A sentence is a group of words that makes sense on its own. Year 1 explorers put words in the right order, spot what is missing and join ideas with the word “and”.
What your child will learn
- Know that a sentence must make sense
- Put words in the right order to make a sentence
- Choose a missing word so a sentence makes sense
- Join two ideas using “and”
Does it make sense?
The best test for a sentence is to read it aloud. “The dog barks” makes sense; “dog the barks” doesn’t. Sentence Street mixes words up so children practise listening for sense.
Joining two short sentences with “and” — “I have a hat and a scarf” — is the first step towards longer, more interesting writing.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which word is missing? “I ___ a red ball.”
- is
- has
- are
- have
Show answer
Answer: have. “I have a red ball.”
2. Which word joins the ideas? “I have a cat ___ a dog.”
- and
- on
- the
- is
Show answer
Answer: and. “And” joins two things together: a cat and a dog.
3. Join them: “I like cake. I like jelly.” → “I like cake ___ jelly.”
- the
- is
- and
- on
Show answer
Answer: and. “And” joins the two things you like.
Tips for grown-ups
- Cut a sentence into word cards and ask your child to rebuild it.
- Say a sentence with a word missing and let them fill the gap.
- Read your child’s writing aloud together and ask, “Does that make sense?”