Oral Language Development – LAUSD SENTENCE EXTENSION ROUTINE
T
Teacher prompts first student to make a short sentence with target
word, picture, object, activity, etc.
S1
Student says first sentence
All
All students repeat sentence
T
T prompts extension– using question words
(who, what, where, why, when, what for)
or prompting for details or descriptive words
S2
Second student extends original sentence
(T may have to prompt S2 to “put it together”)
All
All repeat extended sentence
S3
Third student extends further
All
All repeat further extended sentence
(Repeat until too long for logic or memory...
then begin again!)
• This Oral Language Development activity is excellent for getting children to produce complete
and complex sentences, with scaffolding, in a safe environment. There are many benefits.
• It’s important that all students be responsible for listening to their peers’ sentences and
repeating them. This builds auditory memory, as well as mutual accountability.
• In the beginning, the teacher can use Question Words (who, what, where, why, how, etc.) to prompt
the sentence lengthening.
• With practice students get good very quickly. Students will extend sentences independently and
creatively, without teacher prompting anymore.
• Content is not so much the focus here; the primary objective is for students to string together
long sentences with details, descriptions and transition words, and to employ increasingly
sophisticated grammar structures.
• Make sure students repeat sentences with prosody and natural expression - and have them try
sentences out as... exclamations! or questions? or whispers, etc.
• This ability to think up complete, interesting sentences will quickly begin to reflect in students’
oral expression.
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Oral Language Development – LAUSD Scripted Example - BEGINNING ROUTINE USING QUESTION WORDS
Teacher
OK – NOW WE’RE GOING TO EXTEND SENTENCES – MAKE THEM LONGER AND MORE
INTERESTING BY ADDING DETAILS.
I need someone to make a short sentence with the word... (Pick a word e.g. lion)
Who can make a sentence? – Elena?
Elena
The lion is drinking water.
(If this is slowing down because students can’t invent a first sentence, Teacher can provide it, then
students extend. The key is keeping the pacing interesting and the participation at 100%.)
Teacher
Repeat the sentence, please, everyone.
All
The lion is drinking water.
Teacher
Why? Someone... Julio?
Julio
The lion is drinking water because he eat hot cheetos.
Teacher
OK - The lion is drinking water because he ate hot cheetos. Everyone... **
All
The lion is drinking water because he ate hot cheetos.
Teacher
When? Marcos...
Marcos
Yesterday
Teacher
Put it together
Marcos
The lion is drinking water because he ate hot cheetos yesterday at the zoo and got thirsty.
All
The lion is drinking water because he ate hot cheetos yesterday at the zoo and got thirsty.
Teacher
OK! Marcos gave us a when, plus some more details – well done, everyone.
Let’s start a new sentence...
** If a student models a sentence with mistakes in grammar, model the correct form in a friendly way and keep the momentum
going so all students repeat the standard form.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE IDEAS
Students work in pairs to use words and create a sentence for each one, or a few sentences that contain all of the
words. Work with partner to get descriptive words and transition words.
Write the sentence for display
(on an index card to post on the board, on adding machine paper or strips of butcher paper – makes a fun door
bulletin board which can change and entertain people – students can take charge of the “our sentences” board.)
Help each other to create sentences with lots of variety and interest.
(Use adjectives, use transition words, use prefixes/suffixes, etc.)
Collect student-generated sentences and use them for sentence lifting [‘public proofreading’] with students’
permission, then post them on a board.
Give the students pictures from magazines, and have them write long descriptive sentences about the images, or
dialogue bubbles for what the characters are saying (hilarious).
As a recap-discussion piece, have students pair or team up to create long, descriptive sentences or questions
about whatever was just taught – pass them forward and then share and discuss or post as ‘what we learned’ or
‘questions we have’ etc.
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