is an important foundational skill for beginning writers.
• ·Use the resource as a whole-group practice activity. Complete each card together as a class. You can choose to model writing the complete sentence on chart paper or under a document camera with correct capitalization and punctuation. You may also choose to identify the fragments with students and then allow them time to turn the fragments into complete sentences on their recording sheets or papers.
• Use the resource as an independent writing center after students have had time to practice identifying sentences and sentence fragments and after being taught how to turn a fragment into a complete sentence. Labels for a title and directions have been included.
• Use the resource within a small-group center. Take turns completing and then passing the cards around the table, or complete each card together as a group.

Can my younger students complete these activities verbally?

Yes! In fact, it’s a great idea for ALL students to complete the sentence level activities verbally before writing or recording the sentences. Younger writers may wish to stop at the oral language level and simply practice verbally stating complete sentences.

Differentiated Recording Sheets and Options

You may have each student write the complete sentence on any paper you choose, such as a notebook or journal, on handwriting paper, or on a dry-erase board. If you are completing the activity as a teacher model, you may wish to record the sentence on an easel or chart paper or under a document camera.

You can also use one of the three differentiated recording sheets provided within the resource.