Expander Signals

These charts are the perfect resource when working with learners who have trouble correctly identifying the subject noun or predicate verb. 

Expander Bubbles may contain verbs, words that look like verbs, and nouns! These can be red herrings for a learner who is new to grammatical function when searching for the subject noun or the main predicate verb. An inexperienced learner may be tempted to select one of these words in error. One way of reducing this interference is to draw your students’ attention to expander signal words.

The word "because" at the start of a phrase or clause alerts the reader that what follows must be part of a 'Why?' expander bubble, and therefore any nouns or verbs are unlikely to be part of the subject or predicate! 

How many students would recognise that the word "since" signalled when something happened?

This set of anchor charts introduces students to key words and phrases that signal the presence of an expander structure. There is a chart for each expander question: when, where, how, why, and to what extent. By familiarising students with how these words and phrases function, we provide students with an important tool for unlocking the meaning of the sentence and and, in turn, make it easier for students to correctly identify the subject and predicate.