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When run-on sentences are a big problem.


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Soooooo, our 12yo is still using an incredible number of run-on sentences. Pointing them out and re-doing them helps a little. But only a little. He handed in a written narration today that was great as far as content.However, I don't think there was even one correct sentence as far as structure goes.

 

I'm thinking of Fix-It grammar and Lost Tools of Writing for next year. I haven't worked with either of those programs before, though. Anything else I should consider??

 

 

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I agree with reading aloud. Sometimes humor makes things stick. When my daughter was doing this I would take a gigantic breath before reading her sentences and try to read it all aloud without losing all my breath. I was very dramatic and she laughed and her punctuation got better. I explained that punctuation acts as pauses and breaths for the reader. I begged her to let me breathe, lol..

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Is he reading his narration aloud after he's finished writing it? It can help to hear the problems with the sentence before correcting them.

 

 

Now, why in the world didn't I think of that?  See, that is why I need you guys!  I had him read aloud today, and he corrected the passage perfectly...

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Reading aloud to proofread definitely helps.

 

So does dictation--you dictate a passage to him  (3-5) sentences, and he has to write it and punctuate it. This trains his ear to find the pauses.

 

One other idea--between each new thought he must hit the enter key, placing the new thought on an entirely new line. Sometimes this helps the kid see the breaks between ideas.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, just to update - I had our kiddo read his narration aloud once. Really, just once, and showed him how that can help him find his sentences/phrases. 

 

And the problem is gone. He's doing daily written narrations, and they are all punctuated correctly.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm amazed that, after struggling with this so long, it is corrected so painlessly and quickly.

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Are his narration sentences run-ons because he has a sentence maximum and wants to fit too much information in?

 

I also think MCT does an excellent job of explaining what a sentence is and what it is not (paragraphs too). I suggest you approach it from a grammar aspect. I would be gentle on his narrations while you do this.

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Are his narration sentences run-ons because he has a sentence maximum and wants to fit too much information in?

 

 

 

No, no sentence maximums. That makes me chuckle a bit. I've thought about assigning minimums, because my boys like to take short cuts.

 

He's continuing to do his sentences correctly. I think we'll be good to go now.

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