A sentence frame is a literacy strategy that provides students with a pre-started sentence structure, offering a framework to help them build complete sentences using English grammar and express their ideas clearly.
Sentence frames act as scaffolding, offering students a template or skeleton for constructing grammatically correct sentences. This strategy is particularly beneficial for English language learners, struggling writers, or students who need support organizing their thoughts into coherent sentences.
How Sentence Frames Work
Based on the provided reference, sentence frames offer students a way to structure their writing. They:
- Provide a framework: Give students the initial words or phrases needed to start a sentence.
- Support grammar: Help students practice correct sentence structure and grammar rules by providing the correct pattern.
The reference also highlights how sentence frames can be used to teach specific comprehension skills:
- Teaching Comprehension: Frames can model specific relationships between ideas, such as cause and effect. A common example cited is the frame, "If _______, then _______." This structure guides students to identify a cause and state its effect within a grammatically correct sentence.
Relatedly, the reference mentions paragraph frames, which extend this concept by providing transitional words and phrases to help students connect sentences and organize their ideas into a strong paragraph.
Benefits of Using Sentence Frames
Implementing sentence frames in the classroom offers several advantages:
- Reduces Writing Anxiety: Students have a starting point, making the task less daunting.
- Focuses on Content: Learners can concentrate more on the ideas they want to express rather than struggling with sentence construction.
- Supports Diverse Learners: Especially helpful for English learners and students with writing difficulties.
- Reinforces Grammar: Provides repeated exposure to correct sentence patterns.
- Models Academic Language: Introduces students to sentence structures common in academic writing.
Practical Examples of Sentence Frames
Sentence frames can vary widely depending on the subject matter and the skill being taught. Here are a few examples:
- Expressing an opinion: "I believe that _______ because _______."
- Comparing and contrasting: "_______ is similar to _______ in that they both _______, but they differ because _______."
- Summarizing information: "The main idea of _______ is _______."
- Explaining a process: "First, _______. Next, _______. Finally, _______."
- Cause and Effect (as per reference): "If _______, then _______." or "_______ caused _______ to happen."
Here's a simple table illustrating different uses:
| Purpose | Example Sentence Frame | Student Completion Example |
|---|---|---|
| Expressing Opinion | I think _______ is important because _______. | I think recycling is important because it helps the planet. |
| Stating a Fact | The capital of _______ is _______. | The capital of France is Paris. |
| Showing Contrast | Although _______, _______. | Although it was raining, we still went outside. |
By using sentence frames, educators provide a structured pathway for students to practice sentence construction, improve their grammatical accuracy, and articulate their understanding of various concepts.
