Children will often learn best when we are use a multi-sensory approach. That is why most teachers use various actions for each part of the speech. For example, the teacher will let their students touch their forehead as a sign for a common noun like car or chair and pump their arms forwards and backwards for verbs like listen or walk. These multi-sensory prompts will effectively help children learn each part of the speech.
Teachers can also use a few grammar raps or songs so primary students can sing them, which could accelerate the learning process. In fact, you can find several grammar songs on YouTube.
Here are other ways to make grammar fun for primary students:
Get your sentences in order
For this game, you can write the words of a simple sentence such as “A dog runs on the road,” on several slips of paper and let your primary students put the words in the correct order. So, they must re-order the words with the capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end.
Make it simple
Grammatical terms can be confusing for most youngsters, so it is essential that you simplify the terminology. So, you can refer to articles (an, a, the) as the companion words that will accompany adverbs since they both add something to a noun.
Read what is around you
It would help if you also highlighted that grammar is all about patterns, and patterns are often everywhere in the world. You can use that concept as your starting point when talking about grammar to your students. So, you can encourage them to read the names of the shops on their neighbourhood or the slogans on the sides of the lorries. This will teach them a lot about language and it’s meaning.
Be colourful
You can also leverage colour when teaching grammar to your students. This means allocating colour to each specific part of speech like:
Pronouns: black
Nouns: blue
Adjective: white
Verbs: purple
Adverbs: orange
Conjunction: teal
Prepositions: green
Incorporating colours in each part of speech will help children get a grip on analysing sentences. For example, you can write several sentences on paper with felt tips and let your primary students highlight each part of speech using the correct colour.
Use roleplay and props
You can also reinforce key grammar concepts to your students by adding a little drama to your lessons. Most teachers are good at bringing complex concepts to life through roleplay and props.
You can use puppets or word cards to get your students interested. This will make the whole learning process memorable and more engaging.