While some will argue that grammar doesn’t matter and teachers should not waste time explicitly teaching it, many consider it absolutely necessary for effective communication. While I think that teaching grammar is vital, I also think that we, as teachers, must make sure that our grammar instruction is engaging, intentional, and organic (when possible)… which is certainly easier said than done.
Teaching Grammar can be a Time Suck
Teaching grammar can be monotonous and it’s hard to commit to sacrificing large blocks of time toward it when we know that most students will not find it particularly engaging. But I think that’s exactly it- we should be teaching grammar… but we should not be devoting a ton of time to it exclusively.
The trick is to integrate teaching grammar into all of our instruction. And the easiest place to start for elementary teachers would be to find a way to weave grammar instruction into writing lessons.
How to Fit Grammar Instruction In
Step #1: Get Cozy with Your Curriculum
Consult your district’s curriculum. I know… not the most exciting way to spend your time. But English Language Arts (ELA) programs are developed for schools with varying standards and you won’t want to waste time teaching skills if they’re not in your curriculum.
Check your district’s scope and sequence, if there is one available to you. If not- no worries, simply look at the standards for your grade level and go from there.
Step #2: Choose Your Focus
Choose a skill to focus on. Use the scope and sequence or choose something you know your students need help with as evidenced in their writing/speaking. Another option is to choose something that will lend itself to the writing instruction you are providing.
Step #3: Look for Opportunities to Integrate Instruction
Consider your writing lessons and look for ways you can incorporate teaching grammar. This doesn’t need to take a lot of time. It can be as simple as mentioning which word is a noun in the sentence you wrote. Or modeling how to use a contraction while writing a narrative story.
Keep it natural- this will become easier the more you do it. The idea is to help students understand how to apply grammar skills organically while writing. Keep the grammar focus in your head and look for opportunities to mention it throughout the week.
Step #4: Plan for Targeted Lessons for Teaching Grammar (As Needed)
If you think your kids aren’t picking up what you are putting down, you may need to teach a targeted grammar lesson. The most important thing is to keep it brief. Consider the attention span of your students. You shouldn’t be spending too much time on a grammar mini-lesson.
Make it impactful and engaging and spend no more than ten to fifteen minutes on each targeted lesson. An easy way to do this is to find a short but fun video (youtube, anyone?) to show your students and then discuss and/or practice.
Step #5: Practice, Practice, Practice
Ideally, our students will start applying new grammar skills in their writing immediately, but we know it doesn’t work that way. Give your students engaging opportunities to practice the skill in short bursts. Have a center that reinforces the skill or engage the kids in a fun activity, like my write the room activities for grammar.
Keep YOUR Focus when Teaching Grammar
The end goal is to get kids to apply grammar skills in their own writing. Stay focused on that- and keep a list of the skills you have taught in your notebook so you can take notes on whether students are exhibiting the skill or not and reteach as needed during writing conferences or small groups.
Make Time for Meaningful and Fun Grammar Practice
You’ll want to include grammar in your instruction but you don’t want it to take too much of your time. You want authentic, organic exposure during writing and opportunities to reinforce that will be fun for your students.
Write the Room= One of My Favorite Ways to Practice Grammar
One of my favorite ways to have students practice grammar skills is to have them complete Write the Room grammar activities. Traditional grammar worksheets can be DULL so Write the Room is a simple twist that gets kids up and moving as they practice and learn.
Write the Room activities can also be turned into Scoot activities, task cards, or centers. It’s a super easy way to level up grammar practice.
You can grab a FREE copy of my Grammar Write the Room Activity for writing exclamation sentences by clicking the image below!
