Academic Sentence Starters help students frame their thoughts, build confidence, and strengthen their academic communication skills. Let’s dive into why they’re so effective and how you can use them in your classroom.
As teachers, we’ve all seen students struggle to find the right words to express their ideas clearly. Whether it’s explaining their math thinking, writing a strong opinion piece, or engaging in classroom discussions. Some students just need a little boost.
What Are Academic Sentence Starters?
Academic Sentence Starters are structured sentence starters designed to help students articulate their ideas clearly. They provide a foundation for students to express their thoughts. Sentence stems guide students in developing responses across subjects like ELA, math, science, social studies, and social-emotional learning.
These stems typically begin a sentence but require students to complete them with their own ideas. For example:
- I want to add to what _____ said…
- Another example of this is…
- This connects to what we learned about…I
- see a similarity between ___ and ___.
Students develop the skills they need to communicate more effectively by using sentence stems for academic writing and discussion.
Why Use Academic Sentence Stems?
Using academic sentence starters in the classroom has multiple benefits:
1. Supports All Learners
Sentence stems provide structured support for ALL students organizing their thoughts, including English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with emerging writing skills.
2. Boosts Writing and Speaking Skills
Students learn to frame their responses with clarity and confidence, improving both their written and verbal communication.
3. Encourages Higher-Order Thinking
Stems push students to go beyond basic responses, encouraging them to analyze, justify, and elaborate on their answers.
4. Builds Academic Vocabulary
Regular use of sentence stems helps students integrate subject-specific language into their writing and discussions.
5. Increases Classroom Participation
Students who might hesitate to share their ideas gain the confidence to engage in discussions when they have a structured way to express themselves.
To sum it up: Academic Language Sentence Stems = Good Teaching
Examples of Academic Sentence Starters
Here are some examples of sentence stems that you can incorporate into different subject areas:
ELA (Reading & Writing) Sentence Starters
Citing Evidence from the Text
- I know this because the text says…
- On page ___, it says…
- The author wrote…
- A detail that supports my answer is…
Math Sentence Stems
Asking for Help or Clarification
- I don’t understand ___, can you help me?
- Can you explain how you got that answer?
- What strategy did you use?
- I’m not sure how to start. Can you give me a hint?
General Multi-Subject Starters
Building on Ideas
- I would like to add to what _____ said…
- Another example of this is…
- This connects to what we learned about…
- I see a similarity between ___ and ___.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Stems
Conflict Resolution & Problem-Solving
- I think we have different perspectives. Can we find a compromise?
- Let’s work together to find a solution. What do you think we should do?
- I understand your point, but I see it differently because…
- Next time, maybe we could try ___. What do you think?
How to Use Academic Sentence Starters in the Classroom
Integrating sentence stems into your daily lessons is simple and effective. Here are a few strategies to get started:
1. Display Sentence Stems in the Classroom
Post sentence stem posters with commonly used stems so students can refer to them while speaking and writing. Or, keep a small tabletop reference for the students to use when needed.
2. Use Sentence Stems in Guided Discussions
When leading class discussions, provide students with stems to help them structure their responses.
3. Incorporate Sentence Stems in Writing Assignments
Offer stems as scaffolds for students when they begin writing, gradually encouraging them to use them independently.
For more tips on student engagement with writing, check out this blog post, too!
4. Pair with Partner Talk
Encourage students to practice responding to questions using sentence stems during peer discussions. Then, provide time to share with the whole class.
5. Provide Differentiated Stems
Offer a variety of sentence stems to accommodate different levels of proficiency, from basic to more advanced structures.
Support Your Students with Ready-to-Use Academic Sentence Starters
If you’re looking for a comprehensive collection of Academic Language Sentence Stems, I’ve created a resource packed with ready-to-use support! Click here to check them out.
My Academic Sentence Starters includes:
- ELA Sentence Stems for reading and writing.
- Math Sentence Stems for problem-solving and explaining reasoning.
- General Sentence Stems for discussions and cross-curricular learning.
- Social-Emotional Sentence Stems to help students express their feelings and social skills.
These sentence stems are perfect for writing journals, classroom anchor charts, small group discussions, and independent practice!
If you’d love to see your students grow into confident communicators, check out this resource to make sentence stems a seamless part of your instruction.
Let’s help our students find their voice and express their ideas with clarity!
Happy teaching!
Melissa | The Teaching Q
