World Landmarks 2 Scrambled Sentences Manipulatives

Scrambled sentences build fluency and language usage skills. A key characteristic of fluent reading is the ability to group words into meaningful clusters while reading. In these sets of manipulatives, the words in 5 sentences are cut apart and students arrange them into sentences. With practice, students become more adept.

Students are eager to do scrambled sentences because the activity seems like a word game. The interesting facts conveyed in the sentences engage students. As students move through these increasingly complex sets of scrambled sentences, their fluency and linguistic and grammatical competency improve. Completed sentences provide opportunities for oral reading.

Arranging the words into sentences builds awareness of sentence structure. Without getting bogged down in terminology, students soon identify subjects and predicates; organize words into phrases; link adjectives and adverbs to the words they modify; and use conjunctions to provide cohesive ties. Scrambled sentences model accurate capitalization and punctuation, and students learn to utilize these as organizational cues.

Linguistic structure in each of the Reading Manipulatives scrambled sentences levels (1, 2, 3) increases in complexity (sentences lengthen and structural features become more advanced). It is important for students to start with a level that is not too difficult. As students work through that level, they develop strategies that enable them to succeed with longer, more complex sentences.

These are general characteristics to each level. Level 1 (Farm 1, American Landmarks 1, Birds 1): sentence length – 5 to 9 words; possessives, single adjectives; simple adverbial phrases only. Level 2 (Dangerous Creatures 2, World Landmarks 2, Nature 2): sentence length – 8 to 11 words; multiple adjectives, words in a series; more complex phrases & vocabulary. Level 3 (Dangerous Creatures 3, Lost Civilizations 3, Watchable Animals 3): sentence length – 12 to 16 words; compound, detailed sentences; sophisticated linguistics.

There are 12 unique sets of World Landmarks 2 Scrambled Sentences (Taj Mahal, Kremlin, Pisa Tower, U.S. Capitol, Great Wall, Olympic Stadium, Forbidden City, Westminster Abbey, Great Sphinx, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Eiffel Tower, Bran Castle). Each set contains words that form 5 sentences, along with a matching photo. Answer keys are provided because active involvement builds accountability.

PDF pages are designed to be printed on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets. Cover-weight paper in a variety of colors is available at office supply stores or online. Lamination is recommended.

Contents: 15 pages of sentences and answer keys (5 sentences each for 12 sets); 3 pages of color photos; 8 pages of teacher information; student recordkeeping checklists