Start the school year off right with this engaging and interactive sentence building activity. Designed specifically for SLPs, this resource features back-to-school themes such as classroom routines, school supplies, friends, and getting to know your teacher. It’s a fun and hands-on way to target sentence formulation, expressive language, and essential WH-questions, making therapy sessions both educational and exciting for your students.
Back to School Sentences is designed to help students build complete sentences using mix-and-match cards focused on “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “why.” This resource supports expressive language, grammar, narrative development, and WH-question comprehension.
It includes two formats for flexibility: one set with color-coded borders for extra support and one with black borders for general use. This structured yet creative activity is perfect for busy SLPs who want to bring more seasonal fun and targeted language practice into their sessions.
This Back to School Sentences Includes:
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24 “Who” charming back to school character cards
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32 “What” action cards with seasonal and thematic activities
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32 “Where” location cards such as “in the hallway” and “in the classroom”
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24 “When” time cards like “yesterday at snack time” and “early this morning”
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32 “Why” reason cards such as “to meet new friends” and “to show kindness”
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1 Visual sentence-building mat to support sentence formulation
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1 Student worksheet for independent practice and homework
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2 Versions: black-bordered for general use and color-coded for differentiation
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Digital Google Slides with movable cards and playmat
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Clear, easy-to-follow implementation instructions
You’ll appreciate how this resource turns structured sentence-building into a fun, interactive activity. Students stay engaged while targeting key skills like WH-question comprehension, sentence structure, grammar, and storytelling. The seasonal vocabulary makes it easy to spark conversations and personalize learning. It’s low prep, visually supported, and adaptable for a range of learners and session types.
Additional Details:
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Ideal for Grades K–6th
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Includes both printable color and black-and-white options for easy prep
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Minimal prep—simply print, cut, laminate, and go
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Versatile for individual or group therapy sessions
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Aligned with Evidence-Based Practices (EBP)
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Adaptable for various ability levels and therapy goals
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Great for use during September or back to school season
Perfect For
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Sentence building and formulation
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WH question practice
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Grammar and syntax development
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Vocabulary expansion
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Narrative skills
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Following directions
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Critical thinking
Implementation Tips:
Start simple by having students create basic sentences using 2-3 components, then gradually add more elements as they progress. Challenge advanced students to move sentence parts around or create silly stories. The activity works great as a quick warm-up or full session material.
Jenny A. –
I’m in my CF year and was feeling overwhelmed about planning for the start of school. This resource was exactly what I needed. The back to school themes like classroom routines and school supplies made it easy to build rapport with new students while also targeting sentence formulation and WH questions. The mix-and-match card format is really intuitive and my students picked it up quickly.
Elena –
Great back to school activity!
Andrea Y. –
Perfect for the first week of school!