If you dread teaching grammar to your upper elementary students, these easy ways to teach grammar are for YOU!
Texas 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers might have been pushing grammar lessons to the side.
However, this year the STAAR reading test will have revise and edit questions, so students MUST know their grammar rules.
Grammar isn’t the easiest to teach . . . many even find it BORING.
Hopefully this post will leave you with some easy ways to teach grammar to your third, fourth, or fifth grade students.
Grammar Notebooks
Writing notebooks are necessary to store all the grammar rules that upper elementary students learn throughout the year.
When students write or work on revise and edit questions, they can pull out their writing notebook to reference the grammar rules they learned.
I have TEKS aligned Writing Notebooks for each upper elementary grade. They include all the grammar skills that need to be taught each year.
If you’re struggling with the order to teach grammar skills, leave your name and email below. I’ll send over my Grammar Pacing Guide ASAP!
Authentic Examples
Upper elementary students achieve another level of understanding grammar when they observe grammar rules in authentic text.
First, as you read aloud to students, point out grammar rules in novels.
Next, give students a chance to find grammar in books themselves.
They can put the examples they find in their writing notebooks. Or students can create anchor charts with examples of specific grammar rules.
For example, after teaching students compound sentences, put them in groups with several books. They search and find examples of compound sentences. Then they put what they found on the anchor chart.
Grammar Games
Grammar is boring, right? Not with grammar games!
Students love to work together playing grammar games. They are perfect for small groups or to put in a literacy station.
I have an entire bundle of grammar games.
However grammar games are easy to make on your own as well. Sentence strips and macaroni are all the supplies you need for comma practice or compound sentences.
To learn more about Grammar Games, read my blog post: Grammar Games
Grammar in Writing
Not only should you point out grammar rules in books, students should be able to use grammar correctly in their own writing.
Applying grammar skills in writing is perhaps the most difficult thing to do for upper elementary students.
For example, the first rule I always go over in my 4th grade class is capitalization rules. I’m always pleasantly surprised that students can identify which letters in a sentence need to be capitalized.
However when I read the first writing sample of the year, I see sooooo many missed capital letters. Especially at the beginning of sentences and “i”
This means I have to reinforce grammar skills constantly. Students must correct mistakes in their own writing. This helps them remember for the next time.
But, be sure not to point out too many grammar mistakes at one time. It will overwhelm students. Pick one or two grammar rules to focus on in each paper.
Repetitive Grammar Review
Upper elementary students have a hard time remembering grammar rules if they are only taught once. Repetitive review of grammar skills is necessary.
For instance, leaving a grammar game out for students to play more than once will help.
Also, a daily grammar-warm up will be a quick way for students to practice grammar skills daily. My grammar warm-up resource includes daily grammar review, revise and edit practice, plus a quick write for Friday.
Additionally, you can pull out a mentor sentences daily for students to model their own sentence writing after.
Teaching grammar in upper elementary doesn’t have to be hard or boring.
These suggestions will help students stay engaged while learning grammar rules.
