Synonyms and Antonyms

Happy Sunday Everyone,

AND... A very Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! Just had a family dinner and it was DEEEEEE-licious! Yumm!

I just wanted to pop by and tell you a little bit about how I teach grammar in my classroom (I also teach third grade). Our students have a grammar workbook but it is a little dry, so I like to spice things up a teensy bit!

First, I use Nicole Shelby's Language Interactive Notebook to teach my lesson. I am telling you, this thing is a gold mine! First off, the kiddies LOOOOOOOVE it AAANNND they learn so much. I display the page on the Smartboard and Voila! What I love is that:

A) It's a unique way to teach grammar and figurative language aaaaannnnndd
B) My students take it out and use it as a reference when completing other tasks.

It's a staple in my classroom!

After we complete our grammar notebook, I assign the corresponding grammar workbook pages for homework. Then, we practice the skill during centers. My students love centers and so do I. It does require a bit of work, but the results are worth it. The learning is more meaningful and also more fun!

I love how seriously they take each task and I love how they work together!

After, we complete centers, I always review the skill during our writer's workshop lessons. Now that we have covered synonyms and antonyms, I will ask them to point these words out in our class stories and highlight them. I will also find teachable moments and bring up the concept again. We don't just cover it and move on. It is a concept that is now present in other work and we bring it up as much as possible. Can't just forget about it!

A week or so upon completing the centers, I usually give my students a little worksheet to "assess" their understanding of the concept. I usually use a printable from Rachel Lynette's Grammar & ELA Printables: Figurative Language, Parts of Speech + Pack. Have I mentioned how much I love this woman's work. She is incredible.

Take a look at my Synonyms and Antonyms Grammar Centers.