Grammar lessons are about children seeing how grammar is authentically used by writers and being invited to try it for themselves. Grammar lessons like this are essential for showing children the hows of writing. Punctuation and grammar use is a skill to be developed, not simply content to be taught. – Young & Ferguson 2020
The Writing For Pleasure Centre’s Grammar Minilessons For 3-11 Year Olds has everything a teacher needs to teach grammar in the writing classroom. Each lesson explains the subject knowledge teachers require before sharing real examples from our own teaching and the teaching that takes place in our affiliate schools.
Children (and teachers) will learn how grammar concepts allow them to elaborate and add detail to their writing. They will know how to focus their attention on the ‘readability’ of their pieces by using a variety of cohesive devices. Their use of grammar will enhance their ability to write with the right voice, including with differing degrees of authority. They will consider the rhythm and intonation they want their writing to be read with. They will also carefully consider their word choices. Finally, they will be writers who adhere to the conventions that their readers come to expect. Rest assured all the grammar related expectations included in the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum are covered.
What’s special about this book is how each lesson teaches children the whys of grammar concepts and illustrates how writers use them effectively. Children are then invited to independently apply what’s just been taught in a way that is relevant to their writing that day.
Each chapter covers a different grammar category including: Cohesion, Word Choices, Elaboration, Voice, Rhythm & Intonation, and finally Conventions.
New addition to this second edition:
- Lessons now cover 3-5 year olds and the grammar expectations of the EYFS Framework and Development Matters.
- Every National Curriculum objective has an associated lesson. It’s now a lot easier for teachers to find the grammar lessons they need most.
- A table showing how each STA assessment statement has an associated lesson.
- Each lesson comes with an example poster taken from lessons taught by us and other teachers in our affiliate schools.
- Guidance on how teachers can make their own grammar posters.
- Ten new lessons have been added.
Contents
Introduction
- Navigating the book by function
- Navigating the book by curriculum objective and year group
Cohesion
- Simple and multi-clause sentences
- Proper nouns
- Tense choice
- Tense play
- Headings and subheadings
- Paragraphs
- Determiners
- Fronted adverbials
- Noun and pronouns choice
- Cohesive devices
- Bullet points
- Hyphens
Word Choices
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Irregular verbs
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Synonyms
Elaboration
- Expanded noun phrases
- Coordinating conjunctions
- Subordinating conjunctions
- Prepositional phrases
- Modifying sentences
- Relative clauses
- Parenthesis (brackets, dashes and commas)
Voice
- Modal verbs
- The passive
- The subjunctive
Rhythm & Intonation
- Full stops
- Full stops #2
- Question marks
- Exclamation marks
- End punctuation
- Commas
- Stop or pause: full stop or comma
- Punctuation clues
- Speaker tags
- Moving speaker-tags
- Complex sentences
- Dashes
- Ellipsis
- Semi-colons
- Colons
Conventions
- Capital letters
- Capitalising I
- Capitalisation
- Apostrophes to show possession
- Apostrophes to show contraction
- Inverted commas (speech marks)
- New speaker? New line
- Speech punctuation
- Articles
- What are the conventions? Use a book
Appendix
- STA assessment framework table
Individual license – £5.95
School/Institution license – £29.75
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