I rarely use commercial games or premade centers. I used to work at a high-end toy store though and sometimes a product would come in that I thought was educationally valuable. This center contains one of those products. Sentence Building is advertised as an ELL activity for students in grades K-2. I think it works just lovely with my low level readers in third grade though. It contains pictures cues and sight words that are perfect for these learners. Instead of purchasing this product, you could make your own using sentence strips cut apart or paint sample cards.
Students use the pieces in the box to build sentences. The cards that link together include words, pictures, and punctuation marks. The pictures are a wonderful challenge because they create a sort of rebus. For an extension, have students use a sticky note and write the picture word on it. Put the sticky notes on the picture card. For a challenge, leave blank spaces and have a friend fill in the blanks either with their own words or with words from the pieces. Students can also copy their sentences onto paper and illustrate them. Have students try to put the sentences in order to create a story.
I do not have many commercial centers, but I used to work at a high-end toy store. We got a product in called Tell Tale that is a set of double-sided picture cards that can be used to tell a story. I put this tin in a basket with some adding machine tape and this center was ready to go! Hang the completed stories in the classroom.
Students choose 3 cards from the Tell Tale tin. They unroll the paper and tear off a piece in whatever length the choose...long strip means long story! Then they must write a story using the front and back pictures of the cards. Remind students that the story must have a beginning, middle, and end. You can differentiate this center with beginning writers by having them look at the cards and tell a story. For a challenge, have students write the story as a rebus and put the picture cards directly on the strip of paper.
