11 Reasons to Love Sentence Frames and Stems

Sentence frames and stems are versatile, adaptable, and powerful. In case you are unfamiliar with the concept, here are some examples:

Sentence frames are _____ because they not only ______ but they also _______.

One reason I think sentence stems are useful is. . .

Although I usually use sentence frames for _______, I could also use them for ______.

You may not love these like I do. . . yet. I hope you will after you read this list of 11 reasons to love sentence frames and stems:

1.  Sentence stems can turn a question into a complete answer. You can ask a question, flip it into a statement, and give it to your students as a prompt to get them accustomed to providing complete responses to your questions. (Ex.  Why are sentence frames helpful?  Sentence frames are helpful because. . .).

2.  Sentence frames encourage students to write increasingly complicated sentences. By providing students with a framework for linking several ideas together like mature writers do, students can see their ideas come to life in sophisticated ways. With repeated practice, these patterns will become more natural.

3.  English language learners and native speakers with developing language skills can see how the words they know fit together in sentences. Learning a bunch of vocabulary words isn’t useful until you can use those words in grammatically correct sentences. If I were learning Spanish, a sentence frame such as “Me gustan _______ pero no me gusta ______” could help me like and dislike all kinds of things until I could form sentences of my own without support. .

4.  Teachers can build their students’ academic vocabulary by providing stems and frames that use words they want their students to use. A stem like “The thing I like best about the book is. . . “ can be beefed up with spicier vocabulary: “The most outstanding aspect of the novel is. .  .” or “A noteworthy characteristic of this novel is. . . .”

5.  Sentence frames are phenomenal discussion starters. Students who might be reluctant to speak in a group or in front of the class may have more courage to try if they have a frame or stem to guide their speaking, and they’ll be impressed at how smart they sound.

6.  Using stems and frames for speaking improves academic language usage, and when students become more adept at using words they see across content areas and discipline-specific vocabulary, they begin writing and speaking like scholars.

7. Students who are more comfortable using academic language (see #6 above) know and can use the words they see on standardized tests without having to take mind-numbing practice tests or doing tedious test-prep packets.

8. Writing, reading, and speaking are inextricably linked. As students practice writing and speaking using stems, they acquire building blocks of language that will help them be more skilled readers.

9.  Students will quit speaking and writing in fragments and simple sentences.

10.  They are a technique for differentiation. Sentence frames are like training wheels for writing and speaking. Students who need them can use them to practice, and once they can communicate effectively without them, they no longer have to use them.

11. Agreeing, disagreeing, asking a follow-up question, introducing a new idea, offering an alternative perspective, and building on another’s idea are all important aspects of college- and career communication that are challenging for students. Having a handy list of stems categorized by their function gives students the framework they need to incorporate these elements into class discussions. You may even find that students start linking ideas together more smoothly in their writing.

Whatever level of learners you work with, sentence frames and stems can be useful in jump-starting conversation, upping the quality of language usage, and helping people express their ideas. If you haven’t used them, give them a try. It doesn’t have to be a big production or ordeal; simply put the stem or frame you want students to learn on the screen or board for all to see. Consider giving students several options of stems to choose from.

Pretty soon, you’ll discover that sentence stems and frames have made your students _________  ____________, ___________  _________, and _______  _______!

Face-to-Face (or Side-by-Side) in a One-to-One World

Kids today (I say in my crotchety old man voice) are really good at staring at screens. I guess that’s not a totally new thing. I have photos of me and my brother sitting slack-jawed in front of the television watching Scooby Doo cartoons in our pajamas. My brother spent countless hours playing Atari games while I tuned into every game show our rabbit-ears antenna picked up (Big bucks, no whammies! ... I”ll take Paul Lynde to block.... Survey says…!). 

Screens today are ubiquitous, though. You can’t escape them. Now they fit in your pocket, so there’s no excuse to be away from your electronic device. Teens no longer phone one another; the hours spent tying up the family landline while switching back and forth between two friends on call waiting have been replaced with chats, snaps, tweets, and insta-whatevers with numerous friends and acquaintances around the globe. In many ways, young people are more social now than they ever were. 

