Sentence Frames and Sentence Starters for Every Subject

A sentence frame gives students the structure of a sentence so they can focus on the thinking. "The evidence that supports my claim is ___" helps a student cite evidence before they can write that sentence alone. Frames are an essential support for English language learners, and they help many other students write and speak more precisely too.

Sentence frames vs. sentence starters

A sentence starter gives the opening words and leaves the rest open: "I think..." A sentence frame gives more of the structure, with blanks in the middle: "___ is similar to ___ because both ___." Starters suit students who need a nudge to begin; frames suit students who need the whole shape of the sentence.

Copy-ready frames by purpose

EXPLAINING
  ___ happens because ___.
  First, ___. Then ___. As a result, ___.

COMPARING
  ___ and ___ are similar because both ___.
  ___ is different from ___ because ___, while ___.

ARGUING A CLAIM
  I think ___ because ___.
  One reason is ___. Another reason is ___.
  Some people might say ___, but ___.

CITING EVIDENCE
  The text says "___," which shows ___.
  According to ___, ___. This supports my claim because ___.

DISCUSSING WITH A PARTNER
  I agree with ___ because ___.
  I respectfully disagree because ___.
  Can you explain what you mean by ___?

How to teach with frames

1. Model it first. Say a complete sentence using the frame and write it on the board.
2. Practice out loud. Let partners use the frame in talk before anyone writes.
3. Offer levels. Give a fuller frame to students who need it and a starter to those who are nearly independent.
4. Fade the support. As students become confident, remove the blanks, then the frame, so the structure becomes their own.

Frames in different subjects

• Math: "I know my answer is reasonable because ___." "The pattern I notice is ___."
• Science: "My claim is ___. My evidence is ___. This shows ___ because ___." (claim, evidence, reasoning)
• Social studies: "One cause of ___ was ___, which led to ___."
• ELA: "The author uses ___ to show ___."

More ways to support English learners are in the ELL teaching strategies guide, and the think-pair-share guide shows how frames help every student join a discussion.