Sentence Sparks Slides Sentence Architects • Level 1
Expressive Language & Syntax Workshop
Building Mighty Sentences
Stack colorful word blocks to turn simple thoughts into powerful, crystal-clear sentences.
Step 1: Who? Step 2: Doing What? Step 3: Where?
Speech & Language Foundations
1
The 3 Essential Building Blocks
Blueprint Basics
Yellow Block
WHO?
The subject: person, animal, or character doing the action.
"The fuzzy bear..."
Green Block
DOING WHAT?
The action: what the subject is doing right now.
"...is scooping honey..."
Purple Block
WHERE?
The location: where the action takes place.
"...in the tall tree!"
Golden Rule: Every strong sentence needs at least WHO and DOING WHAT!
Try it out →
2
Watch the Sentence Grow
Model & Expand
Simple The puppy sleeps.
2 Parts (Who + Action)
Stronger The fluffy puppy is napping on the rug.
+ Location
Mighty! The sleepy puppy curls up by the fireplace because it is cold.
+ Reason (Why)
Notice how adding each block paints a clearer movie in the listener's mind! Your turn next!
3
Architect Team Challenge
Whole Group Build
Look at the mystery prompt:
Picture: An astronaut drinking juice in space
1. Name WHO:
The brave astronaut
2. Tell WHAT ACTION:
sips floating juice
3. Add WHERE:
inside the spaceship!
"The brave astronaut sips floating juice inside the spaceship!"
Ready for independent practice? Grab your Sentence Builder Worksheet! Let's Build!
Sentence Builder Worksheet Level 1 • Expressive Syntax Speech & Language Resource
Sentence Builder Blueprint
Name:
Date:
🟡 1. WHO (Subject)
🟢 2. DOING WHAT (Action)
🟣 3. WHERE (Place)
A
Mix & Match Sentence Blocks
Draw lines to connect one block from each column to build 3 sensible sentences.
Who?
The hungry chef
A fluffy kitten
Two friendly robots
Doing What?
chases a red yarn ball
bakes warm bread
fix a broken spaceship
Where?
in the bustling bakery.
on the living room rug.
at the moon station.
B
Build & Write Your Sentences
Write complete sentences below using the matching blocks above or creating your own.
1. Chef Blueprint Who + Doing What + Where
2. Kitten Blueprint Who + Doing What + Where
3. Robot Blueprint Who + Doing What + Where
Tip: Read your sentence out loud to check if it sounds smooth! Page 1 of 2
Level 1 • Sentence Expansion
Sentence Expansion Lab
Building 4-Part Mighty Sentences
C
Expand the Weak Sentences
These sentences are too short! Add descriptive words, location, and reason to make them mighty.
Short Sentence: "The frog jumps." Add: Which frog? Where? Why?
Expanded:
Short Sentence: "The girl painted." Add: What did she paint? Where? How did she feel?
Expanded:
D
Independent Scene Builder
Pick an animal or person and build your own 4-part sentence from scratch.
1. Who?
2. Action?
3. Where?
4. Why?
Speech Architect Self-Check
Started with a capital letter Included WHO did the action Included an ACTION verb Added a punctuation mark (. ! ?)
Great job building mighty sentences today! Page 2 of 2
Describing Powers Slides Sentence Architects • Level 2
Expressive Vocabulary & Attribute Training
Describing Champions
Unlock the secret clues to describe anything in the world with precision, flair, and confidence!
Category Function Appearance Location
Descriptive Speech System
1
The 4 Super Describing Clues
Inspector Toolkit
CATEGORY
What group is it in?
Animal, food, vehicle, furniture, or tool.
FUNCTION
What does it do?
Used for cutting, flying, eating, or writing.
APPEARANCE
How does it look?
Color, shape, size, feel, or smell.
LOCATION
Where do you find it?
Kitchen, jungle, ocean, school, or bedroom.
Whenever you describe an item, aim to give at least 3 super clues! See an example →
2
Model: Describing a Fire Truck
Full Description
1
Category
"It is an emergency emergency vehicle."
2
Function
"Firefighters use it to spray water and put out fires."
3
Appearance
"It is bright red, huge, and has flashing sirens."
4
Location
"You find it parked at the fire station."
Champion Description Put Together:
"A fire truck is a red emergency vehicle with flashing lights that firefighters use to rescue people and extinguish fires."
Notice how clear and vivid the listener's mental picture becomes! Mystery Game Next →
3
Detective Clue Riddle
Solve & Explain
Guess the Secret Item from the 4 Clues:
Category:
Tropical Fruit
Function:
Eaten for a sweet, healthy snack
Appearance:
Yellow, curved, and peeled by hand
Location:
Grows in bunches on tall jungle trees
Mystery Item: A Banana! 🍌
All 4 Clues Matched!
Now open your Mystery Describers Worksheet to describe items independently! Go Detectives!
Mystery Describers Worksheet Level 2 • Expressive Describing Speech & Language Resource
Mystery Describers Worksheet
Name:
Date:
🏷️ 1. Category
⚙️ 2. Function
🎨 3. Appearance
📍 4. Location
A
Deconstruct the Item: School Backpack
Fill in each clue box to describe a school backpack with specific attributes.
