Teaching the four main types of sentences is essential when developing young writers. If you're working with lower elementary students, you might be reviewing command, statement, exclamation, and question. Upper elementary students might be diving into the fancier terms: interrogative, declarative, exclamatory, imperative.
Regardless of which wording you choose to review, having students understand the difference amongst these four sentences is KEY. Students will develop an understanding of sentence purpose--- does this sentence give an order? Does it ask a question or express excitement? Once students have developed that understanding of sentence types, they'll become more fluent readers and writers.
Looking to dive into the four sentence types with your elementary students, but don't know where to start? I've created these engaging printables that can be used with any first, second, or third grade students. These activities are hands-on activities designed to be used during whole-group OR small-group time. All the resources below are part of the Types of Sentences Activity Pack.

Types of Sentences Task Cards & Board Game

This game can be used during an ELA center or during your small group station. Students will read each card and decide what kind of sentence it is, come up with their own sentence, or determine the correct punctuation mark. If they answer correctly, they roll the die and move down the game board. 

Punctuation Mark Sort

Students can work with a partner or small group to decide which type of sentence is written on each strip. Then, they'll sort them based on which punctuation mark belongs at the end of each sentence. This can be done by having students glue the strips onto an anchor chart paper or simply sorting them underneath the correct header.

    Interactive Notebook Printables for Grammar Notebook

The resource includes several interactive notebook pages and flap books that students can reference throughout the school year whenever they need to refresh on their types of sentences. Students will fill in each page using their own examples and definitions. 

You can grab the pages above as a freebie by clicking the button below! 

Types of Sentences Popcorn Craft

This activity can be used as a fun way to review the four types of sentences- (commands, statements, exclamations, and questions) right before assessment. This can also be glued into students' grammar notebooks for future reference.

Assessment Printable Worksheets

The resource also includes printable worksheets to review the sentence types and punctuation marks. These can be used as independent activities or assessments.

Click here to check out a preview of the resource and see all of the other goodies included inside! 

Paperless Ideas to Review the Four Types of Sentences

Here are some other fun ideas to review sentence types that involve zero printables!

Sentence Charades: 

Students can work in small groups to plan and act out any scene they'd like without talking. The audience members must provide four sentences to describe the scene.

For example:

Small Group: 

Students act out decorating a Christmas tree and drinking hot chocolate. 

Audience: 

Statement: "I am decorating the Christmas tree"

Command: "Bring me the Christmas lights."

Question: "Where are the ornaments?"

Exclamation: "I just love Christmas!"

Four Sentences, Four Corners: 

Place four corners around the room using the signs 'Statement', 'Command', 'Exclamation', 'Question'. Call out random sentences and have students walk to the correct corner to represent the sentence.

Alternate idea: Once students are in the corner, pick on a corner and ask them to give you a sentence about a specific topic.

For Example:

"Question corner, give me an interrogative sentence about Christmas."

Hope these ideas were helpful! If you do decide to use any of them with your students, feel free to share on Social Media and tag me! @SweetToothTeaching 

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Struggling with Student Loans?

Student loans can be a pain, especially when you feel like the payments you're making are just going towards the interest rather than the principal. In August of 2020, I shared with ya'll that I had stumbled across Chipper, a student loan automation company that specializes in helping student loan borrowers qualify for income-driven repayment plans and forgiveness programs. 

You guys, Jessica from Chipper was a LIFE SAVER. She explained the different repayment options that fit my specific situation. She also introduced me to Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness-- two options that I didn't even know existed! After taking a look at my student loan scenario, she encouraged me to apply for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program. Since I owed less than $30,000 in loans at the time and had been making payments throughout the last five years while working for a Title 1 school, this was the perfect choice for me. 

Applying was so easy with Jessica's help. She told me exactly what form I needed to print, sign, and send in. I sent my application straight through my loan service provider’s website. A few weeks later, I received a letter in the mail indicating that they had received my request. I kept in constant communication with Chipper throughout the process just to ensure that I wasn't skipping any steps or missing out on any important details. Unfortunately, 99% of people that apply for student loan forgiveness are denied because they fill out the application incorrectly and/or miss a step along the way. Chipper helps their members be part of that 1% who do get approved!3

I got forgiven $5,000 off my student loans!

About a month after I applied, I received a letter in the mail from my loan service company. I had been approved for $5,000 off of my student loan debt! I checked my student loan account and the $5,000 had been applied toward my outstanding balance. I am beyond thrilled! 

As many of you all know, our family is growing by one tiny human in November of 2020. This is $5,000 that our family doesn't have to worry about paying off! This is definitely a motivation to continue making payments toward paying off the little debt that is left.

