D. Composition · Writing Our Ideas

Writing Sentences and Neat Printing

D2.1 D2.2About 35 minutes

Learning goals

I can write a complete sentence that tells a whole idea.
I can start a sentence with a capital letter and end it with a period, question mark or exclamation mark.
I can leave spaces between my words.
I can print my letters the right size, starting at the top.

Words to know

sentence
A group of words that tells a whole idea. It starts with a capital letter and ends with an end mark.

capital letter
A big letter, like A, B, C.

period ( . )
An end mark for a telling sentence.

question mark ( ? )
An end mark for an asking sentence.

exclamation mark ( ! )
An end mark for a sentence that shows strong feeling.

finger space
The space between words, about as wide as your finger.

What makes a sentence?

A sentence tells a whole idea. It tells who (or what) and what they do or are.

"The dog" is not a sentence. What about the dog?
"The dog runs in the snow." is a sentence! It tells who (the dog) and what it does (runs in the snow).

Part	What it does	Example
Capital letter	starts the sentence	The dog runs.
Who or what	tells who the sentence is about	The dog runs.
What they do	tells the action	The dog runs.
End mark	ends the sentence	The dog runs.

The parts of a sentence

Three end marks

A telling sentence ends with a period: I like snow.
An asking sentence ends with a question mark: Do you like snow?
A sentence with strong feeling ends with an exclamation mark: I love snow!

Every sentence needs an end mark. The mark tells the reader if you are telling, asking or showing strong feeling.

Worked example

Let's fix a sentence

Fix this: the cat sat on the mat

Check the start: it needs a capital letter. Change t to T.
Check the idea: who? the cat. What did it do? sat on the mat. It is a whole idea.
Check the end: it is a telling sentence, so add a period.

The cat sat on the mat.

Worked example

Let's turn a word group into a sentence

Make my red sled into a complete sentence.

My red sled tells what, but not what happens.
Add an action: My red sled goes fast down the hill.
Capital at the start, period at the end.

My red sled goes fast down the hill.

Neat printing

Neat printing helps your reader read your ideas.

✏️ Start most letters at the top and go down.
📏 Tall letters (like b, d, h, k, l, t) reach up high. Small letters (like a, c, e, m, o) sit in the middle. Tail letters (like g, j, p, q, y) hang below the line.
⬇️ Sit all letters on the line.
☝️ Leave a finger space between words.

Tall letters touch the top line. Small letters stay between the middle line and the base line. Tail letters hang below the base line.

Check C-S-P

After you write a sentence, check with C-S-P:

Capital at the start?
Spaces between words?
Punctuation (end mark) at the end?

Riddle time

I am small and round. I sit at the end of every telling sentence and tell you to stop. What am I?

A period! (Some sentences need me, and some need my cousins ? and !.)

Hands-on activity

Sentence building with snacks or blocks

You need: sticky notes or small paper squares, a pencil, and a few blocks or cereal pieces.

A grown-up writes these words on separate notes: We / play / in / the / snow
Put them in order to make a sentence. Use a block or cereal piece as your finger space between words.
Add a capital W and a period at the end.
Now print the sentence on paper. Start your letters at the top. Use your finger for spaces.
Make your own sentence about something you like. Check C-S-P!

Your turn

Is "The big moose" a complete sentence? Why or why not?

Fix this sentence: i like hockey

Which end mark goes here? Where is my toque

Which end mark goes here? We won the game

Print this sentence with finger spaces: I see a bird.

Make the hot cocoa into a sentence.

More practice: warm-up

What does every sentence start with?

What end mark goes on a telling sentence?

What goes between words?

Is the letter l a tall letter or a small letter?

Is the letter y a tall letter, a small letter or a tail letter?

More practice: on your own

Fix: my mom drives a bus

Find the mistake: Thedogbarks.

Write an asking sentence about snow.

Which is a complete sentence? Runs fast. or My brother runs fast.

Why should letters sit on the line?

Challenge

Write the same idea as a telling sentence, an asking sentence and a sentence with strong feeling. Use the topic recess.

This is one long idea: I went sledding I fell in the snow I laughed. Split it into three sentences.

Sam wrote: my cat is Soft. Find two mistakes and fix them.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a complete sentence?

Which end mark goes on an asking sentence?

Which sentence is written correctly?

What goes between words?

Which letter is a tall letter?

What does C-S-P stand for?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 1 writers draft short, simple texts made of complete sentences, and print letters and words with correct formation, size, placement on the line, and spacing.

How to help at home:

Use lined paper with a dotted middle line, or draw three lines yourself.
Watch how your child forms letters. Most letters start at the top. Gently correct letters started from the bottom (common with b, d, and the round letters).
Let your child write grocery lists, cards and labels. Real writing is the best practice.

Common difficulties:

Reversing b and d. That's common at this age. Practise "bat before ball" for b (line first, then circle) and "c then d" for d (circle first, then line).
No spaces. Use a popsicle stick or a finger as a spacer.
Capitals in the middle of words. Point out that capitals are mainly for the start of sentences, names and the word I.
Run-on sentences joined by "and then". Praise the ideas, then show where one idea ends and a new one starts.