Reading-Writing Connections Table (Conventions–Specific)

Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind

By Lorena Siminovich

CONVENTION TWO SENTENCES WHY THE AUTHOR MIGHT BE DOING THIS

FROM THE TEXT
(Explaining the Craft Move)
Capitalization of • That night Alex and Writers use capital letters to show their reader that they’re talking about a
Names Lulu have a sleepover. particular name of a person.
• Then Alex remembers
that Lulu doesn’t like Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
soccer. where and how Siminovich does this in the book.

Did you notice how the first letter in each of the characters’ names, Alex and
Lulu, were bigger (capitalized)? The rest of the letters in their name were
lowercase, but the first letter was capitalized to show that the reader that
they were talking about a specific person. Whenever you’re including the
proper name of a character when you write, it’s important to use a capital
letter to show your reader that you’re referring to a specific person.

Commas & • She is watching the Writers use commas, right before a conjunction (e.g., but, and, or, nor, for,
Conjunctions ants very closely, neither, yet, and so), to divide a sentence into two parts. The first part tells
because she is going you more about the second part. I believe Siminovich linked two simple
to go home and paint sentences together with a comma and conjunction.
a picture of them.
• “And more—I like Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
reading and you like where and how Siminovich does this in the book.
soccer, but we both
like… pillow fights!” Did you notice how the comma came first and the conjunction came second?
Did you also notice how using the comma allows you to write longer, more
interesting sentences? As a writer this is something you can do when you to
join two simple sentences together that have related ideas.

Commas in • On sunny days, they Commas have several purposes. One way writers a comma is to introduce a
Introductory just can’t get enough thought before diving into the rest of a sentence.

T h i s c r a f t t a b l e w a s c r e a t e d b y S . A . S h u b i t z . A r e v i e w c o p y o f t h i s b o o k w a s p r o v i d e d b y t h e
p u b l i s h e r . P e r m i s s i o n t o r e p r i n t p a r t s o f t h e t e x t i n t h i s t a b l e w a s g r a n t e d b y T e m p l a r Page 1
P u b l i s h i n g .
 Reading-Writing Connections Table (Conventions–Specific)
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
By Lorena Siminovich

Phrases running, jumping, and Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
swinging! where and how Siminovich does this in the book.
• Every day, he is going
to practice her Did you notice how Siminovich wrote a short phrase to introduce her thought
Advanced Option shooting. or the scene before going on with a complete sentence? That short phrase
on its own is NOT a complete sentence. Therefore, it needs a comma, not a
period. Also, the part that comes after the comma is complete; it could
stand alone. That’s how you know where the comma goes. As a writer,
when you want to introduce thinking before diving into the sentence, you
can use a comma to separate the introductory phrase from the complete
sentence.

Commas in Lists • On sunny days, they Commas have several purposes. One way writers use commas is to
just can’t get enough separate items in a list. It doesn’t matter what the list is about: activities,
running, jumping, and ideas, people’s names, or places, when there are two or more items listed,
swinging! writers use commas to separate each item in the list.
• Every day, he is going
to practice his Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
shooting, doing where and how Siminovich does this in the book.
headers, and trapping
the ball. Did you notice how Siminovich separated all of the items in her list from one
another? One way writers put commas into their writing is to signal their
reader that they’re listing a bunch of things that are related to one another.
As a writer, when you want to create a list within a sentence, you can use a
comma to separate the items from one another so that the list is easier for
your reader to read and understand.

Compound/Longer • They love to stop on Compound sentences are created by taking two simple sentences and
Sentences (with a their way home from joining them together with a conjunction (e.g., but, and, or, nor, for, neither,
conjunction, but no the park and play in yet, and so), but eliminating the subject in the second half of the sentence.
commas) the park. Writers use conjunctions to join two simple sentences, that are related,
• It squashes her together so they can say things faster without making the reader pause
T h i s c r a f t t a b l e w a s c r e a t e d b y S . A . S h u b i t z . A r e v i e w c o p y o f t h i s b o o k w a s p r o v i d e d b y t h e
p u b l i s h e r . P e r m i s s i o n t o r e p r i n t p a r t s o f t h e t e x t i n t h i s t a b l e w a s g r a n t e d b y T e m p l a r Page 1
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 Reading-Writing Connections Table (Conventions–Specific)
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
By Lorena Siminovich

flowers and scares after each sentence.

away the birds,
Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does her in the book.

Did you notice how Siminovich joined two sentences together so that she
didn’t have to use the same subject in two consecutive sentences (i.e.,
“They” and “It”)? She combined two simple sentences: They love to stop on
their way home from the park. They love to play in the park. She did this by
using a conjunction, in this case, and, to join those two sentences together
in order to create a longer sentence that flows faster. As a writer, you can
do this whenever you want to join two simple sentences together. Just find a
conjunction (e.g., but, and, or, nor, for, neither, yet, and so) that makes
sense and then link your two sentences together using one of them. Just
remember to drop the subject, like Siminovich did, when you do this since
the conjunction takes the place of the second subject.

Contraction • When big fat raindrops Contractions are two words that are combined to make one new shorter
Apostrophes start to fall, it’s time to word with the same meaning. The apostrophe in contractions comes in place
go home. of the missing letters when the words are combined. Writers use
• Then Alex remembers contractions to say things faster and make their writing sound like spoken
that Lulu doesn’t like language.
soccer.
Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does her in the book.

