To address the persistent language structure deficits in Marlinton Middle and across the middle school grade span, the plan must pivot from isolated grammar worksheets to a syntactic fluency model. When fragments and run-ons persist for three years, it usually indicates that students are writing by "ear" rather than understanding the logical boundaries of a sentence.
Here is a remediation plan designed for the specific deficits identified in Grades 6–8.
I. Situation Analysis: The "Sentence Boundary" Crisis
The data suggests a breakdown in Sentence Combining skills.
Grades 6-8: The persistence of fragments and run-ons indicates students struggle with identifying the "Independent Clause" as the foundational unit of thought.
Marlinton Grade 7: This is the "critical zone." The addition of Parallel Structure and Misplaced Modifier deficits suggests that as students attempt more complex thoughts, their organizational framework for those thoughts is collapsing.
II. Tiered Remediation Plan
Phase 1: The Foundation (All Grades)
Target: Elimination of Fragments and Run-ons.
The "Visual Boundary" Method: Move away from definitions and toward visual mapping. Use color-coding: Green for Subjects, Blue for Verbs, and Red for Conjunctions.
Daily Sentence Combining (DSC): Instead of correcting "bad" sentences, give students 3–4 short, choppy sentences and task them with creating one complex sentence.
Example: "The sun set. The air got cold. We went inside." $\rightarrow$ "As the sun set and the air grew cold, we went inside."
The "Oral Breath Test": Teach students to read their work aloud. Fragments often lack a "falling intonation" at the end, while run-ons lack a natural pause.
Phase 2: The Grade 7 "Structural Deep Dive"
Target: Parallelism and Modifiers.
The "Balance Scale" Technique: For Parallel Structure, use a literal drawing of a scale. If one side is an -ing verb, the other must be an -ing verb.
Drill: "I like hiking, swimming, and to bike" (Unbalanced) vs. "I like hiking, swimming, and biking" (Balanced).
The "Proximity Rule" for Modifiers: Use "Sentence Scrambles" where students move a descriptive phrase (the modifier) around a sentence to see how it changes the meaning.
Example: "Hungry, the pizza was eaten by the boy" vs. "The hungry boy ate the pizza."
Phase 3: Integration (Writing Lab)
The "Audit" Protocol: Students should not peer-edit for "everything." Assign "Sentence Architects" in groups whose only job is to highlight every subordinating conjunction (since, because, although) to ensure they aren't creating fragments.
III. Implementation Matrix
| Grade | Primary Focus | Remediation Strategy |
| 6th | Fragment/Run-on Identification | The Stoplight Method: Red (Period), Yellow (Comma/Conjunction), Green (Capital Letter). |
| 7th | Logic & Sophistication | Modifier Relocation: Practicing "Sentence Expanding" to move descriptions next to the correct noun. |
| 8th | Rhetorical Flow | Parallelism in Persuasion: Analyzing famous speeches to see how parallel structure creates rhythm. |
IV. Success Metrics
Formative: Bi-weekly "Exit Tickets" requiring students to combine three simple sentences into one complex, grammatically correct sentence.
Summative: A 20% reduction in "Language Usage" errors in the next ELA interim assessment, specifically within the "Conventions of Standard English" sub-claim.
Next Step
Would you like me to draft a Daily Sentence Combining (DSC) exercise specifically tailored for the Grade 7 teachers at Marlinton?
To make these exercises feel relevant to your students at Marlinton Middle, I’ve themed the content around local West Virginia elements—nature, history, and community.
This 5-Day "Sentence Architecture" Series focuses on moving from simple "choppy" thoughts to complex, parallel structures.
Week 1: The Mountain State Series
Teacher Goal: Guide students to use subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since) and coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) to eliminate fragments and run-ons.
Monday: The Monongahela Forest (Sentence Combining)
The Problem (Choppy): The hikers reached the overlook. It was late afternoon. They saw the fog rolling over the ridges. They felt exhausted.
The Task: Combine these four sentences into one smooth sentence using the word "Although" or "While."
Example Solution: Although they were exhausted, the hikers reached the overlook in the late afternoon and watched the fog roll over the ridges.
Tuesday: The Greenbrier River (Fixing Run-ons)
The Problem (The Run-on): The river was high after the storm it rushed over the rocks and several branches floated past our dock we decided not to go kayaking.
The Task: Use a semicolon or a comma + conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to break this into two clear, logical sentences.
