LiC: Population Statistics
Lesson: Analyzing Sentence Length to Improve Sentence Fluency (45–60
minutes)
Overview:
Sentence fluency can be hard to teach. Fluent writing is powerful, rhythmic, and
exciting to listen to, but how do we help our students develop this skill? Teaching
students to think about varying the length of their sentences can help improve the
way their writing sounds out loud.
Objectives:
In this lesson students will:
 Use the LiC: Population Statistics Tool to assess sentence length in two
writing samples
 Develop sentence fluency by varying sentence length
Materials/Technology:
 Two writing samples
 LiC: Population Statistics
 Projector (optional)
Instructional Plan:
1. Give students three minutes to describe the classroom in writing. Ask them
to include as many details as possible.
2. Share two samples with students. You can use samples that you create ahead
of time or samples from students with names removed. Just make sure that
one sample has a relatively constant sentence length while the other is much
more varied. You may want to have students read along with you on their
devices or project the samples on a screen.
3. Poll students as to which sample sounded better when read aloud.
4. Discuss sentence fluency. What is it? How can it be improved? Tell students
that one way to improve sentence fluency is to vary the length of sentences.
5. Model how to use the LiC: Population Statistics Tool to analyze data.
6. Have students work in pairs or small groups to use the LiC: Population
Statistics Tool to input the length of sentences from each writing sample.
7. Discuss results. What did students notice? Which sample had greater
variability in sentence length? Is there a connection between which sample
sounded better to students and which sample had greater variety of sentence
length?
8. Give students another three minutes to describe the classroom. This time,
ask them to purposefully vary the length of their sentences.
9. Have students pair or group up to share samples with each other.
10. Discuss any observations students make about the effect of intentionally
varying the length of their sentences.
Assessment Strategies:
 Ask students to self-assess by comparing the writing samples from the
beginning and end of the lesson.
 Ask students to use the LiC: Population Statistics Tool to analyze the length of
their sentences and submit the results.
Standards:
This lesson is designed to address the following Common Core State Standards:
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.A.1
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.A.2
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.3
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.4
Next Steps:
Varying how sentences begin is another tangible way to improve sentence fluency.
Consider analyzing how sentences are started with your students.