Brilliant Activities for Grammar and Punctuation, Year 1

Description

The rules of grammar and punctuation are not always easy to access and absorb – or even to teach. It is difficult for children to make the leap from speaking and writing to talking about speaking and writing and to think in the abstract about the words of the language. The ability or readiness to do this requires a certain way of thinking and, for the most part, repetition is the key.

The sheets for this series are all written to add to the children’s understanding of these fairly abstract ideas. They aim to improve children’s ability to use English effectively and accurately in their own writing and speaking.

The sheets contain oral as well as written contexts because grammar and punctuation are not just about writing. Sometimes the way children have learned to speak is not always grammatically correct, but it is the way of speaking that they own. We always have to be aware of instances of regional or familial language and make the point that what we are teaching is what is known universally as ‘correct’ speech without deprecating the children’s own patterns of speech.

The children should always be encouraged to discuss what it is they are learning, to ask questions and to make observations. All of this discussion will help them to understand how the English language works.

The sheets are designed to be structured, but flexible so that they can be used to introduce a concept, as stand-alones or as follow-ons. The activities on the sheets can be used as templates to create lots more for practice and reinforcement purposes.

Each book aims to offer:

• groundwork for the introduction of new concepts
• a range of relevant activities
• ideas for continuation
• opportunity for reinforcement
• simple and clear definition of concepts and terms
• opportunities for assessing learning
• clear information to teachers.

The sheets are designed for the practice, reinforcement and consolidation of grammar and punctuation skills and they address the requirements laid out in the Programmes of Study in the September 2014 National Curriculum.

The books provide teachers with the tools they need to teach grammar effectively and will complement other language and literacy schemes of work. The activities teach the technical terms pupils need in order to be able to discuss language and promote the necessity of making the children’s learning functional. When pupils properly understand the effects that grammar and punctuation have on text, they can transfer that knowledge to their own writing and thus develop their skills.

The books all include an assessment checklist and answers.

Grammar and punctuation can sometimes be a hard grind, but nothing feels so good to a teacher as a pupil, eyes shining, saying, ‘Oh, I get that now!’ Once they ‘get’ a concept they never lose it and you can watch it become functional in their writing and, hopefully, hear it become functional in their speaking.

Look inside.