Grammar and Punctuation Games for Adolescents
Lessons in grammar and punctuation are often not high on students' lists of favorite learning experiences. Because of the intricacies of these topics, lessons that deal with them often become tedious and quickly tiresome. Instead of creating boring lessons that are more successful in lulling your students to sleep than adding to their knowledge base, integrate intriguing games into your lessons.
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Classic Games Revamped
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Turn a classic game into a grammar or punctuation challenge with just a few modifications. For example, put an educational spin on classic charades by writing nouns, verbs or adverbs on slips of paper then having players draw out these slips instead of the standard clues. Practice proper punctuation with a modified round of Red Light, Green Light. For this version of the game, trade the terms "red light," "yellow light" and "green light" for "period," "comma" and "exclamation point."
Active Games
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Help your students burn off some youthful energy while they practice their grammar and punctuation skills with some active games. Create a punctuation relay by taping pieces of paper with punctuation marks on one wall of your classroom and writing sentences on a chalkboard on the opposite wall. Compose sentences with missing punctuation on the front wall and have students race to the back and grab the marks, then stick them where they go in the sentences. Practice grammar with a parts of speech word sort by labeling paper bags "noun," "verb," "adjective" and "adverb" then scattering card stock with words that fit into each category. Encourage the students to race in teams or as a whole group to gather and sort these cards into their correct bags.
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Partner Challenges
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Create a one-on-one game for your students, allowing them to work in pairs to build their language arts skills. Provide each pair of students with a mini dry erase board and markers and ask them to take turns writing sentences. After one partner writes a sentence, the other must mark the parts of speech of the words in the sentences, earning one point for each correctly marked word. Allow your pairs to work cooperatively by giving each an envelope filled with different punctuation marks printed on paper, and ask them to sort though them and glue them down onto paper, fitting them into sentences as quickly as they can.
Online Options
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Take your students' game-play online by presenting them with some Internet punctuation and grammar games. Take your students to the computer lab and assign them games from Gamequarium, FunBrain or Eduplace. Use these games as a way to practice language arts concepts with your students or record their scores and use the games as an assessment of their skills.
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