But they don’t do a lot of speaking. 

In fact, when given the opportunity to have free time, I’ve found that groups of high schoolers will sit in a circle staring at their phones in silence rather than engage in live, in-person conversation. 

There’s a tiny part of my English teacher self that is pleased that teens are spending more time than ever composing written text for others to read. So much written communication has to have some positive impact on writing skills, right? There’s probably something to that theory, though the flipside is probably just as valid: students’ abilities to write a “correct” sentence are declining. (Incidentally, I recently learned that it’s now considered rude and offensive in the world of teenage electronic communication to punctuate the ends of sentences. A colleague’s fifteen-year-old son informed her that every time she put a period at the end of text it was like she was stabbing him, and another friend’s college-aged son asked her why she was angry when she sent a reply of “Yes.” This is completely off the topic, but I wanted my readers who communicate with their offspring to be aware of their unintentional electronic microaggressions.)  

More alarming to me than the decline in traditional conventions of written English is the dip in spoken interactions among screencentric people. As education moves to an increase in instructional technology in classrooms, teachers need to be mindful not to forget the importance of face-to-face verbal communication. 

Before you dismiss this as the angry rant of a technophobe, let me assure you that I’m no Luddite. Technology opens up so many possibilities to transform the factory model of traditional education by engaging students in authentic writing and inquiry in ways we never would have imagined several decades ago. Collaboration can occur within a classroom, across class periods, and even across the globe. Teachers who know AVID strategies can WICORize traditional lessons with thoughtful technology applications. As many campuses shift to one-to-one environments where every student has a laptop, Chromebook, or other device handy at all times, teachers can harness the power of technology to extend student learning to new frontiers. 

At the same time, teachers run the risk of creating classrooms where digital communication completely replaces speaking. On a technology-rich campus, students could conceivably spend their entire school day sitting in chairs and staring at screens, with all communication occurring electronically. 

I don’t think this is ideal. Students still need to talk to one another. Students still need to get up and out of their seats. Teachers need to plan deliberately to include both of those. 

I’ve often said that the ability to write well gives a person an edge in life. A well-written essay can get you into college. An effective cover letter can land you an interview for a competitive job. A compelling persuasive e-mail can get others to listen to what you have to say. 

It’s also true that the ability to speak clearly gives a person an advantage. Someone who can speak articulately and powerfully can ace an interview, move a crowd to action, convince coworkers to listen to a new idea, and get what they want. A person who is comfortable speaking to another, who makes eye contact, who employs effective body language, and who has a command of spoken language can succeed in higher education and in the workplace. As educators, we have the responsibility to provide our students with every opportunity to hone oral language skills as one of the “basics” along with reading and writing. 

If you’re working on a campus with abundant access to technology, please embrace those powerful tools for reaching students and helping them learn in 21st century ways. At the same time, intentionally build in opportunities for students to talk to one another—in pairs, in small groups, and in more formal larger groupings. Allow them to collaborate as they work on their devices, and not just by sharing a document and typing away in silence. Provide turn-and-talk breaks for students to share what they are learning, strategize about their next moves, offer constructive feedback, and question one another. Explore options for having students communicate orally using technology applications such as video chats and recordings (both video and audio). Don’t forget, though, that speaking at a camera isn’t the same thing as learning to express oneself in front of another human being who can respond in the moment. Developing comfort, poise, and fluency in oral communication will serve our students in so many ways. 

Medical experts have become especially vocal recently about the dangers of sitting. Combining speaking and movement—like asking students to walk and talk with a partner about something they are learning—keeps our classrooms from becoming silent deathtraps. An abundance of  technology in the classroom makes it easy for students to sit; teachers, too, can sit at their desks and monitor student work from their own screens. Be aware that though this may be a learning preference for some, others need to process orally, interact with others, and get their blood flowing through movement. 

Technology is wonderful. So are speaking and movement. Making room for all three turns the 21st century classroom into a brain-based happy place where students can thrive and develop the skills they need to succeed wherever the road of life takes them.