Jumpstart! Grammar: Games and activities for ages 6 - 14

Fully updated to help teachers deal with the new 2016 Grammar Tests, this second edition presents a collection of simple to use, multi-sensory games and activities that will jumpstart pupils’ understanding of grammar in action It includes coverage of the subjunctive and past progressive, selecting which tense is the most definite, identifying when a word is used as a subordinating conjunction/preposition, explaining how a comma can change meaning, and an increased emphasis on the passive. Jumpstart! Grammar will prepare children for any grammar tests on the horizon in an engaging way so that they love playing with words and spinning sentences to make ideas dance. And, of course, they will be able to name the parts if that is what is required. Fun games will focus first on helping children hear the difference various types of grammar can make followed by activities to help them understand what different effects you can create with grammar. Technical terms will only be introduced once the children have established what the various features can do, with a particular focus on those terms that really help children discuss what makes language coherent and effective. This indispensable, practical book celebrates the joys of language and coherent expression; of finding just the right words or phrases to express what you want to say. Pie Corbett, educationalist and bestselling author, is well known for his books on teaching creative writing, as well as many other educational books, schemes and anthologies. Pie writes widely in the educational press, provides training nationally and works as a poet and storyteller in schools. Julia Strong is a former English teacher and deputy headteacher. She later became deputy director of the National Literacy Trust. She specialises in literacy across the curriculum and now works with Pie developing Talk for Writing. Table of Contents Introduction 1. The things: nouns, adjectives, pronouns and determiners 2. The actions: verbs, adverbs, adverbials and prepositions 3. The links: conjunctions and connectives 4. Sentences: clauses, phrases and different types of sentences 5. Punctuation 6. Cohesion: including subject and object, formal and informal, active and passive Grammar glossary and index to grammar games