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.  

Happy folding!

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