If you're looking to learn more about your student loan repayment options or are interested in applying for student loan forgiveness, Chipper is there to help! Discover your student loan repayment and forgiveness options through Chipper's FREE services.

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If you know me, you know I love all things organization! Whether that be investing in a good planner, organizing the pantry, or color-coding our closets. I just received two 1THRIVE command centers for our house and I am head over heels in love. If you're an organizational freak like me, you're going to swoon over this!

 

The 1THRIVE command centers are designed to help keep everything organized and in one spot, while still managing to be aesthetically pleasing. They have so many different pre-designed command centers to choose from! It was definitely difficult to decide which one to get! I ended up deciding on two — The Susan for my home office and The Rachel for our kitchen area.

 

Okay, let me tell you that setting up my command centers was the easiest and most satisfying thing EVER. I usually have my husband build all the things around the house. I assumed he would need to help me ‘build’ these. 

 

Nope.

 

All of the components include metal hooks and can be placed anywhere on the command center. You can customize the look of your command center to fit your needs. The little buckets on the side are perfect for storing materials and adding a cute decor/statement piece, such as a succulent or flowers. A set of two liquid chalk markers are included with each command center, too!

The Susan is more of a horizontal look which worked best in my home office. I use the calendar for all things business! It helps me keep track of blog deadlines, plan out weekly content, and create weekly to-do lists. I love that my command center is right in front of my desk, which allows me to see what needs to get done as I'm working. 

We decided to get a second command center for our family and it has been a game changer! Although it's just Curt and I (for now!), sometimes it's hard to keep track of appointments and family events. The Rachel is a vertical command center that fit perfectly in our kitchen area, and I opted for the add-on of the Medium Weekly Blackboard. (It also compliments our rustic/boho decor.) We use the calendar to write down important dates, events, etc. This time around we won't miss bulk trash day! #winning

Every Monday we plan out our weekly meals using the days-of-the-week board. It's so nice to not have to brainstorm what to make for dinner every day. It helps with grocery shopping too! Once we know what we're making, we can grab what we need for the week.

 

If you're looking for a command center that will help everyone in the family stay organized, I definitely recommend getting a 1THRIVE like I did! They also have Family Packs for those looking to set up a command center for the family and a second (or third!) for kids.

 

You can get 10% off any command center or family pack using the code 'SWEETTOOTHTEACHING10' at checkout!

 

Click here to check out all of the different command centers and pick the one that works best for you.

 

Partnered with 1THRIVE.

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Happy Fall Ya'll!It's officially the most wonderful time of the year. Give me all the fall colors, pumpkins, and sweaters. Today i'm sharing 10 FREE Fall resources you can use with your students this season!

1. Free Halloween Themed Telling Time to the Quarter Hour Digital Task Cards (Boom Cards) by Sweet Tooth Teaching

Engage your students during distance learning with these Free Halloween themed Boom Cards. The set includes 20 digital task cards to review telling time to the quarter hour. Digital task cards can also be used during whole group lessons or technology centers.

2. Fall Shades of Meaning Vocabulary Activities by Around the Kampfire

This cut & paste activity helps students understand shades of meaning by using fall-themed vocabulary. This is the perfect hands-on resource for 2nd-3rd grade students.

3. Fall Place Value Game by Sara J Creations

This fun and low-prep activity is great for a fall-themed math center. Add some fall leaves and pumpkins to your station to spice it up! (Dollar Tree has great finds during this time of year)

4. ELA Fall-Themed Morning Slides by Sweet Tooth Teaching

Engage your students during virtual learning with these ELA morning work slides. They can also be projected on the Smart Board to review 3rd-4th grade skills before starting a reading lesson.

5. Witch Themed Noun & Adjective Sorting Activity by The Clutter Free Classroom

Looking to review adjectives and nouns with your students? This sorting activity can be used during an ELA  Halloween center or as an independent activity. Add some witch hats to your center and make the magic come to life!

6. Multi-Digit Multiplication Fall Worksheets by Math Geek Mama

Hands-on cut & paste activities to help older students review multi-digit multiplication. A perfect fall activity for 4th and 5th grade math centers.

7. Halloween Brain Break Cards by Second Story Window

We all know how important brain breaks are for kids and adults. These interactive brain break cards can be picked up at any moment during virtual or in-person teaching to help kiddos recharge & refocus!

8. Halloween Printable & Book Companion Sheets by Two Little Birds

Five engaging printable that can be used during any Halloween themed center! Includes book companion activities for 'The Spider and the Fly' and 'Creepy Carrots'. These activities target upper elementary students (3rd-5th) and review inferencing, summarizing, writing skills, point-of-view, and much more!

