Presentation

  1. 1

    Ask the child to tell you a sentence about a picture or something they did.

  2. 2

    Say the sentence together and count the words on your fingers.

  3. 3

    Show how to begin with a capital letter.

  4. 4

    Write the sentence with the child, saying each word as it is written and leaving finger spaces.

  5. 5

    Add a period at the end.

  6. 6

    Invite the child to write a new sentence of their own.

  7. 7

    Ask the child to read their sentence aloud.

Extensions, easiest to hardest

  1. Writing two sentences about the same picture
  2. Writing a sentence to go with a Cultural or Science work
  3. Using a question mark for a question sentence
  4. Writing sentences with puzzle words spelled correctly

Control of error

The child reads the sentence back; the adult checks capital, spaces, and period.

Ready to move on when the child…

  • Writes a sentence of five or more words independently
  • Uses a capital letter and a period
  • Leaves spaces between all words

Try “pink tower”, “tummy”, “diaper”, “grace and courtesy”, or “October”.