This cool cat sentences activity has K-2nd Grade children sort telling, asking and exciting sentence cards by their end marks. Answer key included, so practicing punctuation feels like a game.
This punctuation sandwich activity has Kindergarten and 1st Grade students match sentence bread cards to period, question mark and exclamation point jelly cards, with an answer key included.
Using L.K.1 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson, students demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar.
Using L.K.2 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson, students recognize and use end punctuation to complete sentences.
Every sentence needs a stop sign!
Kindergartners learn that a sentence is a complete thought that starts with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark. The period is the star: it tells the reader to stop. Kids also meet the question mark, for asking, and the exclamation mark, for excitement: I see a cat. Do you see a cat? I love cats! They practice adding the right mark when they write and pausing for it when they read. The cute moment: kids start reading with big, dramatic voices when they spot an exclamation mark!
Punctuation clicks for little ones when they hear it and feel it. These moves make those tiny marks a big deal.
Write "We have pizza" on the board three times with a period, a question mark and an exclamation mark. Read each one aloud in a different voice. Kids hear how the mark changes the meaning, then try reading them too.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withL.K.1 Kindergarten Common Core LessonCommon Core LessonsOpen it →A sentence is like a sandwich: a capital letter on top, words in the middle, a punctuation mark at the bottom. Kids build sentences with word cards and finish them with the right mark. The sandwich picture helps them remember every part.
Why it works: going from real objects to pictures to symbols is a core recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.
Try it withPunctuation Sandwich ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Write a short morning message with one missing punctuation mark each day. Kids find the mistake and fix it together. A tiny daily routine builds the habit without a long lesson.
Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withL.K.2 Kindergarten Common Core LessonCommon Core LessonsOpen it →Kindergartners love acting things out. These ideas turn punctuation marks into characters.
Teacher favorites right now: Cool Cat Sentences Activity, Punctuation Sandwich Activity and L.K.1 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson.
Kindergartners learn to recognize and use the period, question mark and exclamation mark at the end of sentences. They also learn that sentences start with a capital letter.
Tell your child a period is like a stop sign for reading. It shows where a sentence ends and tells the reader to take a little breath.
Most children start using periods in their writing during kindergarten. Question marks and exclamation marks usually come a little later in the year as their sentences grow.
Read aloud together and point out the marks at the end of sentences. Ask your child to read one sentence in a "question voice" or an "excited voice" to match the mark.
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