10. Fall Reading & Grammar Morning Work by Sweet Tooth Teaching

Grab these free fall morning work printables targeting 3rd-4th grade ELA standards. Includes fall-themed review activities for figurative language, abbreviations, subjects and predicates, and collective nouns.

10. Candy Corn Math & STEM Activities- by Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Find FREE number comparison printables for older students and fun hands-on candy corn STEM activities!

+ Bonus Freebie: Spider Irregular Plural Matching Game by Sweet Tooth Teaching

Hope these resources are useful during this fall season!

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Curt and I are expecting our first baby! We are beyond excited to welcome our baby girl into the world. There are so many thoughts and feelings running through our heads though. What will the world be like once she's here? Should we start saving for her college as soon as she's born? How can we accommodate our finances or eliminate any debt before our baby girl arrives?

As soon as we found out we were pregnant, we decided we should make a financial plan to help us save money now and for our future. One of the main debts that has been a burden for us has been my student loans. I graduated with my Masters in reading education back in 2015. I've been making monthly payments toward my loans ever since. But it just feels like the majority of my payments are going straight toward the interest and the principal is just hanging in there waving at me! Student loans can be confusing and extremely overwhelming. Anyone else on the student loan struggle bus? 

Luckily and coincidentally, I stumbled across Chipper, a student loan automation company that specializes in helping student loan borrowers qualify for income-driven repayment plans and forgiveness programs. 

They have done an outstanding job at helping me understand and manage my student loan options. I've learned so much about the different repayment plans and forgiveness programs I didn't even know I qualified for! After chatting with Jessica from Chipper, I discovered I’m eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness AND Teacher Loan Forgiveness! Ya'll, this means I can actually have my loans forgiven! That's a huge weight off our shoulders, especially during this big transition in our lives.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness 

Since I qualify for both forgiveness programs, I needed to pick the best option for me. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is best for my loan situation since I owe less than $30,000 and have already made the required 5 years of consecutive payments. This program indicates that if you are a full-time teacher at a Title 1 school, you may be eligible for $5,000 or $17,500 off of your student loans.

Public Loan Forgiveness 

However, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program may be best for you if you owe more than $30,000. While pursuing this forgiveness program you can also cap your required monthly payments in proportion to your monthly income. After 120 qualifying payments you can be eligible for complete student loan forgiveness! This program is available to teachers and public service employees.

Discover Which Program is Best for You

99% of people that apply for student loan forgiveness are rejected. Chipper helps their members be a part of that 1% that gets approved! Discover your student loan repayment and forgiveness options through Chipper's FREE services!

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Finding a way to encourage our reluctant readers to become excited about reading isn't always the easiest task. Unfortunately when students feel frustrated with reading, they tend to avoid any activity related to it. 
Luckily, Dreamscape is an online reading game that 2nd-8th grade students actually love using. The engaging video game navigates students through a series of challenges in order to build up a dwell and defend themselves from other characters. As students answer comprehension questions, they are able to unlock several rewards, build dwells, battle other characters, and much more! Students are so immersed in the gamification platform that they seem to forget that they're actually practicing reading skills along the way. The better students perform on the actual comprehension questions, the further they will advance in the game. This encourages kiddos to try their best since it affects their overall gaming results. 

Why Teachers Love Dreamscape:

+ It's completely FREE for both students and teachers.+ Students can access Dreamscape from home or school.+ The curriculum is aligned to State Standards.+ Reluctant readers LOVE the game.+ The platform includes assignment tools, diagnostic testing, and several reporting features.+ It can be played on a desktop or on the Dreamscape app.+ The dashboard access is open to parents and administrators. 

Why Students Love Dreamscape:

+ Students can send friend requests or join a class to play with other classmates and friends.+ Students can challenge and compete against their best friends!+ They gain rewards as they complete challenges and/or question streaks.+ Avatars can be customized and upgraded as they advance in the game.+ It's competitive, interactive, and similar to video games they've been exposed to before.

 Dreamscape Dashboard:

The Dreamscape dashboard includes a number of performance reporting and assignment tools that are perfect for customizing lessons and tailoring to the needs of individual students. Placement Test: Differentiation is KEY. Their new placement test feature allows teachers to see what level each student is reading on, their areas for growth, and strengths at the beginning of the school year. Teachers are able to use this feature to assign specific skills on the platform or reinforce standards.
Skill Comprehension: See how students are progressing in each skill and design lessons to focus on specific ones. This feature allows you to customize the lessons by choosing the genre and how many questions you want to assign per skill.
Real-Time Dashboard: Monitor your students' data in real-time as they play the game. This is perfect for in-class use during a technology hour and/or center. Teachers can ensure that students are on-task, pull students for conferencing, and track students that need the most help.