🏷️ What category does it belong to?
⚙️ What is its function / what do you use it for?
🎨 How does it look (shape, color, straps, zippers)?
📍 Where is it usually found or kept?
B
Solve the Mystery & Build the Sentence
Read the 4 clues below, identify the mystery object, and write one complete champion sentence.
Category: Kitchen utensil
Function: Used for eating soup or cereal
Appearance: Shiny silver, curved bowl, long handle
Location: In the silverware drawer
Mystery Object Name:
Write the complete champion description sentence:
Champion Describers give rich details so everyone can picture it! Page 1 of 2
Level 2 • Independent Application
My Secret Object Blueprint
Create & Challenge a Partner
C
Choose Your Secret Item
Pick an animal, food, toy, or vehicle. Keep it secret from your partner and map out your 4 clues.
My Secret Item (shh!):
🏷️ Clue 1: Category
What group or family does it belong to?
⚙️ Clue 2: Function / Action
What does it do or what is it used for?
🎨 Clue 3: Appearance & Parts
Size, color, shape, texture, or parts:
📍 Clue 4: Location
Where does it live, stay, or get stored?
D
Grand Champion Description
Combine your 4 clues into one complete, fluent paragraph or complex sentence to read aloud to a partner.
Partner Listening Check
Partner Name: ________________
Category Function Appearance Location
Speech & Language Expressive Skills Mastery Page 2 of 2
Core Board Slides Sentence Architects • Level 3
AAC & Multimodal Communication
Every Voice Matters
Power up your communication using core words, visual symbols, and partner modeling!
Core Words Aided Modeling Sentence Strips
AAC Access For All
1
What Are Core Words?
High-Frequency Power
80% OF SPEECH
Just 40–50 core words make up the majority of everything we say every single day.
USED ANYWHERE
Words like GO, STOP, MORE, LIKE, HELP work across art, recess, snack, and math!
EXPANDABLE
Combine core words into 2, 3, or 4-part phrases to express thoughts, needs, and jokes.
Core words empower students to initiate, reject, comment, and question! Partner modeling steps →
2
Partner Modeling: Point & Speak
Aided Language Input
1
Point While You Talk
Touch 1 or 2 key symbols on the board while speaking your natural sentence out loud.
2
Pause & Wait Patiently (5–10 Seconds)
Give expectant processing time without repeating the question immediately.
3
Validate All Communication Modes
Vocalizations, gestures, eye gaze, sign, and board selections are all genuine language!
No demand, no test — just authentic conversational modeling! See combinations →
3
Combining Words on the AAC Board
Multi-Word Power
Requesting / Desiring
I WANT + MORE
"I want more bubbles / snack!"
Directing Action
GO + OUTSIDE
"Let's go outside to play!"
Social Commenting
I + LIKE + THAT
"I really like this book!"
Self-Advocacy
STOP + PLEASE
"Please stop, I need a break."
Now explore the printable Core Communication Board! Printable Board →
Core Communication Board Universal Core Vocabulary Board
Multimodal AAC Communication System • 30 Locations
Student: _________________
Date: _________
Visual Sentence Strip (Point or place icons across): read left to right
[ WHO / I ]
[ ACTION / WANT ]
[ WHAT / MORE ]
[ WHERE / PLEASE ]
I / ME
YOU
WANT
LIKE
MORE
ALL DONE
GO
STOP
HELP
LOOK / SEE
PLAY
MAKE
GET
FEEL
NOT / NO
YES
UP
DOWN
BIG
LITTLE
GOOD
BAD
IN
ON
HELLO
BYE
PLEASE
WHAT?
WHERE?
THAT / THING
Pronoun Verb Descriptor Prep/Question Social
Page 1 of 2
AAC Companion
Fringe Vocabulary & Partner Guide
Cut-out fringe cards & sentence frames
Reusable Visual Sentence Frames Cut along dotted lines to create handheld strips
REQUEST:
I WANT +
[ fringe word ]
COMMENT:
I + SEE +
[ fringe word ]
ADVOCATE:
I + NEED + HELP
Classroom Fringe Topic Cards (Cut & Swap)
Tablet / iPad
Storybook
Art Paint
Bouncy Ball
Water / Drink
Snack / Food
Restroom
Quiet Break
Communication Partner Best Practices (SLP / Teacher / Aide)
1. Model Without Demanding
Point to 1-2 words on the board while talking naturally. Never force a student's hand to touch a symbol.
2. Respect Wait Time
Wait a full 5 to 10 seconds before offering another prompt. Processing motor and visual cues takes time.
3. Expand by +1 Word
If the student selects "GO", you model "GO OUTSIDE" or "GO FAST". Build upward gently!
4. Multimodal Acceptance
Gestures, sounds, signs, and AAC are equally valid. Acknowledge and reinforce any intentional communication.
Sentence Architects • Multimodal AAC & Core Vocabulary Page 2 of 2
