4 Steps to Teaching Transitional Phrases with Pumpkin Jack

They add a touch of class and voice to their writing, and really help you experience their unique perspective.
LOL! No, they don’t.
Students who use these tired transitional phrases tend to write in a simplistic manner. Authentic transition use can take a moderate piece of writing and turn it into a very strong one.
This blog hop is pretty exciting. As you click through each post, collect the “mystery word.” You can record them on this sheet. Then, enter the rafflecopter to win every book! You’ll also collect a great freebie to use with a mentor text for teaching a reading or writing skill or strategy!
To use a mentor text as a model, this is the procedure I follow:
Step 1: Notice It! Read aloud a great mentor book that demonstrates the craft you want to try with students. Pumpkin Jack does a great job of using transitional phrases naturally. As you read, mark the phrases with post-its, thinking about how they convey the passing of time.
Step 2: Name it! Name the strategy and introduce it explicitly. When you name it, make sure to discuss with students how the craft adds something purposeful to the author’s writing.
In Pumpkin Jack, you can discuss the following points:
- Transitional phrases are used to show the passing of time.
- They all sound different.
- Some show a short time has passed; some show a long time has passed.
- They are written in different places in a sentence and in a paragraph.
This would also be a good time to chart the transitional phrases by purpose, like in the anchor chart below.
Step 4: Students try it! Have students try to use the craft in their writing. It might be easier to have them revise a piece of writing in a piece they’ve already written to use the craft.
For transitional phrases, have students read their pieces to find where time has passed. Add in a transitional phrase that moves the piece from one time to the next. Refer back to your anchor chart of the transitions from Pumpkin Jack.
For a fun activity to do to help you “Notice It, Name It, and Try It,” check out my new freebie on TPT for Teaching Transitions with Pumpkin Jack! It includes lesson ideas and tools for teaching students to use transitional phrases appropriately in their narratives. There’s even a story for you to model revising with transitional phrases!
Thank you so much! Great ideas
Excellent lesson! I love how you walked through it all. I especially love the chart with the steps. Thanks for joining in, and I appreciate the freebie!
This is great! Thanks for all the details in how you take students through this. Having taught first and second, there's a whole lot of first, then, after…but they really will go beyond that if it is modeled for them and available on anchor charts.
Jessica
Literacy Spark