Sometimes when I’m reading, I stop and reread–not because I haven’t understood what I’ve read but because I want to savour the sentence.
I teach students to do the same: to find a phrase or sentence they like or that stands out to them in some way. I provide small Post-it Notes if they want to flag the passage, or larger Post-it Notes if they want to copy it down. (They usually want to copy it down–which can also help them understand what they like about it!) We share our sentences with each other and talk about the craft of the writer. What do they like about the sentence? Is it the word choice or alliteration, the rhythm or the structure? Did the writer use sensory language or an image that captured their attention?
Consider the conversations that might occur when discussing these sentences:
“Down, down in the depths of the sunless sea, deep, deep in the cold, cold dark, creatures, strange and fearsome lurk.” Candace Fleming, Giant Squid
“I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
“Our lives will twist and twist, intermingling the old and the new until it doesn’t matter which is which.” Thanhha Lai, Inside Out and Back Again
“Sometimes Morris would become lost in a book and scarcely emerge for days.” William Joyce, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
When students learn to savour sentences when they are reading, it can inspire them to be more intentional when writing. When students say, “Listen to this…” we know they are thinking about their craft as a writer, considering how the sentence sounds.