Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Linking Words Sorting Garden: Free Printable Chart for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Linking Words Sorting Garden is a free printable chart for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children cut out cards of linking words and phrases and plant each one in the right bed of a table. The beds sort the links by the job they do. Page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children get cards to cut out, each showing a linking word or phrase. They read each one, think about the job it does in a piece of writing, and decide what kind of link it makes. Then they write it in the right column of the table: Time, Contrast, or Cause and result. The theme is a garden, so every word is planted in the right bed. It is quiet, careful sorting that gets children thinking about how sentences connect.
- Meanwhile
- However
- Therefore
- Afterwards
- In contrast
- As a result
- Finally
- On the other hand
- Consequently
- Time
- Contrast
- Cause and result
Ways to build on the sheet
Say it in a sentence
Pick a card and say a sentence that uses the word. Then say the sentence that comes before it. Does the link make sense between the two?
Try another word from the same bed
Swap one linking word for another from the same column. Ask whether the meaning stays the same or changes a little. Talk about why.
Move the link
Some linking words can sit in the middle of a sentence as well as at the start. Try moving one and read both versions aloud. Notice where the commas go.
Why linking words matter
Linking adverbials are words and phrases that join ideas. They often come at the start of a sentence and tell the reader how it connects to what came before. Some show when things happen. Some show that two ideas differ. Some show that one thing led to another. Without them, writing can feel like a list of separate sentences.
In Year 5 and 6, the grammar programme of study asks children to build cohesion within and across paragraphs. Linking adverbials are one of the main tools for this. Sorting them by the job they do helps children choose a link on purpose, rather than reaching for the same one each time. It also makes their own writing easier to follow.
Skills and curriculum link
- Linking adverbials
- Sorting and classifying
- Cohesion
- Reading for meaning
- Sentence building
Ideas that help with linking words
- Ask what job the word doesBefore sorting, ask what the link tells the reader. It might show when something happens, how two ideas differ, or why one thing follows another.
- Look at the sentence beforeA linking adverbial points back to what has just been said. Say a sentence first, then add the link and a second sentence, and listen to how they join.
- Notice the commaA linking adverbial at the start of a sentence is usually followed by a comma. Reading aloud helps children hear the small pause.
- Some links can moveMany linking words can sit at the start or in the middle of a sentence. The job the word does stays the same wherever it goes.
Key words
- Linking adverbialA word or phrase that joins one idea to another. It often comes at the start of a sentence.
- CohesionHow well the parts of a text hold together so it flows and is easy to follow.
- ParagraphA group of sentences about one idea or one part of a story.
- ContrastShowing how two ideas or things are different from each other.
- CauseThe reason something happens.
- ResultWhat happens because of something else.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Cut out the cards together. Read each linking word aloud so your child hears how it sounds.
- Take the first go together. Pick a card, say what kind of link it makes, then write it in the table.
- Let your child sort the rest alone. Ask them to explain a few choices out loud.
- Check against the answers on page 2. Come back another day and try making sentences with the words.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Take one word at a time. Say a short sentence using it, then ask what the word tells the reader. Make one example sentence for a word from each column and check it makes sense. Read each sentence aloud to hear whether it works.
To stretch confident children
Write a short paragraph of four sentences, using one linking word from each column. Read it aloud and check it flows. Then swap one word for a different link from the same column. Does the meaning stay the same or shift a little?
Make it a game
Tell a story in turns. Each player must begin their sentence with a linking word. Use the cards from the sheet as prompts. Keep going until someone cannot think of a link that makes sense, then start a new story.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child sorts a word by how it looks or sounds, not by what it does.
Try thisPut the word between two sentences and ask what it tells the reader. Focus on the job the link does.
Watch forA word seems to fit more than one column and the child gets stuck.
Try thisMake a short sentence for each column and read them aloud. Ask which one makes the best sense and why.
Watch forA child writes a linking word at the start of a sentence with no comma.
Try thisRead the sentence aloud and listen for the pause after the link. Show that a comma usually goes there.
Talk about it
- What does a linking word tell the reader that the sentence alone does not?
- Can you think of a time you said a word like these in everyday talk?
- Which word on the cards would you use most often in your own writing? Why?
- What would happen to a story if every sentence started with the same link?
- Can two words in the same bed mean exactly the same thing? Try them in a sentence.
- How does a paragraph feel when it has no links at all?
Take it off the page
Garden labels
Draw a garden with a few beds. Label each bed with a type of link, then write your own linking words on paper flowers and plant them in the right beds.
Story chain at the table
Take turns adding one sentence to a made up story. Every sentence must start with a linking word. Notice how the story holds together.
Link spotting
Look through a favourite book or a newspaper article for linking words. Write down three you find and say what each one tells the reader.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first card, then let them lead. Ask them to explain their thinking, not only to place the word. Short, calm sessions work better than long ones. Praise careful thinking, and come back to it another day.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary after teaching linking adverbials, an early finisher task or a supply cover activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider English plan. It pairs well with reading, story writing and everyday conversation. Use the sentence building idea to link it to your child's own writing, and print again for brothers, sisters or revision later.
Where this fits in learning
Earlier in Key Stage 2, children use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to show ideas such as time and cause. They begin to notice how a word can join one sentence to the next. This sheet builds on that, with a closer look at the job each link does.
After this, children choose linking words on purpose in their own writing, so paragraphs connect smoothly. In later years they use the same skill in longer pieces such as explanations, stories and arguments. Sorting words by purpose is a good first step towards that.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Linking Words Sorting Garden for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Younger children who already use simple linking words may enjoy it with help, and older children can use it as a quick revision task.
- What will children practise?
Children practise using linking adverbials to build cohesion within and across paragraphs, as set out in the Year 5 and 6 English grammar programme of study. They do this by sorting linking words by the job each one does.
- Does the sheet include answers?
Yes. Page 2 is for the grown-up and includes the answers, along with notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea. Keep it aside until your child has finished.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so no colour ink is needed. You will need safe scissors to cut out the cards.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper, a pencil and scissors for the cards. It works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays, and it gets children reading, thinking and talking about sentences.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Slow down and take one word at a time. Ask your child to make one example sentence for a word from each column and check it makes sense. Reading the sentences aloud helps them hear whether the link works.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.