How Can Dreamscape Be Used During Distance and In-Person Learning?

There are many uncertainties about this upcoming school year. Some districts have opted for distance learning (virtual learning), while others are continuing instruction in person. Regardless of your current teaching situation, Dreamscape is a great tool to keep kiddos excited about reading!  Here are some ways Dreamscape can be used Virtually:+ Assign as homework during distance learning + Dreamscape 'Break'-- 15-20 minute virtual learning break where students can compete against their classmates. Teachers can monitor progress using the real-time dashboard feature. + Create a Dreamscape Club at your school- students can meet virtually once a week to discuss the game, strategies, progress, and more! 
I hope you find Dreamscape to be as useful as I have! I'm beyond excited about exposing my students to the game and seeing them engaged in reading instruction. 
Check out the Dreamscape website and create your FREE account!



Post sponsored by Dreamscape

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As teachers we all know the constant struggle with our kiddos being HOOKED to their electronics. Every time we ask them to give us a sentence with their vocabulary word, they just have to relate it to the latest video game. #TheStruggleisReal

Motivating Our Kids to Play in their Backyard

The makers of OFF!^® Repellents have launched 'The Never Starting Tales'-- a collection of reinterpreted fairy tales that get kids thinking about how moving the story setting from outside to inside stops the adventure altogether. These FREE online storybooks help kiddos understand the importance of detaching from their electronics and taking the fun to their backyard.

The full-color digital storybooks are aimed at kindergarten through third grade students. However, they can be used across grade levels to get their true message across. Students can watch and listen to the e-books online, complete with “turn the page” animation. The books can also be downloaded as PDF files to devices, which can be added to digital libraries.

Never Starting Tales during Digital Learning

The best part about the Never Starting Tales is that they can be incorporated during our virtual learning! My kiddos look forward to hearing a new story every week during our Zoom morning meetings! The OFF!^®  Never Starting Tales website offers FREE ELA and STEAM lesson plans to correspond with the books. These lesson plans are perfect for virtual learning and can be easily used by teachers and parents.

This week, we’ll be reading ‘The Never Starting Tale of The Three Little Pigs’ through our online learning platform. The kiddos will be taking part in their first virtual STEM! They will head to their backyard to find twigs, leaves, rocks, and anything else they can find! Then, they’re going to create a house out of the materials they found. They will test their houses by pouring ‘weather’ over the roofs. (water, ice, etc.)

>>Check out The Never Starting Tales of Hercules & The Never Starting Tales of The Three Little Pigs

Teaching Theme with the Never Starting Tales

Teachers: The Never Starting Tales are the perfect stories to help us reinforce theme! Each story has a lesson at the end--- the character misses out on all of the adventure because he/she decides to play indoors.

When we were in the classroom back in March, I decided to use 'The Never Starting Tale of Hercules' to analyze the lesson the character learns at the end of the story. As we listened to the story, the students wrote down three important events. At the end, we discussed how these events tied into each other. 

Turn & Talk: The students turned to a partner and came up with some possible themes or 'lessons' that were learned from the story.

Turn & Talk-Virtual Breakout Rooms: Since we’ve currently moved on to digital learning, I’ve been using breakout rooms on our virtual platform to allow students the opportunity to work in groups and have discussions. 

Persuasive Writing Prompt

Afterwards, we discussed different 'superpowers' that might be great to have when we are playing in the backyard. Invisibility to help us during Hide and Seek? Super speed when we're playing Tag? 

The kiddos worked with a partner to brainstorm how these superpowers might be useful or important. They wrote a short piece explaining why their superpower was the best kind. Once we were all done, they shared their powers with the class. Since we are working on improving our sentences and overall structure of a paragraph--- this was perfect! The kiddos had so much fun coming up with their own superpowers! 

 Involving Parents

I shared the link to the Never Starting Tales with my classroom parents via our messaging app. Students were assigned to listen to 'The Never Starting Tale of Cinderella' with their parents and created a bucket list of outdoor activities. 

They were so eager to share their list with the class the next day!

If you're looking for a fun way to engage your kiddos while secretly hinting 'hey, maybe you should drop your tablet and play in the backyard...'

 then these Never Starting Tales, brought to you by the makers of OFF! ^® Repellents will surely do the job. I would love to hear how you incorporate these tales in your classroom! Make sure to comment below or tag me @SweetToothTeaching to share all of the ideas!

Post sponsored by the makers of OFF^!® Repellents

Learn More: Check out The Never Starting Tales website to learn more!

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