Sentence Frames and English Language Learners

      Students often struggle finding just the right words to explain, describe, and clarify what they are thinking. One way to help students, and further engage English language learners in class discussions, is to provide them sentence frames. Sentence frames work as language models, providing students language structure, lowering their affective filter and consequently increasing student participation and interaction in class! Sentences frames can be used with really young learners as well. You just have to make it simpler and accessible!

 

Making Inferences

·         Using clues to figure out what is really happening in the story. ·         Reading “between the lines.”

1.________are / are not ________.

2.       ________ are / are not ________ because ________.

3.       Based on ________, I infer that ________.

4.       Based on _____, I infer that _____, because _____.

Making Predictions

·         Guessing what will happen next based on information or illustrations in the story.

1…Because the character ____, I predict s/he will _____. Because the main character ran away from home, I predict that he will…

2…At first I thought ______, but now I believe _______.

3…I think ___ will _____ because ______ usually ____.

4…Since ________, I can assume that ___ will _____. Since it’s been raining all week, I can assume that the game will be cancelled.

Compare and Contrast

Compare = same

Contrast = different

1….__________ and _____________ are ___________.

2… Both _____ and _______ have _____________.

3….___and ___ are both similar because they both _____.

4….There are several major differences between ___ and ___.       The most notable is ____________.

Summarizing

1…._____ is ______.

2…____ is _____, and the result is _____.

3….In summary, __________

4….The story is about ______.  In addition, _____.      Consequently, __________.

Collaborative Discussions

1.    I think we should_______.

2.    I think that__ would be a good symbol because       it represents__.

3.    Where should we put the ________?

4.     I like your idea about ________.

Making Judgments

1.        I think _______ is ______ because ______.

2.        I think ___ did the ______ thing because_____.

3.        I think ___ did the _____  thing but_____.

4.        I think_____ did the _________ thing,       but ______  should have __________.