How to Teach Kindergarten Students to Write Simple Sentences

Teach letters, then words, then string them into sentences.

It's often a challenge to teach young children skills that are generally taken for granted in the working world. A few techniques can help simplify the process of teaching syntax to kindergarten students.

Things You'll Need

• Blackboard or other visual surface
• Writing utensil
• Visible alphabet

Instructions

1. Teach, or review, the alphabet with the students. Help them understand that the letters they are learning form the sentences you will be teaching them.

2. Have each student write a letter of the alphabet on the board and read it aloud to ensure proper understanding.

3. Write a very simple word on the board, such as "cat." Have the students say the word repeatedly.

4. Write a word relating to the first word on the board. For example, if the first word was "cat," the second word may be "meow." Have the students say the new word, in addition to the first one.

5. Add the filling words in the sentence. Instead of simply "cat" and "meow," complete the sentence. It may read: "The cat says meow."

6. Encourage the students to read the sentence and copy it on paper, one word at a time. Praise the students who are doing well and calmly correct any who are struggling. Have the students place two fingers from their non-writing hand to the right of each word. The next word should begin after a "two finger" space.

7. Repeat this process with other sentences until the students are comfortable writing simple sentences.

Tips & Warnings

• Start small. By beginning with the alphabet and ending with a full sentence, the students will be able to understand how to make words, as well as how to arrange them into sentences.

• Capitalize on students' successes. By praising them when they succeed, you are letting them know what works well and what does not, thus teaching them the subject matter correctly.

• If some students seem generally confused, do not continue without them. Only move from letters to words and from words to sentences when they demonstrate clear understanding of what they are being taught.