How to Teach Parts of Speech in Grade 6
Knowing effective methods of teaching the parts of speech can mean the difference between looking out on a classroom full of confused faces or seeing them light up in understanding. English and Language Arts educators continue to search for effective ways to teach the parts of speech. Teachers in the upper elementary and middle school grades face special challenges in holding student attention and seeing students reach understanding of grammatical concepts. Teachers can look forward to these "aha" moments with students when they have effective teaching techniques in their educational skill sets.
Instructions
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Illustrate with an old method: diagramming. Diagramming does not have to be dry and dull. Show students that diagramming can be interesting by getting them involved in the process. Have them write the sentences down in their own notebooks so they can follow along with the diagramming session. Ask them about each word: "Now what does this word do? What part of speech is it then? So now where does it go in the diagram?"
When students are engaged and active in the learning process, teachers have their full attention. Students become excited about learning. The diagramming process may also appeal to spatial and mathematical thinkers.
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Engage students in WebQuests. WebQuests are interactive learning experiences in which students explore the information and ideas on various websites about a particular topic. Students can broaden or narrow focus to expand or deepen knowledge. The culminating activity of a WebQuest is often a presentation or project.
English Language Arts teachers can incorporate WebQuests into teaching parts of speech by having students review the functions of parts of speech through online resources. Students develop research skills by searching for these answers and can demonstrate understanding of the material in a culminating activity such as a group presentation, a video or by providing examples of the eight parts of speech.
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Use interactive Internet sites. On computer lab day, have students visit websites that are geared toward practice in identifying the parts of speech. Teachers can perform a search first so that they can provide the students a list of acceptable websites for these activities.
These interactive websites provide students with immediate feedback on their responses to the questions, and some give detailed explanations, telling the students why their responses are correct or incorrect. A few of these sites use humor, animation and interesting sound effects to accompany the material and exercises.
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Instruct students to write poetry. English teachers can aid students in the identification and correct usage of certain parts of speech through the creative act of poetry writing. By focusing on standard forms of poetry rather than free-form, educators can specify that students must supply a noun, adjective, participle or other part of speech. For teaching the parts of speech, some English instructors find the diamante to be particularly useful.
To compose a diamante, students first generate one noun each for the first and seventh lines. These nouns must be antonyms (words with opposite meanings). Students provide two adjectives describing the first noun for line two. For line three, they supply three participles somehow connected to the first noun. Line four requires students to write down two nouns connected to the first noun and two connected to the second noun or antonym. Students supply three participles describing the second noun in line five, and two adjectives describing the second noun in line six.
The completed diamante allows students to connect two opposing ideas through their descriptive words and to practice identifying and using specific parts of speech.
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Assign students short stories. After reviewing the parts of speech, their definitions and functions, ask students to write a short story about each one of the parts of speech. For each part of speech, students should describe its role and importance within the English language. Instruct students to follow the standard writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing).
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References
- California State University: How to Teach Grammar, Analytical Thinking, and Writing: A Method That Works
- Indiana University: Grammar Instruction at the Elementary School Level
- New Jersey City University: The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning and Teaching: Volume IV - 1997
- Stephen F. Austin State University: Tides for Teachers: Once Upon a Time: 8 Parts of Speech Story Book
- The University of Tennessee Knoxville: Working the Puzzle Called Parts of Speech
- Photo Credit homework image by Stepanov from Fotolia.com
