Reading Universe | What the Research Says About Writing a Simple…

Skill Explainer

Writing a Simple Sentence Skill Explainer

By Joan Sedita, M.Ed., Shauna Cotte, M.Ed.

By Liana Loewus

The Institute of Education Sciences' What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on "Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers (opens in new window)" includes this recommendation: "Teach students to become fluent with handwriting, spelling, sentence construction, typing, and word processing." In its research review, the panel, chaired by researcher Dr. Steve Graham, found moderate evidence to support the claim that fluency with basic skills, including sentence writing, allows students to focus on developing and conveying their ideas.
The guide's recommendation further states: "Teachers should focus sentence-level instruction on sentence construction, encouraging students to consider the meaning and syntax of the sentences they develop. Teachers also should explicitly demonstrate how sentence construction and sentence mechanics, such as punctuation and capitalization, interact to form strong sentences."