Mixed Up Sentences

This post is about one of my absolute favorite reading + writing activities.  I know it's been done before in a ton of different ways and has been given various titles, but I just call it 'Mixed Up Sentences.'  Here's the low down:

1.  Gather different colored paper and cut into strips.  I keep a handy supply of strips in 10 assorted colors.  I'll tell you why *10* later.  

2.  Get out your curriculum materials, a black Sharpie, and scissors.

3.  Decide how you want to use this activity.  Center?  Assessment?  Pre-assessment?  Fun practice?

Decide which recording sheet to use.  (See below)

Find sentences in your curriculum (or think some up) that match the purpose or skill your trying to target.

4.  How many sentences did you decide to do?  Gather that many different colored strips.

My favorite one is this one... with 10 lines.  

5.  Write your sentences.  Neatly.  One per strip!

{7.22.12 - I just realized that I'm losing it.  Teaching British English over here has led to me spelling things differently... like 'theatre.'  Maybe it's the French that's doing it?}

6.  Cut the sentences apart between each letter.  Leave the punctuation attached to a word if you can.  They're small and can get lost easily.   You can even chunk two words together if you have beginners!

7.  Admire how pretty the pieces are.  

8.  This is how I set mine up as a center.  I am obsessed with those pencil bags from Wal-Mart.  They're cheap and paper fits perfectly when you fold it in half.  I put the recording sheet, sentence pieces, and 10 matching colored pencils inside the bag.  Now you're ready to rock n roll!

9.  Let your students get to work!  You can have them do it individually, in pairs, or in small groups!  Sometimes I even split it up and have two centers with five sentences each... especially if they're rigorous sentences.  They just do five, put away their recording sheet, then get it back out when it's time to do the rest.   

They piece together all of the sentences, color their little circles, and write!  

HINT:  If this activity is not for an assessment, then I like to check their sentences before they write.  They simply raise their hand when they've pieced a sentence (or all) together and I let them know if it's correct or not.  Saves time and frustration on their part.

If you're the type that just can't stand writing things out, then try this approach... different fonts.  Type all of your sentences out, but change each sentence to a different font.  Make sure they're really different though!  It backfired on me once when my kids couldn't tell the difference between Arial and Times New Roman.  Seriously.  They don't even look alike do they?!  

Have students at different levels?  Of course you do.  You can differentiate this activity easily.  Make more than one set of sentences.  Same content.  Different learning levels.  

Hopefully all those little instructions make sense!  Once you do it one time, you be able to whip it up again quickly.  This activity can be used for virtually any topic, any level, and I like to weave in some science and social studies topics when I can.  It's another way to integrate content.  

Here are some more adaptation ideas:

• I usually do this as a center with only one set of sentences, but you could do it whole class if you wanted to.  Type the same sentence onto a page (multiple times), copy onto colored paper, then cut.  Might be a bit crazy with pieces getting mixed up, but it works if you're kiddos are super organized.  Maybe they could use little trays to keep their pieces in?
• Since I have a small class sizes (10 EFL/ESL students in each class), I do this as a whole group activity by having them sit in a large circle and giving them 2 minutes with each sentence.  They piece it together, raise their hand, I check, they write, then we rotate when everyone is done!  Works like a charm.  
• Sentences can be hints to a special activity or something else.  If you're studying bears, then you could have sentences that stated facts about bears!  Roar.
• Use the font version (above), cut out the words, mix them around on a piece of copy paper, glue down, copy, and send home for homework!  Students could bring it back all cut apart and pieced back together.  

There are many ways to adapt this activity.  Got any more fun ideas or ways to adapt it?!  

Here's a little freebie for ya'll!  It's the recording sheets I use when I do this activity.  There are different types depending on the level you teach and how many sentences you want to use.  Dotted lines for younger kids and plain for older.  I most often use the 10 line portrait version (the one in the photos).  My fave.  See on TPT.

So, what do you think?  Have you done this before or is it something you think you can use?  I really do love it and my kids do too!

Enjoy!