ABSTRACT

Teaching grammar can be overwhelming and is often an overlooked part of effective instruction, especially for young learners. The Early Elementary Grammar Toolkit to the rescue! This comprehensive guide makes grammar instruction in the K–2 classroom fun and meaningful.

You will learn how to:

  • Teach grammar in a practical and applicable way by presenting each grammar rule as a useful writing tool for students.
  • Use mentor texts—excerpts from great literature—to help students understand grammar in action.
  • Promote metacognition along the way so that students become responsible for their own learning.
  • Implement innovative instructional strategies and tools aligned with national and state standards.

Throughout the book, you’ll find step-by-step recommendations for teaching grammatical concepts to young learners, including the use of punctuation, capitalization, parts of speech, and more. With standards-based resources and activities for grades K–2, the book includes tips addressing teaching for each of these grades, classroom snapshots that show you the tools in action, flowcharts, infographics, and specific instructional recommendations to engage students.

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

Using Mentor Texts to Unlock the Tools of Grammar and Writing With Young Learners

chapter 1|12 pages

Building Blocks

The Importance of Nouns to Effective Writing

chapter 2|14 pages

Getting Active

The Impact of Verbs

chapter 3|12 pages

Completing the Journey

Understanding and Constructing Complete Sentences

chapter 4|14 pages

Finish Lines

How Writers Use End Punctuation

chapter 5|14 pages

A Big Strategy

The Power of Capitalization

chapter 6|17 pages

Question Time

Why and How Do Writers Use Question Words?

chapter 7|12 pages

Time to Connect

Using Conjunctions to Create Effective Writing

chapter 8|16 pages

More Than One

How Writers Indicate Plurals

chapter 9|17 pages

Tools for Clear Communication

The Importance of Commas

chapter 10|13 pages

We Are Writers

How and Why Writers Use Pronouns

chapter 11|5 pages

Assessing, Learning, and Growing

Assessing Students' Knowledge

chapter |6 pages

Conclusion

Final Thoughts and Tips for Classroom Practice