USING FAIRY TALES TO TEACH GRAMMAR

http://foundationintofirst.blogspot.com/2019/04/using-fairy-tales-to-teach-grammar.html

Teaching grammar to young students can be difficult because of the abstract nature of some grammar concepts.

Using fairy tales can make your English lessons fun and will certainly engage your students better than a stand-alone grammar lesson.

Here is how I use fairy tales in my classroom to introduce the basics of pronouns, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

BUILD CONTEXT

With all students, regardless of age, context is everything when learning a new skill. What is a pronoun and why do we need to know what a pronoun is? It's very difficult for young students to learn a set of grammar rules if they don't understand why it's important.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Explore one grammar element at a time and build on previous knowledge. It's tempting, as a teacher, to say 'oh look and there is an adverb!' unless your students really understand what an adverb is and why it is necessary. Pulling texts apart, sentence by sentence, allows your students to highlight relevant grammar elements that have been used by the writer and how they elaborate on what is happening in the story. Extension activities can involve getting students to re-write sentences to improve or change them to a different point-of-view.  

KEEP IT FUN

Learning grammar rules should be fun for both the student AND the teacher! Keep making relevant connections to the real world. Take words from the page and turn them into a dramatic play. Students will soon make connections to the power of verbs and adverbs to describe what the character is doing and how they do it. Adjectives and noun groups help the audience paint a picture in their mind.

USE VISIBLE LEARNING TO HELP SOLIDIFY LEARNING

Posters, signage and student work. All should be on display in the primary classroom. Keep learning walls relevant and put connected work samples up there. 

I encourage my students to walk around the room and use the signage and posters to help them with their writing. Remember, this is not 'spoon-feeding' as students are still learning. They need scaffolded learning in order to demonstrate what they know and understand.