GRAMMAR GRABBERS!

Ready-to-Use Games & Activities for Improving Basic Writing Skills

Jack Umstatter

This practical resource gives language arts and English teachers a unique collection of over 200 creative, fun-filled, ready-to-use activities that make teaching and learning grammar more enjoyable for you and your students. All have been tested with students in grades 4 and up and are effective as individual, group, or whole-class activities.

The activities can be used as introductions, reviews, or homework assignments. They feature a stimulating variety of formats, including crosswords, word finds, concealed quotations, cryptograms, scrambled and hidden words, riddles, magic squares, word generating wheels, jumbles and more, all designed to spark and hold students' interest.

For quick access and easy use, the activities are organized into eight sections focusing on the elements of grammar and printed in a big 8 1/4" x 11" lay-flat binding that folds flat for photocopying of any page as many times as needed. Here's just an overview of what you'll find in each section:

Parts of Speech-Working with Words! The 26 "grammar grabbers" in Section 1 focus on the basic vocabulary of grammar and include activities like Pronouns Are In (nouns/names) ... Verbs a Plenty (verbs) ... Take Two Minutes (nouns/verbs) ... and End It Correctly! (prepositions).

Phrases and Clauses-Word Weavers! The 29 activities in Section 2 offer ways to identify the functions of main and subordinate clauses as well as prepositional, appositive and verbal phrases. Sample activities include No Fragmented Thoughts Here! (grammar terms) ... To Be or Not to Be (infinitives) ... and Starting and Ending (adverbial clauses).

Sentences-Grammar's Galaxy! Section 3 provides 26 activities to help students classify sentences according to structure and purpose while learning to avoid fragments, run- ons and comma splices in activities such as Odd One Out (fragments/run-ons) ... Step by Step (components/construction) ... and Matching the Diagrams (diagramming sentences).

Usage-A Way with Words! The 27 activities in Section 4 review troublesome usage problems such as double negatives, misplaced modifiers, and incorrect pronouns or verbs. Samples include A Pro with Pronouns (agreement) ... Thinking About the Past (verb tenses) ... and When Too Much Is Too Much (superfluity).

Mechanics-The Tools of the Trade! Section 5 offers 20 activities covering common problems in punctuation with activities like Unlucky Seven (possessives) ... The Versatile Comma (commas) ... Pity This Poor Printer (punctuation) ... and Spelling Mnemonics (spelling).

Grammar's Helpers-Taking Care of Business! 24 activities in Section 6 explore words often confused, suffixes, plurals, idioms and more in activities such as It's the End That Counts (suffixes) ... Tooooooooooo General (sentence improvement) ... Pulling Out the Stops (idioms/expressions).

Grammar Games-And Away We Go! Students will love the 29 puzzler activities in Section 7, including games like Roll the Dice (parts of speech) ... This Is Not a Bum Steer(idioms/expressions) ... Where Is Montana? (proper nouns) ... and The Name Game (parts of speech).

Final Test-Knowledge Is Power! The 22 "final tests" in Section 8 test students' knowledge in specific areas of grammar and save hours of teacher preparation. Examples include Final Test on Agreement ... Final Test on Sentences, Fragments and Run-ons ... and Final Test on Irregular Verbs.

You'll find the 203 ready-to-use activities in Grammar Grabbers! give students the tools they need to use grammar more effectively in their writings and make the writing process more enjoyable. As your students become more proficient and comfortable with grammar, they will become more eager to write!