I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here. Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5
Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8
1. Read chapter 9. 2. Choose a handful of words that you tend to misuse. Use each one in a sentence. Then explain how you can remember proper usage in the future. 3. Choose a category (i.e. animals, food, desserts, etc. ). Write a list of nouns, beginning with every letter of the alphabet (i.e. aardvark, bear, cat…) on Nouns from A to Z. Add the correct article (a or an) in front of each one. If you don’t want to think through the alphabet again, you can use your list from You’re Mighty Possessive (column 1 or 2). You’re welcome. : )
I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here. Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5
Chapter 6Chapter 7
1. Read chapter 8. 2. Go on a hunt for capitalized words in magazines, newspapers, junk mail, anything in which you can leave gaping holes. Cut out the words and categorize them on A Capital Idea. If they are a unit, like a book title or an address, leave them as a unit. 3. Write a diary entry as though you are your favorite cartoon or comic book character. Use words from each category, either ones you make up or ones that are on your chart.
1. Read chapter 7. Do what she suggests, with one exception. Instead of writing a poem to fool a spell checker, you may write a short e-mail to a real or imaginary friend. Here is a silly message I sent to a friend which totally fooled my spell checker: Ewe just knead too no eye halve you're back.
2. Choose three words that stump you when you need to spell them. Make a secret code, so they stump you no more.
3. Choose ten of the word pairs on pages 76-84. Write a tongue twister for each pair, using both words correctly.
This one is short and easy!
1. Read chapter 6.
2. Using “The Respectables” list on pages 70-71, write a short dialogue between two people, one who always uses contractions and one who never uses them. What adjectives would you use to describe each of these people?
I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here, the lesson for chapter 2 here, the lesson for chapter 3 here, and the lesson for chapter 4 here. 1. Read chapter 5 and do what O’Conner suggests. 2. English teachers don’t usually prefer students to begin sentences with “there is” or “there are.” See if you can figure out why. Write a couple of there is/there are sentences. Then revise them to remove there is/there are. Which ones do you think are stronger? Why? 3. Write a list of “I wish” or “If I” statements. (Bonus: Write an “ I wish” or “ If I” poem. Adapt the “I wish” model just a bit, though. Begin each line with I wish I were. How can you revise the final line to make it fit this new format?) 4. Write sentences to show the difference between the pesky look-alikes (60-61).
I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here, the lesson for chapter 2 here, and the lesson for chapter 3 here. 1. Read chapter 4 and do what O’Conner suggests. 2. Watch Schoolhouse Rock’s Verb: That’s What’s Happening. 3. I found the following paragraph explaining how to make a sandwich. My favorite sandwich is a spicy roast beef delight, and making it is such a tasty adventure. Simply retrieve two slices of fresh one-hundred percent whole wheat bread, and spread spicy brown deli mustard and mayonnaise to the inside of each slice. You will then add three thick slices of roast beef to the bottom slice of bread, as well as red onions, two slices of tomato, and a slice of green leaf lettuce to the top piece of bread. Now, place the two slices of bread together completing this scrumptious sandwich. Finally, cut the sandwich in half and serve with a handful of your favorite chips as you enjoy this masterpiece. Remove or cross out all verbs in the paragraph. Do you agree with O’Conner that “without a verb, there’s nothing going on”? 4. Write a paragraph about your favorite birthday moment. Copy and paste it twice. Change the first one to present tense. Change the second one to future tense.
I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here. 1. Read chapter 2 and do what O’Conner suggests.
2. Write five words for each plural ending (s, es, ies) which don’t appear on any of O’Conner’s lists. (You can do this informally or use the worksheet here.)
3. Write about a recent trip to a store. Make every noun plural.
4. Practice your plurals at https://sites.google.com/site/easygrammar4kids/plurals
I have written supplementary lessons for Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can find my introductory comments and the first lesson here. 1. Read Chapter 1 and do what O’Conner suggests. 2. Watch Schoolhouse Rock’s Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla, a video about pronouns. 3. Write a paragraph or two about a funny or scary or challenging activity you did with someone else. The catch? Don’t use any pronouns. Copy and paste it; then rewrite it with pronouns. When you compare the two, what do you discover? 4. Practice your pronouns at www.chompchomp.com. Complete the handouts or interactive exercises for Pronoun Case.
_I would love to see the funny, scary, or challenging paragraphs in the comments. Please share.
It wasn't long ago that I mentioned a grammar handbook for kids: Woe Is I, Jr. by Patricia T. O'Conner. I said then that I might work the book into lessons here, but I changed my mind and made supplementary lessons for the book instead.
I will post them on Mondays, chapter by chapter. Choose as many or as few as you like. The goal is to enliven the study of grammar by moving kids, grades 5ish to 8ish, away from the monotony of workbooks to assignments that allow them to tap into their creativity.
Having the book will be essential. It is the spine of the study.
Here are general instructions, written to the student, for all of the chapters:
1. READ each chapter carefully, pretending that Ms. O’Conner is your tutor sitting beside you on the couch. When she asks you to do something, do it. Avoid the temptation to be a passive reader. Instead, think, engage, learn. Letting your eyes glaze and your mind wander will only waste your time, and you’ll know no more grammar than when you started.
2. WRITE short pieces to help you apply the concepts you are learning. After all, if you can’t apply the grammar, what good is it? Right? I can’t hear you. Right? (Typing the pieces is recommended, as it will make the entire process easier.)
3. COMPLETE the handouts included with this supplement. Handout titles are underlined and linked.
4. PRACTICE concepts by following the links to more grammar fun.
1. Read the Introduction of Woe Is I, Jr.
2. Are you a grammarphobe, “somebody who has a phobia, or, fear, about grammar”? If you were to camp on the line below, where would you pitch your tent?
(I’ll check in with you later to see if the tent moves one way or the other.) 3. Okay, get it out of your system before you read any farther. Write a piece about anything—your opinion of grammar, for instance—with your absolutely worst grammar. Put punctuation marks in random places. Spell words incorrectly. Forget capital letters. (Even if you don’t have a single English teacher gene in your body, the sight of your writing will probably make you tremble.) Read it aloud. What do you think? Then give it to a friend to read. What is his/her reaction? 4. How much do you already know about grammar? Well, let’s find out. In the left column of Grammar Glossary, write what you know about each word. Don’t worry if the sheet is bare when you’re finished. Blank spaces show you have some learning to do--which isn’t a bad thing. As always, I would love to see examples of your students' writing in the comments. They just might be the catalyst another mom or student needs.
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