Want Better Readers? Start with Better Sentences
What if the secret to stronger readers isn’t just more reading, but better writing?
That’s the bold (and refreshingly practical) idea behind Mike Schmoker’s article, Improving Reading with Sentence Fluency, published in ASCD’s Educational Leadership. Schmoker argues that to truly improve students' reading comprehension, we should start by teaching them to write better sentences.
Yes—sentences. Not five-paragraph essays. Not extended response questions. Just clear, confident, fluent sentences.
As Schmoker puts it, “Improved sentence writing improves sentence reading.” It’s that simple. And powerful.
Why Sentence Fluency Matters
When students learn to write coherent, well-structured sentences, they:
Develop a stronger understanding of syntax, which boosts their ability to comprehend complex texts.
Strengthen working memory, helping them track meaning across longer texts.
Build confidence, especially struggling readers who feel overwhelmed by whole essays or texts.
In other words, writing better sentences makes reading easier. And when students realize they can do this, engagement goes up and resistance goes down.
The Problem: Fluency Isn't Explicitly Taught
Most ELA curricula skip over sentence instruction or assume students will “pick it up” along the way. But if your students are anything like mine, you’ve seen the opposite:
Run-on sentences that go on forever…
Fragments missing key parts…
And a lot of “I don’t know how to start.”
That’s why we created a resource that treats sentence-building like the essential reading strategy it is.
Teach Sentence Power with This Resource
💡 Engaging Syntax and Sentence Building Skills for Middle School is a ready-to-use toolkit designed for middle school students—especially those who need extra support with writing and comprehension.
Inside, you’ll find:
Interactive slides to introduce syntax, sentence variety, and fluency
Sentence expansion activities that help students write more thoughtfully
Practice that targets both grammar and meaning (without sounding like a grammar workbook!)
Scaffolded, low-prep lessons perfect for whole class or small group intervention
Whether you’re trying to raise test scores, increase reading confidence, or just help your students write (and read) like they mean it, this resource gives you the tools to make it happen.
The Bottom Line
Improving reading doesn't always require more passages or more testing strategies. Sometimes, it starts with clearer, more fluent sentences.
So the next time you're wondering how to boost your students' comprehension, don’t just ask them to read better—teach them to write better sentences first.
🛒 Grab the full resource here: Engaging Syntax and Sentence Building Skills for Middle School
📚 And give Schmoker’s article a read right here. It’s a quick, game-changing perspective on reading instruction that just might shift the way you plan your next lesson.