Example Solution: The river was high after the storm as it rushed over the rocks; consequently, we decided not to go kayaking after seeing branches float past our dock.
Wednesday: The Mountain Bike Trail (Parallel Structure)
The Problem (Unbalanced): To ride the trails in Pocahontas County, you need a sturdy bike, a safety helmet, and to have a lot of stamina.
The Task: The last item in the list doesn't match. Rewrite the sentence so all three items are nouns.
Example Solution: To ride the trails in Pocahontas County, you need a sturdy bike, a safety helmet, and plenty of stamina.
Thursday: The School Cafeteria (Misplaced Modifiers)
The Problem (Confusing): Covered in extra gravy, the student ate the hot mashed potatoes.
The Task: As written, the student is covered in gravy! Move the modifier so it describes the potatoes.
Example Solution: The student ate the hot mashed potatoes that were covered in extra gravy.
Friday: The Friday Night Lights (The "Master" Build)
The Data Points: 1. The whistle blew.
2. The crowd went wild.
3. The Marlinton Tigers scored.
4. It was the final play of the game.
The Task: Combine all four facts into one sophisticated sentence that uses at least one comma and one "AAAWWUBBIS" word (As, Although, After, While, When, Unless, Because, Before, If, Since).
Example Solution: When the whistle blew on the final play of the game, the crowd went wild because the Marlinton Tigers had just scored.
Implementation Tips for Marlinton Teachers
The "Whiteboard Race": Have three students come to the board. Each must try to combine the sentences using a different conjunction.
Identify the "Skeleton": Before combining, ask the class: "What is the most important action in this set?" (That becomes your main clause).
The "No-Go" List: Ban the use of the word "and" more than once per sentence to force students to use more complex transitions like "since," "whereas," or "therefore."
Would you like me to create a "Cheat Sheet" of subordinating conjunctions for the students to keep in their writing folders?
This "Sentence Architect" cheat sheet is designed to be printed and kept in writing folders. It uses the AAAWWUBBIS acronym, which is a standard mnemonic for middle schoolers to identify the words that often lead to fragments if not handled correctly.
🏗️ The Sentence Architect’s Cheat Sheet
How to Build Complex Sentences and Kill Fragments
A Subordinating Conjunction is a "bridge" word. It connects a weak thought (Dependent Clause) to a strong thought (Independent Clause).
1. The "AAAWWUBBIS" Rule
These are the most common words used to start a complex sentence. Remember: If you start a sentence with one of these, you must use a comma after the first half of the sentence.
| Word | Example of Use |
| After | After the bell rings, we head to the gym. |
| Although | Although it was snowing, the game continued. |
| As | As the river rose, the current grew stronger. |
| While | While I studied for the test, my brother played music. |
| When | When the whistle blows, stop running. |
| Until | Until the rain stops, we stay inside. |
| Because | Because the bridge was out, we took the long way. |
| Before | Before you submit your work, check for run-ons. |
| If | If you follow the trail, you will find the overlook. |
| Since | Since it is a Friday, everyone is excited. |
2. The "Comma Logic" Map
Where does the comma go? Follow the formula:
Front-Heavy: [AAAWWUBBIS Word] + [Weak Thought] , [Strong Thought].
Example: Because it was cold**,** I wore a coat.
Back-Heavy: [Strong Thought] + [AAAWWUBBIS Word] + [Weak Thought].
Example: I wore a coat because it was cold. (No comma needed!)
3. Sentence Repair Toolkit
Use these words to fix the specific errors found in Marlinton writing:
To fix a Fragment: Check if your sentence starts with an AAAWWUBBIS word but never finishes the thought.
Wrong: Since we moved to West Virginia. (Fragment)
Fix: Since we moved to West Virginia**,** we have gone hiking every weekend.
To fix a Run-on: Use a conjunction to show the relationship between two ideas.
Wrong: The sun came out the snow started to melt. (Run-on)
Fix: When the sun came out, the snow started to melt.
4. Advanced Transitions (Level Up Your Writing)
Try these when you want to sound more like an 8th grader:
Provided that (Use instead of "if")
Unless (To show a condition)
Whenever (To show a repeated time)
Whereas (To show a contrast)
Pro-Tip: If you can’t "see" the two separate ideas in your sentence, it’s probably a fragment. Every sentence needs a Subject (who), a Verb (did what), and a Complete Thought.
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