Project Read: Framing Your Thoughts – Sentence Writing

Framing Your Thoughts is a writing program that teaches written language sequentially and systematically. It is a multi- sensory program that uses written symbols as well as hand motions to represent each part of a sentence. Instruction moves from barebone sentences (a simple subject and simple predicate: The puppy ran) to five kinds of paragraph development. Sentence Writing: Every good paragraph includes detailed sentences. Using Project Read, student learned a systematic approach to building sentences. First students are taught about a barebone sentence, which is just the subject and predicate. Subject words are namers or nouns. A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. The predicate is an action word or a verb. The puppy ran. The students learn to expand the predicate part of the sentence just as one could expand an elastic band. They first learn to expand the predicate by asking where the action takes place. The puppy ran under the table. Next comes the how expander: The puppy ran quickly under the table. Then the when expander: The puppy ran quickly under the table during dinner. Finally the why expander: The puppy ran quickly under the table during dinner because he was chasing a ball.

Below is a guide to the symbols used to plan out each sentence before writing. Symbols: Subject- The person, place, thing, or idea the sentence is about.

Action Predicate- The action of the subject (verb)

Connector- Connects multiple subjects or action predicates (or, and)

Predicate Expander- Expands the action by adding more detail to the action predicate. It answers the questions: How, When, Where, and Why)

Receiver of the action- Answers what or whom the action is about

Describer- Describes the subject (adjective). Can be 4 types of describers: physical, behavior, number, ownership (Jack’s)

All sentences: Start with a capital and end with a stop sign!!! Basic sentence structure:

Sample Sentence: The silly monkey eats bananas in the jungle when he is hungry.