You said: “Best way to teach kids how to use commas after an introductory phrase? I’ve modeled, but it’s not transferring over to their writing. They aren’t catching it during revision either. I don’t know why, but it irritates me.”
Irritates me too.
Ideas:
- Start Here: Psst test with Gretchen Bernabei: https://live-sagecompanion.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/69_Write_Practice.pdf
- Use the inquiry method developed by Jeff Anderson. Invitation to Notice and Imitate. http://greatsentences.blogspot.com/
- Dependent Introductory Clause
i. Ask: What do you notice? If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. –Mark Twain v
ii. Imitate: If you never tell a lie, people will find you trustworthy. –Dr. Rose
iii. Integrate into your current writing: If you learn to use introductory phrases, people will be able to read your writing as if you were speaking to them. –Dr. Rose
- Are we teaching all the subtypes of introductory elements? Perhaps the students are simply not aware of the possibilities. Use manipulatives. Place phrases on cards. Mix. Students order them and add punctuation. Here’s some resources and other sentences: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/commas/commas_after_introductions.html Teach each of these using the Six Square model.
- Single words
i. generally
ii. we can expect
iii. the weather
iv. to be mild
v. in April
vi. Capital letter
vii. Comma
viii. period
- Introductory prepositional phrase, (Technically, if the phrase has less than five words, you don’t have to use a comma. I don’t like that rule because, technically, we pause. Punctuation is concrete speech. So we need to comma to represent the pause.)
i. to some
ii. there isn’t anything better
iii. than having
iv. a dog or cat
v. sit closely
vi. beside them
vii. capital letter
viii. comma
ix. period
- Longer introductory prepositional phrase
i. on the other hand
ii. public acceptance
iii. of cats
iv. seems to be lacking
v. capital letter
vi. comma
vii. period
- Introductory infinitive phrase
i. to get
ii. to the school
iii. turn left
iv. at Bell Street
v. capital letter
vi. comma
vii. Period
viii. (To make a good grade, always study your notes and read the course material.)
- Introductory participial phrases
i. galloping quickly
ii. the horse reaches
iii. the other side
iv. of the pasture
v. in less than a minute
vi. capital letter
vii. comma
viii. Period
ix. (Pouring hydrogen peroxide on a stain, the scientist demonstrated how the chemical dissolved blood protein.)
- Introductory absolute phrases
i. completely oblivious
ii. to the crowd’s cheering
iii. Arlin focused
iv. on the finish line.
v. Capital letter
vi. Comma
vii. Period
viii. (Voice wavering, the participant graciously accepted first place in the spelling bee.)
- Introductory appositive (nonexample – not sure if you want to go here for elementary)
i. The award winning author Gary Paulsen spoke about his writing process at the conference.
- Introductory Dependent Clause
i. because I always eat
ii. healthy portions
iii. of vegetables
iv. I feel comfortable
v. with the occasional
vi. sugary splurge
vii. of an ice cream Sunday
viii. capital letter
ix. comma
x. period
xi. (Has two options: Because I always eat healthy portions of vegetables, I feel comfortable with the occasional sugary splurge of an ice cream Sunday. I feel comfortable with the occasional sugary splurge of an ice cream Sunday because I always eat healthy portions of vegetables.)
- Play “Parse a Toast”: Get a glass and a spoon. Tap the spoon on the side of the glass to get everyone’s attention. Project a sentence with an introductory element. Model how the sentence should be parsed. Next time, clink on the glass and choose a random students to parse the sentence correctly. (Take sentences from their imitations/writings or readings as sample sentences.
i. “Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember and remember everything they don’t want to forget.” –Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
ii. “That cheerful eye*, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon.” –Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (*This one is actually a subject followed by an appositive.)
iii. Living in the shadows of an inaccessible place, she was the little cinder girl, in love with the unseen prince who would one day hear her music. Altered from –Asar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran.
- During Ratiocination, teach how to find these elements with cue, code, and recodes. Here as well.
i. Cues: Psst test; Parsing; Comparing to Mentor Examples from the Six Square
ii. Code: Square the opening
iii. Recode: Add the comma where there is a verbal pause.
