Sentence Fluency: Would I Trade My Parents? By Laura Numeroff

Lesson Focus: Sentence Fluency
Grade Level: 3rd
Mentor Text: Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff
Materials: Would I Trade My Parents?, paper, pencil, SMARTBOARD, Elmo, highlighters, writing paper, sentence fluency check sheets
Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Writing Process
Writing Applications
Ohio Benchmarks 3-4:
D. Spend the necessary amount of time to revisit, rework, and refine pieces of writing.
G. Edit to improve sentence fluency, grammar, and usage.
Grade Level Indicators, 3rd Grade:
6. Use a wide range of simply, compound, and complex sentences.
10. Reread and assess writing for clarity, using a variety of methods.

3. Write formal and informal letters that include relevant information and date, proper salutation, body, closing, and signature.
Book Summary: This is a fun and friendly book for both kids and their parents as kids remember why they would never trade their parents. However, it has crossed most kids' minds at somepoint to trade their parents in for a set of new ones...usually when things are not going their way. As a little boys ponders the thought, he is quickly reminded why his parents are so special and no one could take their place.
About the author, Laura Numeroff:  http://www.lauranumeroff.com/

"I am the youngest of three girls! I was born in 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. Both of my parents enriched my life with the love of reading, playing piano, singing, dancing, science, and stamp collecting. I also loved to draw, read, and make up stories. I started writing my own stories and drew pictures to go along with them. I would make a book cover for them and write down the name of a publisher. I also spent a great deal of time reading. Some of my favorite books are: Eloise, Stuart Little, and The Cat in the Hat. I am happy to say that the publisher of those three books, are the same publishers of my books!"
Introduction: Today we will be working on sentence fluency with the book, Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff. Do the sentences flow into one another? Or are they short, choppy, and distracting? Before reading the book to look at sentence fluency, teachers should have students read this book for aesthetic purposes before and then introduce how you are going to read it for efferent purposes.
Lesson Plan:

1. Reread the book, Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff and have students pay particular attention to sentence variety, sentence structure, and how the sentences help the story to flow across the page. Remind them that when you look at sentence fluency, the words should sound natural as if somebody is talking and should not be written in fragments.
2. Print off a couple pages of your choice from the story to display either on the projector, or ELMO machine so that students can see the words blown up. Highlight the first two-three words of every sentence on the page and look for patterns? Are there any? Do all sentences start the same way or is there a variety? 
3. Print a sentence fluency check sheet and read through each statement and evaluate the sentences. Conduct a mini-lesson on sentence fluency by going through the check sheet. The best way for students to really recognize how fluent the sentences are is to hear them out loud.
4. After you see that students have the concept of checking sentence fluency and an idea how to write fluently, have students start thinking about writing a letter to their parents. Prompt: Students write a letter to their parents telling them why they think they are the best parents and why they wouldn't trade them for anything else in this world. 
5. Review the 5 parts of a friendly letter and pass out scratch paper for students to write their rough draft letter. 
6. As students finish, have them complete the mini-lesson like what was done in class. Students will highlight their beginnings and then get with a partner to study each others beginnings. Model how to offer suggestions and encouragement. Have partner ask the questions on the check sheet and then make necessary revisions before writing their final copy. 
7. Hand out letter template paper and have students write their final copy. Have students share their writing with you in a conference format, then practice addressing envelope to mail to their parents.

Additional Resources: 
Laura Numeroff Tour 
http://www.lauranumeroff.com/ 
Sentence Fluency Lesson Ideas