Grammar and Grammar Symbols

If the grammar is done at the same time as the reading, in an attractive way, the children enjoy it. This is the natural development of language and the child becomes very interested at this time in the functions of words. Reading practice is gained while doing these exercises that interest them.

The children, once they know the parts of speech, love to place the correct symbols over passages from literature or over their favorite poems.

These form the most attractive patterns and the finest passages have well balanced patterns. The children then begin to write in a finer way so that if they put the symbols over their own work, it forms well-balanced patterns. The delight in the patterns increases the number of times that they analyze the types of words and consequently promotes efficiency in parsing.

 

The Grammar Symbols

Article: small blue
Noun: black
Adjective: blue
Pronoun: purple
Verb: red sphere
Adverb: small orange sphere
Conjunction: pink
Preposition: green bridge
Interjection: gold exclamation point

 

The introduction for each part of speech is as for the triangle game, but each part of speech must be written on the correctly colored card, e.g. hop (a verb) is written on a red card. When we add a card of how to hop, e.g. quickly – we write it on an orange card.

 

If you cannot easily get the correct color card, then write the word in its correct color. For instance, if you have only white cards, write the verb card in red, the adverb card in orange, the noun in black, the adjective in blue, etc. The children love to see which color goes with which word.

 

Symbols:

The	big	black	cat	sat	quietly	on	the	mat

*These symbols are done after the card introductions.

They may be drawn in by the children on their own work, but there should be a set in the right shape and color for them to put onto passages already written out onto large cards.

The child gets each symbol out of its right compartment and places it above the word.

Symbol box (compartments named)

 

Pronoun	Noun	Article	Adjective	Verb
Adverb	Conjunction	Preposition	Interjection