It’s hard to make grammar fun or engaging.
I totally get it.
I’d love to share a few of my favorites with you!
1. Picture Books, of Course
First off, I LOVE the Words are CATegorical books, and my students do too.
They’ve actually been on my wish list for years, but I don’t own any hard copies. Many of these books can be found on Epic, so I typically read the eBook with my class.
The books’ topics align perfectly with 2nd – 4th grade standards (which are super similar as they just build upon one another.) My kids giggle at the illustrations, which makes the texts memorable for them.
2. Scavenger Hunt
A go-to, no-prep activity that I often use for grammar practice is what I call a “scavenger hunt.” It’s nothing fancier, and the name probably makes it sound more fun than it is – ha!
Essentially, I have my students grab books from their book boxes and find examples of the current skill in context. I’ll have them write what they can find in their grammar notebooks or on sticky notes that we turn into a giant anchor chart. If applicable, they’ll make a T-chart to sort examples that they find.
Easy peasy!
3. Puzzles
Shameless plug – My kids LOVE grammar puzzles. They are always a hit, all year long.
There are so many ways that the puzzles can be used:
- early finishers
- centers
- small group hook or closing
- formative assessment
- independent or partners
I introduce new puzzles as I introduce new skills.
Read more about my grammar puzzles in this blog post.
4. Gamify
Before an assessment on a new grammar skill, we always spend some class time practicing by using games. My favorites for gamifying grammar are Kahoot and Quizizz, both of which have tons of premade games for you to sue with your students. Win-win!
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