Joining Sentences with 'and' — Year 1 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: English Appendix 2 — Grammar: joining words and joining clauses using 'and' — Year 1
Overview
Pupils learn to join words and clauses using 'and' to create compound sentences. They explore how 'and' can link two ideas of equal importance, and practise using it to extend their sentences in writing — moving beyond single-clause sentences towards more varied expression.
Learning Objectives
- Understand that 'and' is a joining word (conjunction) used to link two ideas.
- Join two simple sentences into one using 'and'.
- Use 'and' to join words in a list.
- Recognise when 'and' makes writing flow better than two separate sentences.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Read two very short sentences repeatedly: 'I like cats. I like dogs. I like fish.' Ask: can we say this more smoothly? Pupils suggest using 'and'. Establish that 'and' is a joining word.
Model joining words in a list ('apples and oranges and bananas'), then joining two sentences ('The sun is hot. It makes me warm.' → 'The sun is hot and it makes me warm.'). Show how 'and' avoids choppy repetition. Introduce 'but' and 'or' briefly as other joining words.
Pupils join pairs of sentences using 'and', writing the combined sentence. Then use 'and' to write a list sentence about things they can see in the classroom.
Pupils write three sentences about what they did at the weekend (real or imaginary), using 'and' to join at least two of them. Encourage them to avoid starting every sentence with 'I'.
Can we add 'and' too many times? Read a sentence with too many 'ands' (e.g. 'I went to the shop and I got bread and milk and eggs and then I went home and...'). Discuss: when is 'and' helpful and when is it too much?
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils may use 'and' to join every clause in a piece of writing, creating very long run-on sentences — show the balance between joining and separating ideas.
- Starting a sentence with 'And...' — explain that while this can be used for effect by experienced writers, in Year 1 it is better to use 'and' in the middle of a sentence.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Ability to write simple sentences with capital letters and full stops.
- Familiarity with the word 'and' in speech.
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