The Sentence-Combining Strategy That Transforms Struggling Writers

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They can’t even write a sentence.

It’s a thought I’ve had more than once, and maybe you have too.

You pull a student for extra writing support. You’re ready to help them with paragraphs or structure or even that essay that’s due next week. But what hits you immediately?

They don’t need paragraph help.
They don’t need structure help.
They need sentence help.

So what do you do?

Let’s talk about sentence-level writing as the foundation for writing intervention. Because once students can reliably write clear, complete, varied sentences, everything else gets easier... grammar, stamina, even confidence.

This post is part two in my series on writing interventions. In Part One, I talked about reluctant writers—those kids who stare at a blank page and say, “I don’t know what to write.” In that post, we focused on mindset shifts and how to lower the barrier to entry.

Now we shift gears. What happens after they’re finally writing... but the sentence structure is weak, awkward, or barely there?


First: Why Sentence Combining Works

I stumbled into sentence combining years ago and never looked back. It’s backed by research (huge gains in writing quality), but more than that—it works in real classrooms.

The basic premise:
Give students two (or more) short, choppy sentences and have them combine the ideas into one well-formed sentence.

It sounds simple. But here’s why it’s powerful:

  • It teaches grammar in context (no more isolated worksheet drills).

  • It builds sentence fluency and rhythm.

  • It requires decision-making—Which conjunction fits best? What should I eliminate or reword?

  • It’s naturally differentiated—students can combine in basic or more advanced ways.

Most importantly: it’s low-lift to implement but high-impact.


How I Structure It: The Gradual Release Model

I don’t teach sentence combining as a one-day skill. I build it into our daily warm-ups, and I treat it like a yearlong muscle we’re training.

Here’s what that looks like in my classroom:

🗓️ Month 1: Combine These Two Sentences

Example:
The dog barked.
The mail carrier ran away.
🟡 Student writes: The dog barked, and the mail carrier ran away.

We start basic. I provide both complete sentences and prompt them to simply combine with a comma and conjunction. This builds comfort and gives them wins.

🗓️ Month 3: Combine These Fragments

Example:
barked loudly
the mail carrier ran away
🟢 Student writes: The dog barked loudly, so the mail carrier ran away.

Now they need to construct the sentence from less-complete parts. It nudges them to think critically about subject, predicate, and logical flow.

🗓️ Month 5: Choose the Structure

Prompt:
Just a topic, like "grilled cheese"
Do you want to write a compound sentence or a complex one?

By this point, they’ve learned both sentence types. I’ve modeled them often. So now the power shifts: They choose. It’s no longer just a grammar lesson—it’s a craft choice.


Let’s Talk Logistics: How I Actually Make This Work

I build sentence combining into my “ELA Three-a-Day” warm-up routine:

  1. Sentence Combining

  2. Targeted Grammar Practice (multiple choice or fix-the-error)

  3. Quick Write

Students know the format. It takes 10 minutes. And it adds up fast.

I also track how many students are writing complete, correctly punctuated sentences. And I make it visible. Sometimes a student graphs the class percentage. Other times we use our marble jar to celebrate milestones. Either way, I’m sending a message:

What you pay attention to grows.

If I care about sentence structure, they will too.


Reactive Tips (You Can Start Tomorrow)

If you’re midway through the year and your students are struggling to write even a decent sentence, here are five things you can start now:

✅ 1. Use Checklists

Add a quick checklist at the end of assignments:

  • Does every sentence start with a capital letter?

  • Did you use punctuation?

  • Do your ideas make sense?

Even just pausing to check improves accuracy.

✅ 2. Offer Class Incentives

When we hit 90% of students using correct punctuation in warm-ups, we add a marble. Full jar = class celebration. You can also have a student track sentence accuracy over time...it’s visual motivation.

✅ 3. Give Individual Shout-Outs

I use Classkick, where I can quickly give digital “trophies” or stickers. When students hear their name called—“Trophy for Mya!”—they light up. Don’t underestimate the power of micro-celebrations. Woohoo! 🎉

✅ 4. Push Work Back

If expectations are clear (capitals and periods are required), but students skip them anyway? I send the work back. “I’m not grading this until you check it.” They learn quickly.

✅ 5. Spread It Across Subjects

I reuse my writing checklist in science, history, and anywhere else writing shows up.  Students begin to understand: writing is ... everywhere.


SIDEBAR!! A Different Way to Celebrate the Progress

One teacher using my workshop setup created a Padlet of student writing. Whenever someone used a sentence skill well, she’d snip it and post it. Kids started visiting the Padlet just to spot their own writing, or to be inspired by someone else’s.

It takes two minutes. But it builds a culture.


The Takeaway

If your students struggle with grammar or sentence structure, worksheets alone won’t cut it.
But sentence combining will.

It’s one of those rare strategies that works for all writers:
📉 For the ones who can’t write a sentence
📈 And for the ones who just need a push to level up

Want to see exactly how I teach this in my classroom?

🎥 Watch Part 2 of the Writing Intervention Series: “Make Grammar Click!”
In the video, I walk through everything I’ve covered here—plus show examples, resources, and what it looks like in action.

See you in Part 3,
Robin

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