Helping pupils move beyond simple sentences can be a challenge - especially in early writing. Many pupils can form a complete sentence but adding detail and creating vivid imagery is a bigger step. Today, I wanted to take a closer look at a simple but powerful resource on LearningGrids: the Expanding Sentences Connect Set. It’s a flexible activity that helps pupils explore how small changes can transform their writing.

Why I chose this Clicker Set

Expanding Sentences is straightforward - but highly effective. It gives pupils an accessible way to experiment with language and see immediate results.

This Connect Set:

• Helps pupils see how adding detail transforms their writing
  
  
• Strengthens understanding of sentence structure and parts of speech
  
  
• Encourages creativity with no single 'right answer'
  
  
• Can be easily adapted to meet a wide range of pupil needs

This activity is ideal for early primary school pupils or any learners who are developing confidence with sentence structure and descriptive language.

How I would use the resource

Each grid in the Expanding Sentences set starts with a simple sentence and provides pupils with descriptive words and phrases to build upon it. While pupils can use the set independently, I find it especially powerful as a whole-class teaching tool.

I would begin by writing a simple sentence from the grid, for example: 'A dog barked'. Then, I’d temporarily hide the Clicker Grid and ask: What makes this a sentence? What do we need for it to be complete? We’d identify the subject and verb, confirming that it is a complete sentence. But I’d ask: Is it interesting? Does it tell us very much?

Next, I'd reintroduce the Clicker Grid and explore how we can expand the sentence by adding descriptive language, such as adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.

Together, we might create sentences like: 'A tiny dog barked ferociously at the children' or 'A huge stray dog barked relentlessly by the gate'.

We'd then compare these to the original sentence: What’s different? What new details do we have? What picture do these sentences create in your mind? This discussion helps pupils see that while the structure remains the same, the added detail makes the writing far more engaging and meaningful.

Pupils can then continue independently, using the other grids to create a range of descriptive sentences. I might challenge them to create sentences that paint very different pictures from the same starting point.

How I might adapt the activity

One of the strengths of this resource is how easily it can be adjusted to suit different learners.

Simplify the task

For some pupils, I would reduce the number of options. For example, I might remove the adverbs cluster in Edit Mode. This way pupils could just focus on adding an adjective to describe the subject and expanding the sentence with a prepositional phrase. This keeps the task manageable while still building key skills.

Encourage pupil-generated language

It’s important that pupils know they’re not limited to the grid. For example, a pupil might select: 'A heavy parcel arrived…' and then add their own idea, such as: '…in the classroom'. This reinforces that the grid is a support - not a limit.

Increase interaction and engagement

To deepen engagement, I might replace grid options with parts of speech labels. I could ask pupils to suggest their own adjectives or prepositional phrases. This turns the activity into a more collaborative and language-rich experience.

By the end of the lesson, pupils should see how including detail in their sentences and using descriptive language makes their writing more interesting and brings it to life for their readers.

Explore more

Try out the Expanding Sentences Connect Set with your class.

You might also find these helpful:

• Quick wins with Clicker’s writing support tools
  
  
• Supporting writing in Early Years
  
  
• On-demand webinar - Using Clicker to support a whole class writing journey