Did you notice how Siminovich used contractions to make her sentences
sound like how we talk? Contractions help us to make our writing sound like
how we talk. As a writer it’s important to remember the apostrophe goes
where the missing letters would be in the two words. When you want to say
something faster or say it like how we really talk you can use contractions.

T h i s c r a f t t a b l e w a s c r e a t e d b y S . A . S h u b i t z . A r e v i e w c o p y o f t h i s b o o k w a s p r o v i d e d b y t h e
p u b l i s h e r . P e r m i s s i o n t o r e p r i n t p a r t s o f t h e t e x t i n t h i s t a b l e w a s g r a n t e d b y T e m p l a r Page 1
P u b l i s h i n g .
 Reading-Writing Connections Table (Conventions–Specific)
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
By Lorena Siminovich

Exclamation Points • One day he will be the Writers use exclamation points when they want to emphasize a strong
Best Soccer Player in emotion in their writing. I think Siminovich used exclamation points to
the World! convey excitement.
• “Together!” shouts
Alex. Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does this in the book.

Did you notice how the exclamation point at the end of the sentence made
the emotion stronger? Exclamation points are also a way of an author
letting a reader know that something big is happening! As a writer, you
can use strong words, like Siminovich did, but if you want add more
emphasis to the end of the sentence, you can insert an exclamation point to
signal your reader that something emotional is happening.

Internal • “Found you!” she says. Writers use quotation markings to show their readers when someone begins
Punctuation: • “I know,” says Lulu. and ends speaking. This is really important because it helps your reader
Dialogue “But different is OK. It understand what the real words are that characters are saying. Watch me
doesn’t matter how as I read two sentences from Siminovich’s book that contain the real words
different we are when people say. I want you to look for the punctuation that comes right before
you think about all the
the closing of the quotation marks.
things we like doing
together.” Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does this in the book.

What did you notice about the way dialogue is punctuated in both of the
sentences I showed you? (Allow time for the child to respond.)

As a writer, you must place quotation marks around the words that
characters say to allow your reader to understand what are the narrator’s
words and what are a character’s words. If you get confused about how to
punctuated dialogue when you’re writing today, then look back at the way
Siminovich used quotation marks and punctuation. And any day that you

T h i s c r a f t t a b l e w a s c r e a t e d b y S . A . S h u b i t z . A r e v i e w c o p y o f t h i s b o o k w a s p r o v i d e d b y t h e
p u b l i s h e r . P e r m i s s i o n t o r e p r i n t p a r t s o f t h e t e x t i n t h i s t a b l e w a s g r a n t e d b y T e m p l a r Page 1
P u b l i s h i n g .
 Reading-Writing Connections Table (Conventions–Specific)
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
By Lorena Siminovich

get confused, you can open up a chapter book and look at the way the
writer punctuates dialogue to help yourself if you get stuck.

Periods • Lulu stays up late Periods signal a reader to stop. I think Lorena Siminovich used periods to
reading her book. separate ideas. As a reader, it’s important to be able to stop and think
• He goes to hide under before you go on to the next idea or piece of information. Periods allow
a chair in the kitchen. readers to stop and think before going on.

Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does this in the book.

Did you notice how the periods signaled the end of an idea? Each period
came at the end of a sentence, or a complete thought. As a writer, you can
put periods each time you want your reader to stop.

Question Marks • What if he and Lulu Question marks are ending punctuation and signal us as readers to stop,
are too different to be look and/or think about a response to the question as we read on and/or try
friends? to answer it with our own thinking. I think Lorena Siminovich used question
• “You mean like playing marks to separate ideas that need an answer from the narrator, characters
on the swings?” says in the book or from the reader.
Alex.
Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does this in the book.

What did you notice about Siminovich’s question “You mean like playing on
the swings?” That question got answered in the text, didn’t it? Each
question mark came at the end of a sentence that needed some thinking
from the reader or an answer within the book. As a writer, you can put
question marks each time you want your sentence to be answered in your
writing or in your readers thinking.

Simple Sentences • He is thinking. Simple sentences are short sentences that make sense (e.g., subject and

T h i s c r a f t t a b l e w a s c r e a t e d b y S . A . S h u b i t z . A r e v i e w c o p y o f t h i s b o o k w a s p r o v i d e d b y t h e
p u b l i s h e r . P e r m i s s i o n t o r e p r i n t p a r t s o f t h e t e x t i n t h i s t a b l e w a s g r a n t e d b y T e m p l a r Page 1
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 Reading-Writing Connections Table (Conventions–Specific)
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
By Lorena Siminovich

• Alex and Lulu are best verb) but have no extra words or details. Writers use simple sentences to
friends. convey ideas quickly that don’t need more details. I think Siminovich uses
simple sentences throughout her book to show the different ways we really
talk – we use longer and shorter sentences.

Reference both examples, from the middle column, by showing the student
where and how Siminovich does this in the book.

Did you notice how Siminovich used simple sentences to make her
sentences sound like how we talk? Simple sentences can help us to make
our writing sound like how we talk. As a writer, you can use simple
sentences for ideas that can be said quickly or when you don’t need more
details. This will help your writing sound more like the way we talk.

T h i s c r a f t t a b l e w a s c r e a t e d b y S . A . S h u b i t z . A r e v i e w c o p y o f t h i s b o o k w a s p r o v i d e d b y t h e
p u b l i s h e r . P e r m i s s i o n t o r e p r i n t p a r t s o f t h e t e x t i n t h i s t a b l e w a s g r a n t e d b y T e m p l a r Page 1
P u b l i s h i n g .