Frequently asked questions

My students already know quite a bit about sentence structure. Do I need to start at the beginning?

We recommend that every student starts at the beginning of the book. Each unit contains one demonstration lesson, four collaborative activities, and four independent/assessment activities. If your students can complete the first collaborative activity and one independent activity with no trouble, then move on to the next unit.

I haven’t studied grammar since I was in school! How will The Sentence Studio support me, the educator?

The Sentence Studio has a comprehensive educator guide with detailed explanations for lesson routines, and lots of background information. The lessons have been designed to take the guess work out of sentence analysis. The instructional routine is the same for every lesson, and only one new concept is added in each unit. We have a built in control of error for every lesson, and we also have a comprehensive answer key for each unit.

How long does it take to complete a Unit of Study from The Sentence Studio?

On average a single Sentence Studio activity takes between 5 and 20 minutes depending on student skills and on the extras you choose to include in the lesson. There is a lot of flexibility for you to add more detail and depth to the activities in line with your instructional goals. The first lesson of every unit takes a little longer than the rest because this is where you deliver the direct instruction to your student. If you complete every activity in the unit, you can expect to spend around 60 minutes in the I Do and We Do stages, and then additional time to support students through the You Do activities or on review.

Is there a Scope and Sequence?

Yes, a comprehensive Scope and Sequence is included in the book. A great deal of thought and careful consideration has gone into both the selection of structures to include in each volume and deciding the order in which they are to be introduced.

I am a Classroom Teacher. Can I use The Sentence Studio as part of my daily literacy block?

We have included a section in the Educator’s Guide that explains how the lessons in The Sentence Studio might unfold in a classroom setting. You can address a large number of literacy goals with each Sentence Studio activity, and this makes it ideal as the foundation for your daily literacy block. The Sentence Studio instructional routine has been designed to be applied in all other learning areas, so students will take what they learn here and use those skills when reading and writing about topics in Science, History and Social Studies, Biology and beyond.

I am a Home Educator. Can I use The Sentence Studio as part of our home education program?

The Sentence Studio is an excellent resource for home educators. You will not have to plan separate lessons for your children, and you can all work on the same unit at the same time. Tips for simplifying the units for young learners or increasing the complexity for older learners are included in the Educator’s Guide. You don’t have to know all the answers up front - you can learn alongside your children.

I am a Literacy Interventionist or Literacy Tutor. Can I use The Sentence Studio for literacy remediation?

As you lead your students through The Sentence Studio, you can expect to see gains in reading comprehension, written expression, oral language development, prosody, vocabulary, and spelling. The predictable instructional routine scaffolds the path to independence and you will soon be able to move from fully guided in-session work, to sending work home for extra practice. We have included helpful suggestions for tutors and interventionists in our comprehensive Educator’s Guide.

How old do my students need to be in order to use The Sentence Studio?

We have had students as young as five use The Sentence Studio with success. Even non-readers can benefit from instruction that links oral language to written language, and the activities in the book provide a bridge to literacy. The Sentence Studio has also been used by students right up through Middle School as well as by students learning English as a second language. The approach is designed to be consistent yet flexible and allows you, the educator, to adapt the activities to meet your students where they are at.