Making Sentences

About the Book

Making Sentences is a hands on method of teaching reading and writing for beginning students. This method offers step-by-step word introduction and assists the teacher in tailoring the learning to fit each child. We begin by creating sentences without the struggle of pencil/paper work and build up to written work as each student's skills emerge. The words chosen come from students' prior knowledge experiences and include both sight and phonetic words to create functional reading and writing which relates to each child's world. Students spend time manipulating word cards to create sentences from sentence starters, to read, and practive skills. These sentence activities strategically move towards personal writing, and readin. Making Sentences guides the students through sentence structure, vocabulary introduction and elements of grammar and writing conventions in an engaging manner. Making Sentences included poetry frames, word searches, story starters, games, mini books, cloze, personal writers and more. Students enjoy their learning and practice. Making Sentences is a must have addition to your classroom literacy centres and mini lessons. This is a great resource for early primary teachers, ESL teachers or home school parents providing a researched and sequenced approach to teaching reading and writing in a fun way. Making Sentences provides the teacher with all the black line masters needed. You will be delighted with the eagerness in which your students engage in reading and writing activities.

About the Author

Teaching since 1986 in British Columbia, Canada, I have taught primary and intermediate grade levels, ESL and special needs classes. Experience with learning disabilities and behaviour issues have been important parts of my learning.

My own daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, taught me how important it is to instil success and confidence early in a child's experience with reading and writing. To build upon experiences children can relate to, to provide positive interactions, to learn by having fun are important elements that I believe need to be incorporated into effective teaching. Early on in my career I began developing my own teaching materials and have share many techniques with colleagues.

Currently I am working on multiple publishing projects and speaking engagements. Through the encouragement from colleagues, many parents and my family I decided to publish some teaching methods that had reached so many children.

O hope this is as effective for you as it has been for my students. Remember that while we are teachers, we are also the makers of memories, may they all be good ones.