Syntax Stretchers

Syntax Stretch, Change, and Expand
Reading and writing research have been consistently clear that syntactic manipulation, revision, sentence expansion, and sentence combining improve reading comprehension and increase writing dexterity and sophistication.
Syntax Stretchers is a review activity, based upon sentence-level grammatical functions. Ideally, a grammar or writing program would help students learn the definition of the syntactic content, practice identification and syntactic manipulation and sentence expansion, and apply this new learning in their own reading and writing. The author’s two programs, Syntax in Reading and Writing and Teaching Essay Strategies do so.
How to Use Syntax Stretchers
(Tools: White board with markers, computer and display projector, the Syntax Stretchers graphic for reference)
Syntax Stretcher
First, students build a Syntax Stretcher sentence, starting with 1. Who? or What? and adding words or phrases with these (some or all) sentence functions: 2. Did? Does? or Will Do? and What? 3. Where? 4. When? 5. How? 6. Why? Type these out for your display projector.
Example: A little turtle crossed the road here at night, slowly but surely, to visit the pond.
Changer
Next, the teacher (or student) rolls a die, and students change the last Syntax Stretcher corresponding to the number rolled. Type the new sentence function, indicated by the die roll and the Changer description. Highlight the old sentence function and add a strikethrough (font effects). Lead student in a choral read of the new sentence. Discuss whether its punctuation and meaning have changed. Control-z (undo) to restore the last Syntax Stretcher, and keep on rolling that die for more syntactic manipulations.
Example: If the die rolled to a “5,” students begin the last Sentence Stretcher with a How?
Last Syntax Stretcher: A little turtle crossed the road here at night, slowly but surely, to visit the pond.
Changer: Slowly but surely, a little turtle crossed the road here at night to visit the pond.
Expander
Last, the teacher names a conjunction type i.e. coordinating, subordinating, or correlative, and students practice sentence expansion by creating a compound, complex, or compound-complex sentence to expand the last Syntax Stretcher. Tell students to write their own sentence expansions at their desks, and then ask for volunteers (or assign students) to write them on the board. Lead students in a choral read of these sentences. Discuss whether any words were changed to fit the sentence expansion and why they needed to be revised.*
Example: “Use a subordinate conjunction at the beginning of the last Sentence Stretcher to create a complex sentence.”
Last Syntax Stretcher: A little turtle crossed the road here at night, slowly but surely, to visit the pond.
Expander: Although she was tired, *the little turtle crossed the road here at night, slowly but surely, to visit the pond. ell
Download the Sentence Stretcher Review Activity

Syntax Stretch, Change, and Expand
Syntax in Reading and Writing will help your students learn the function of syntactic tools in reading and writing at the sentence level. No endless grammar identification and terminology worksheets; no DOL error correction; no mini-lessons; but lessons which teach how challenging sentences are constructed.
The 18 parts of speech, phrases, and clauses weekly lessons are leveled from basic (elementary) to advanced (middle and high school) and feature 5 lesson components (10–15 minutes each):
1. Learn It! (the syntactic content and examples)
2. Identify It! (a short practice section)
3. Explain It! (analysis of challenging sentences featuring the syntactic focus)
4. Revise It! (kernel sentences, sentence expansion, syntactic manipulation)
5. Create It! (Short writing application with the syntactic focus in different genre).
Additionally, the teacher and students Find It! by searching class and independent reading texts for syntactically similar sentences to analyze and explain.

Teaching Essay Strategies
The Teaching Essay Strategies BUNDLE features three instructional programs:
How to Teach Essays includes 42 skill-based essay strategy worksheets (fillable PDFs and 62 Google slides), beginning with simple 3-word paragraphs and proceeding step-by-step to complex multi-paragraph essays. One skill builds upon another. Students build a solid foundation with the body paragraph and learn how to write effective thesis statements (claims), introductions, and conclusions. Different syntax sentence starters help the teacher teach grammar in the writing context via sentence expansion. Upon completion of each worksheet, the teacher mini-conferences with the student to review the formative writing assessment. If mastered, the student moves on to the next worksheet. If not, the student revises and re-conferences or the teacher assigns additional practice with the targeted…
Essay Skills Worksheets. These 97 worksheets (printables and 97 Google slides) help the teacher differentiate writing instruction with both remedial and advanced writing skills. For example, students who struggle with writing complete sentences need the four worksheets addressing fragments and run-ons, as well as the four subject and predicate worksheets. However, more developed writers will benefit from the errors in reasoning, writing style, transitions, types of evidence, introduction and conclusion strategies worksheets.
Once students have mastered the body paragraph, the teacher assigns one of the Eight Writing Process Essays (printables and 170 Google slides). Each essay features an on-demand diagnostic essay assessment, writing prompt with connected reading, brainstorming, graphic organizer, response, revision, and editing activities. Plus, each essay includes a detailed analytical (not holistic) rubric for assessment-based learning.