4. Student Practice Activities for Sentence Combining

Students in the primary grades need repeated practice with sentence combining in isolation before you'll see the skills generalize to their own writing. We've included free printable student practice activities below. Please download and share them with your colleagues! 

Before your students begin the activities, make sure you've gone through explicit instruction so that students understand how they choose the most meaningful conjunction by watching you do it first! The following activity is designed for guided practice. 

Guided Practice Activity: Sentence Combining with Conjunctions

Independent Student Activities

After your explicit instruction and guided practice, your students are ready to work on these activities independently at their seat, at a center, or in a small group. 

Independent Practice Activity: Choose a Conjunction for Sentence Combining

Independent Practice Activity: Sentence Combining with "And,' "But," "So," "Or"

For Students Who Need Additional Support

Keep an eye out for students who may need you to step in and scaffold. It's best to have a recording sheet or something that students will turn in so that you can ensure they are completing the activity correctly. Some may need quick, supportive prompting — like "What is the relationship between the two ideas?" — when deciding which conjunction to use. Others may need additional instruction or more practice using one specific conjunction before adding in the other options. If you need help adapting your instructions and activities for students with language and learning differences, click here for support. 

Sentence Combining: Practice with Sentence Starters and Conjunctions

Support for students who need extra practice.

Replace the Conjunction

Students insert a new conjunction — such as after, before, when, while, until, and since — that preserves the meaning of the sentence.