5 Tips and Resources for Teaching Grammar to Middle School Students
Have you heard that grammar is one of the building blocks to success? We’ve all, at one time or another, had to learn the basic rules of grammar. While some of these rules were memorable, others were not.
Grammar is significant because it is the rules of language that allow us to converse about everything.
As kids, we put sentences together - so “grammar” is something we all do. Once we enter the classroom, we hopefully learn Grammar properly. As parents, we hope the classroom teacher will give all our children the best road to success and put together a proper lesson plan.
Even though I am a stickler for grammatical standards, teaching grammar can be tedious. Without proper tools, children can sleep through the lessons because they are not engaging. What I’ve learned is that kids need to be engaged. If you can grab their attention and create an atmosphere of fun, learning grammar will be easy.
Of course, Grammar may be a difficult subject to teach in middle school. However, with solid tools that are easily available, exciting courses for middle school grammar are within your reach!
Finally, if you want to choose the best teaching methods for your children, there are a plethora of Grammar books and tools at your disposal. The essential thing to remember is that the best of these tools will always focus on how language works.
Here are some ideas for getting your middle school readers and writers started with entertaining grammar lessons.
Let’s Begin!
The Language Theater
Books are the best way to learn. There is nothing out there quite like The Language Theater. I’ve seen firsthand how students pick up grammar quickly with this well-written, well-structured, illustrated, grammar textbook.
The Language Theater is designed for middle school students, although it may be used by people of all ages. It's ideal for English as a Second Language students, homeschoolers, and pupils with special needs since it's visually focused. It also serves as a great visual reference/story-telling tool for parents.
Language is taught with pictures. They think as they communicate. You’ll be shocked at the difference!
Oh, let us not forget how popular this resource is. This resource has over 80 five-star reviews.
NoRedInk
NoRedInk is one technique to give entertaining grammar courses to middle school students. To begin, NoRedInk is a website that provides grammar and writing instructions. NoRedInk was developed with student learning and participation in mind because it was created by a High School English teacher.
Exit Tickets
You’ll be surprised that you can deliver a middle school English Grammar class and think they "got it," only to discover the next day that they didn't comprehend anything. Exit tickets are one method that can be used to avoid this blunder and keep kids interested.
More than 350 exit tickets for various middle school ELA ideas are included in the middle school ELA exit ticket bundle. Exit tickets for grammar are one of my favorite ways to assess for understanding at the conclusion of a course. To make a fast check for understanding, I can look at the outcomes of more than 100 distinct grammar and language exit tickets.
Mentor Notes
The mentor sentence bundle includes 36 weeks of courses and mentor sentences based on young adult literature. Students may readily relate to different middle school grammatical principles when they encounter compelling content from their favorite novels (or other books they may come to know and love).
Interactive Notebooks
This is another neat resource.
When you practice language, you'll discover new parts that fit in with your learning community. “Meaning example”, a teacher informed me at a conference a few weeks ago that meant that she had her kids use green (for "go") with verbs. She uses different color-coding systems and has had a lot of success with them. Perfect!
When you use interactive notebooks, you can devise a technique that works. Grammar in Middle School may be taught effectively using interactive notebooks. A classroom community is formed through color-coding and developing meaning together.
Final Thoughts
Your first lesson when teaching Middle School students English grammar is to explain to them why they need to learn it. You’ll be surprised how you can motivate them to stay focused when they understand how important it is.
On standardized assessments, grammar is always present. Professors at college aren't particularly brutal but it is expected that students will be able to write and communicate well. Language proficiency is essential to achieving students' future objectives. In reality, these objectives are often not met. It is a fact that many U.S. businesses spend exorbitant amounts per year on remedial grammar and writing classes for new employees. So, future attorneys and businesspeople require a solid knowledge of English grammar in order to get hired and then to communicate in meetings and use the written word in order to succeed and continually broaden their communication methods and level of understanding.
When teachers use a range of approaches to help students learn how language works, they are guiding them towards success. To ensure a positive result, don't be afraid to explain why the study of grammar is essential.
I remember from high school how valuable grammar is when I was preparing for my college entrance exams. As many of the questions were grammatical, I knew my success depended on the good use of language. Not only did my entrance to college depend on it but my college professors would expect it.
In conclusion, the earlier students and/or children learn grammar the better chance they have of a successful and enjoyable future. Language, once you understand how it works.
It is a play worth playing in school and out.