Scrambled Sentences

Lower elementary children

Children should reassemble scrambled sentences only after they have read the original sentences in their intact form. Using sentences from one of their language experience stories is especially good since they have not only read the sentences several times, but they composed them using language within their repertoires.

  • Reinforces English sentence structures

Strategy steps:

    1. Have 3 – 5 related sentences (paragraph, short story) written on the board or on a chart. For example:

Our class went to an apple orchard.

We saw many apple trees.

We picked a lot of apples.

We put the apples in a big basket.

We brought the apples back to school.

  1. Write each sentence on a strip of paper. Cut the sentences keeping phrases (sentence constituents) intact, for example:
    • Our class went to an apple orchard
  2. Children read the sentences from the board or chart. Point to the first sentence.
    • Show children that you have cut up this sentence.
    • Tell them you will mix up the words, and they can put the sentence back together.
  3. Cover the paragraph.
  4. Put the 3 cards with the phrases on the table in mixed order.
  5. The children work together to put the cards in the right order.
  6. When they are done, show them the sentence on the board or chart and have them compare their work with the model sentence. Discuss any errors.
  7. Proceed in the same manner for the rest of the sentences.

When the children can complete this task successfully as a group, let them do it individually.