Magnetic Grammar Lessons

Are your kiddos struggling with "boring grammar workbooks?" If so, here's an alternative that's working for our boys... magnetic word tiles! We purchased several boxes of Magnetic Poetry (original, happiness, and Shakespeare versions), and we're using these entertaining collections in lieu of workbooks this month. So far, so good!

Basically, I give each of the boys a cookie/baking pan (because the tiles are magnetic), and then I dump a handful of words onto each pan. After a brief grammar lesson (say, for example, a 30-second explanation of adverbs), I challenge the boys to create a wacky and/or interesting sentence to demonstrate their understanding of the day's topic. An adverb day might result in sentences like "I frequently battle radioactive asteroids" or "The boy quietly smuggled ten dozen donuts into his karate class." My kiddos are goofy boys, so they're always aiming to outdo one another in the comedy department. The sillier the sentence, the better. This, of course, is one of the reasons why the boys prefer these word tiles over their buttoned-up grammar workbooks... well, that and the lack of actual writing too, which can be tedious for my 2nd grader. As the teacher, I appreciate the enthusiasm with which the boys whip out ten or twelve sentences in a matter of minutes... it's easy to see if they truly understand the day's lesson. Win, win! ;-)

Yesterday, the challenge was simple... the boys had to pull together a complete sentence from a rather small allotment of words. Here's what they came up with:

The sentences are silly, I know, but they highlight the boys' grasp of several concepts, including subject-verb agreement, vocabulary (like mortal), and the enriching benefit of adjectives.

As far as grammar lessons go, the possibilities are endless with these word tiles:

-sort verbs and nouns (and then choose your fav of each)

-find synonyms

-find antonyms

-punctuation review (use a dry erase marker on the baking pan)

-discuss when to add "s" vs. "es" to make a noun plural

-discuss when to add "er" vs. "est" in comparisons

-review verb tense

-alphabetize the words (in 3 minutes, perhaps?)

-review the subject and predicate

-dress up sentences with "juicy" adjectives (villainous, scrumptious, etc.)

-choose strong verbs (saunter, lurk, exclaim, etc.)

-create sentences with independent clauses and dependent clauses (use a dry erase marker to separate independent clauses with a comma)

-create sentences with conjunctions

-have the kiddos challenge a sibling to create a sentence with a specific word (my boys love trying to stump each other - they look for the most ridiculous words in the bunch for these challenges)

-close your eyes and pluck 3 words from the pan... now challenge the kids to create a story using these 3 words (oral storytelling is excellent for kids of ALL ages!)

This list could go on and on. Nearly ANY grammar lesson from ANY "boring workbook" could be taught with these magnetic tiles... just an idea for those needing a break from the same ol' stuff! ;-)

Happy homeschooling, folks! (Remember, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB!!!)