Using Adjectives and Adverbs to Brighten Up Student Writing [Sentence Expansion Series]

Listen to the full episode to hear ideas for expanding sentences in student writing:

Happy New Year, my friends! Let’s jump-start 2024 with some practical and easy strategies to expand student sentences. At the beginning of the year, our goal is for students to write a complete sentence, but our goal at the end of the year is for them to add meaningful details to those sentences. And while that might seem challenging, I’ve come up with easy ways to make this achievable for your students.

Since I really want you to listen, understand, and actively try the strategies I’m sharing, in this series on sentence expansion, I’m going to be sharing one strategy per episode. This will give you an opportunity to process and implement during your school week before trying another. So in the first episode of this series, I’m sharing how using adjectives and adverbs helps with expanding sentences in student writing.

This simple strategy has a great impact that provides students with concrete ways to add details to their otherwise plain sentences. In order for you to effectively implement this in your classroom, I share an easy five-step process that involves using student sentences as examples and discussions to evaluate the difference. Additionally, I share examples of how to put expanding sentences into practice.

As literacy teachers, we truly want our students to enjoy writing and have their writing come to life and the only way to do that is by adding details to paint a picture. By adding more adjectives and adverbs, students will be expanding sentences independently which ultimately improves their writing.

In this episode on expanding sentences, I share:

• How using adjectives and adverbs help provide details in expanding student sentences
• A five-step process for bringing this strategy into your classroom
• Clear examples on how to put this into practice
• Ways to get your students involved by using their sentences as examples

Resources Mentioned:

• Descriptive Writing Charts Bundle 
• Writing Reference Helper
• Vocabulary Writing Prompts Sampler

Connect with Megan:

• Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership here
• Shop my TpT store here
• Check out TDWD Collections here
• Receive emails from me here
• Follow me on Instagram here
• Read my blog posts here

About The Literacy Dive Podcast:

Do you find yourself seeking new implementations when it comes to literacy instruction? Do you crave fresh ideas and engaging lessons to transform your students into skilled readers and writers? The Literacy Dive Podcast was created to provide educators, like you, with actionable steps and strategies to improve teaching reading and writing. 

Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner of The Literacy Dive, a company that creates educational, literacy curriculum that aims to close the gap and support children in reaching mastery. Being a literacy specialist and having over a decade of teaching grades K-5, Megan knows the power of collaboration and working alongside teachers and parents to provide them with the support, confidence, and resources they need to meet students where they are.

Dive in each Monday as Megan and her guests unpack an element of literacy or various topics relatable to educators. Here are some topics covered in this literacy podcast: writing strategies, reading comprehension, the writing process, the science of reading, and small group instruction.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Amazon, and more!

If you enjoy this podcast and find the content helpful, please consider leaving a rating, feedback review, and/or sharing this podcast with a friend!