Reviewing Different Types of Sentences with Mentor Texts for Middle School Grammar

Mentor sentences are properly written sentences from texts that students can use to learn and practice grammar and sentence structure. Studying sentence structure with mentor text is helpful for middle schoolers. By reading classic and modern literature and looking at various sentence structures, your students can improve their writing and reading skills. Let’s start reviewing different types of sentences with mentor texts!

Start by identifying the type of sentence.

Each week, students work with the same mentor sentence Monday through Friday. Each day has a specific focus. The mentor sentences for middle school grammar bundle always starts with Monday Musings. First, I put together a Monday Musing reference sheet to help my students find things to notice about the mentor sentence each Monday. The first thing I want them to notice is the type of sentence. Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? This assumes that your students have exposure to these types of sentences. However, it’s good to review these types with a types of sentences reference sheet students can use with mentor sentences or in their own writing practice.

Review punctuation rules.

Next, Teach it Tuesday is all about focusing on specific skills. One thing my students struggle wit is where to put commas (or when to leave them out). First, review rules for adding a comma after a dependent clause when it begins a complex sentence. Then remind students about using commas before coordinating conjunctions in compound sentences. This would also be a great time to focus on rules for using commas in all types of sentences when it comes to items in a series. (You’ll have to decide if you are pro or con Oxford comma!) Mentor sentences to use for these Teach it Tuesday lessons are in the mentor sentences for middle school grammar bundle.

Change the sentence structure.

On Wednesdays, students change the sentences to improve them. Work it Wednesdays are awesome with sentence structure review. Your students can change simple sentences to compound or complex sentences. They may also restructure complex or compound sentences to form simple sentences. Manipulating mentor sentences in this way will help your students understand how different structures work!

Have students write their own sentences.

Finally, mentor sentences are all about developing better reading and writing skills. Students will use the mentor sentences for middle school grammar bundle to write their own simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences on Think it Thursday. Finally, have them incorporate these sentences and structures into their own writing pieces. This is something we will focus on in Final Friday as well!

Assess the skills.

After reviewing and practicing the different types of sentence structures, spend Final Friday assessing the skills. Students can be assessed over the particular mentor sentence or write their own paragraph using the sentence structure skills they learned that week! You may have them write on a specific topic or let them free write. Consider requiring a certain amount of different types of sentences to review sentence structures.

Reviewing different types of sentences with mentor texts has never been easier with the mentor sentences for middle school grammar bundle. The bundle incorporates 36 mentor texts including classic and modern literature that are high-interest for middle school students. Review a mentor sentence weekly with these targeted skills in your classroom!