It starts in early elementary school. The breaking down of sentences and the discussion about parts of speech begins on those alphabet printed area rugs where kindergarteners spend their morning meeting. For those little learners and the ESL/ELL students who are learning English, it can be a challenging prospect. That’s when creating silly sentences makes sense!
How to Create Silly Sentences
Start by modeling simple combinations: article + noun, noun + verb, and adjective + noun. Use word cards and have students choose an article, noun, verb, and adjective. Put the words together and have students order them in a way that makes sense. While the sentence may be silly based on the words that were rolled, it should be grammatically correct. Continue creating silly sentences until students have the hang of it. For independent practice, put the dice in a learning center and have students record their answers on an answer sheet or by reading them aloud into a voice record.
Illustrating the sentences and combining them into a store is another way to enhance the activity. Use story paper or a journal geared toward early elementary students that allows them to draw a picture at the top of the page and write underneath it. This helps to develop comprehension and gives your students a chance to feel successful even if their language skills are not very strong.
Silly sentences are a great way to get your students thinking and laughing while actively participating in their learning. What are some of your favorite ways to introduce parts of speech? Have you ever made silly sentences with your students? Share with us!