Good Grammar is Just a Fold Away

your curly comrade, Suzanne

Several of you have asked for more information about the Grammar Foldable (GF) mentioned in I {Heart} Notebooks.  Well, your day has come!  

The GF is a review of the nitty gritty that makes up different sentence types.  I like to start my year with it because we go back and reference it many time each semester.  

First we must start by folding the paper.  I don't know about you, but I am a visual learner.  There's no way I can read 12 steps and end up with a masterful design.  *The GF is not, I repeat, not a 12 step process.*  So here is a work of cinematic greatness that shows all the cuts and folds of the Grammar Foldable:

I like to spread this "note-taking" process out over 4 days.  It is a lot of information, and I would rather park it on one sentence type and allow for digestion before moving on.  

Here is the routine for each day:
{Outside}
Label a flap with the specific sentence type for the day.
Add the parts of this sentence type.
Create an example sentence as a class.
{Inside} 
An example of the sentence type from their reading (either independent or class reading)
An example from their own writing

Here is the information that is added for each sentence type:
Simple Sentence

• one independent clause
• no other clauses
• end punctuation

Compound Sentence

• two independent clauses
• no other clauses
• ,FANBOYS or ; (winky eyes)
• end punctuation

{Back}

For

And

Nor

But

Or

Yet

So

Complex Sentence

• one independent clause 
• one dependent clause (AAAWWWUUBBIS phrase)

{Back} 

After

Although

As

When

Whenever

While

Unless

Until

Before

Because

If

Since

Teachable Moment:  We talk about how an AAAWWWUUBBIS phrase can be worn like a reversible jacket- two ways.  If I start with my AAAWWWUUBBIS word, I need a comma. "AAAWWWUUBBIS, now I need a comma!" It doesn't need a comma is the "bad word" is in the middle.  

Compound/Complex Sentence

• two independent clauses
• at least one dependent clause (AAAWWWUUBBIS phrase)
• ,FANBOYS
• end punctuation

We spend A LOT of time differentiating between an independent and dependent clause because this is a major issue in their writing.  My genius friend Jennifer started calling them "Say What?" (dependent) and "I got you!" (independent) which I promptly stole.  This is an easy way to make this practice more fun and interactive.  

More information for this strategy can be found in Dr. Joyce Armstrong Carroll's book Authentic Strategies for High-Stakes Tests.

Happy folding!

***P.S.: These two crazy curlies are going to TCTELA at the end of January!!!  Will we see you there?***