Building sentences
Understand that words combine to make sentences — a sentence expresses a complete thought; produce and expand complete sentences in speech and writing
Typical age: 4–6 years
“If your child says something like "The dog", can they tell you that's not a complete sentence — and add words to make it say something like "The dog ran fast"?”
0 / 3 mastered
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- Fixing Fragments & Run-OnsREQUIRED
Recognising and correcting sentence fragments requires a clear conceptual understanding of what constitutes a complete sentence
- Expanded noun phrases
Sentence concept helps understanding where noun phrases fit
- Past, Present and Progressive Tense
Sentence concept supports understanding how verbs function in sentences
- Commas in lists
Understanding sentences supports knowing where to place commas
- Spaces Between WordsREQUIRED
Must understand sentences before spacing words
- Saying Sentences Before Writing ThemREQUIRED
Need to understand sentences for oral rehearsal
- Starting and Ending SentencesREQUIRED
Must understand sentences before punctuating them
- Multi-Step Problem Solving
Cross-subject: making sense of multi-step word problems requires understanding that sentences express complete thoughts (reading comprehension foundation)
- Self-Correcting While Reading
Sense-checking uses sentence knowledge
- Pronouns
Sentence concept supports understanding pronoun function
- Grammar words: letter, word, sentenceREQUIRED
Sentence concept foundational to grammar terminology
- Four Types of SentencesREQUIRED
Must understand what a sentence is before learning sentence types
- Reading with Expression and Accuracy
Understanding sentence structure supports expressive phrasing
- Subordinate clausesREQUIRED
Must understand sentences before combining clauses
- Joining Words with 'And'REQUIRED
Must understand sentences before joining them