Halloween: like it or loathe it? E3-L2 writing

18/10/22 17:35 - apologies, the incorrect Word file now replaced with correct PDF

This is a resource designed for an EL3/L1 class who still find it hard to keep their sentences under control. Having spent a year approaching building sentences from components and with rules for structure (must make sense, must have one main topic, must have a subject and a verb etc) some learners still don't have a sense of where their sentences should begin and end. They are getting the idea of planning writing and paragraphing but this is still shaky, and we are just starting to use commas. I've avoided but need to help them understand the terminology of compound and complex sentences: some are already using them instinctively but without knowing the "rules".

This is an attempt to approach all this from the other end, based on a sister resource: Lisa's story.  All of the group are strong verbally so I'm encouraging them just to write what they say and then break it down and organise it to turn it into well constructed text. Lisa's story worked well as a classroom exercise, done individually task by task and then discussed as a group paragraph by paragraph - I don't recommend just giving it to learners to get on with, though having done one as a group then the sister resource might work as homework.

This Halloween resource is untested but I offer it here for use in the next fortnight! I will edit after testing myself and would welcome comments. The extension tasks are not for my own group yet but will be the basis for ongoing work.

Editor's notes

A marvellous, and very topical, way to reinforce sentence structure and basic punctuation.  I will be publishing Isabel's sister resource, Lisa's story, as soon as I can. The answer sheet and very detailed curriculum mapping is available to resource contributors only. Please visit Answer sheets for more information.