10 Minute Grammar

10 Minute Grammar 16: 11th Part of Speech? Subordinators

When considering “main parts of speech,” there are a lot of lists floating around. The first eleven episodes of this broadcast are made up of 10 First Parts of Speech in Order.
But why are some included and some not? (See 10 MG #1 for more details on that!)
I am an advocate of teaching subordinators (also called by other names—find out why this is the best name in today’s episode!) early and often.
1) They make up sentences just like other parts of speech do (though not needed to make a sentence a real sentence).
2) They give a sentence more information.
3) Most importantly, they require special punctuation!! (As I like to tell my students, “When you start a sentence with a subordinate clause, put the comma in where you hear the pause!”
In this part one of two episodes, I bring you the first two ways I teach subordinators to upper elementary students (or older students who haven’t learned them yet!):
(1) First seven subordinators learned in rhyme:
Since, when, because, though
As, if, that, although!
(2) Subordinate-Check Sentence—75% of the dozens of subordinators fit into this check sentence (and, it also shows that subordinators are subordinate to the rest of the sentence---like submarines go down!):
_______ the submarine went down, we could still/not see it.
So much more in this episode: the importance of using phrasing that tells what the part of speech does; how to use voice inflection to teach comma input, and more!
Get your First 10 Parts of Speech in Order posters and student reference ring cards here: (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-10-Parts-of-Speech-Poster-Pack-and-Reference-Ring-Cards-8391091)
 
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10 Minute Grammar 15: Teaching Beginning Poetry for Upper Elementary (Part II of II)

Poetry writing is often avoided by teachers and disliked by students. I’m a firm believer that it doesn’t have to be this way!
 
As a matter of fact, I believe we can change any outlook on writing if we teach students all of the skills needed for each type of writing!
 
On today’s episode, I start by reviewing the first three steps from last week’s episode.
 
Plan for poetry teaching to be a process—not a one and done event.
Read aloud from poetry during reading, content areas, unit studies, etc.
Use fun, whimsical, silly, and enjoyable poetry books for read aloud.
Use familiar yet simple verses for them to highlight and code the rhyme scheme and syllabication with you. (Give them copies of the ones you will teach rhyme scheme from.)
Teach the two parts of rhyme scheme using highlighters to code the rhyming words at the end of the lines.
 
In today’s episode, I cover the next six steps I follow in teaching poetry writing to middle schoolers:
 
Have students fill in rhyming words boxes extensively.
Use couplets with A-A rhyme scheme and short lines at first.
Have students finish simple couplets and A-A-B-B poems.
-easy rhymes that are familiar (“Humpty Dumpty” and “Rain, Rain, Go Away,” etc)
-simple lines that you make up for them to finish
 
Then have them move into original A-A poetry writing.
Move into A-B-A-B poems that you finish together.
Then move to original A-B-A-B poems that they write alone or with you as a group.
 
Check out my creative, fun, engaging month-long Christmas writing books! They’re available at the LAL store!
 
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #14: Teaching Beginning Poetry for Upper Elementary (Part I of II)

Teaching poetry writing is one of the (many) great loves of my life! Upper elementary students can enjoy poetry writing if it is taught to them systematically.
 
On today’s episode, I start with the first three steps I use for teaching poetry to fourth graders and up:
 
Plan for poetry teaching to be a process—not a one and done event.
I like to use two weeks of writing time each semester for poetry writing in order to introduce it in a fun way and teach all the skills they will need in order to succeed at writing poetry.
 
Read aloud from poetry during reading, content areas, unit studies, etc.
Use fun, whimsical, silly, and enjoyable poetry books for read aloud.
Use familiar yet simple verses for them to highlight and code the rhyme scheme and syllabication with you. (Give them copies of the ones you will teach rhyme scheme from.)
 
Teach the two parts of rhyme scheme using highlighters to code the rhyming words at the end of the lines.
Highlight rhyming words.
Teach them to label these with their letters (AA, etc).
Teach them to count and write syllables after each line.
 
I go over this using “Humpty Dumpty” as an example, so it is easy to follow my methodology.
 
Join me next week for the remaining six steps!
 
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #13: Writing Tips for Kindergarten (Writing Tips for Every Grade Series)

Welcome to another exciting episode of Writing Tips for Every Grade.
Today’s topic is still the littles—the kindergarten “writers.” Here are the high points of today’s episode:
Teach “writing” informally through reading aloud, listening to audios together, and building the child’s background of experience.
Beware of too much “student writing” before reading fluency is reached.
Don’t use precious reading lesson time for writing unless child learns to read through writing (rare)
Write whole paragraphs for the child
Use blank books—stickers, pictures, coloring books, etc., for student to dictate paragraphs to you
Use the highlight and write over it method
Use the dictated words that you write for the student for reading practice (language experience process)
Kindergarteners have a lot to say! When they realize that writing is the spoken word written down—and that they can write every time they dictate to you—watch out! Young writers emerge!
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #12: Preschool Writing Tips (Writing Tips for Every Grade Series)

Welcome to a new series on the 10 Minute Grammar podcast/videocast: Writing Tips for Every Grade!
I start out with the littles—oh how I love the littles! Yep, Writing Tips for Preschool!
Here are some of the topics I cover:
Writing vs. penning--Penning is art. Writing is thinking. Preschoolers can think even when they can’t write!
Read to preschoolers often—the more littles are read to, the more they can bring to their own reading and writing process!
Experiences to bring to the reading and writing process—the same is true with experiences!
Let them see us writing—modeling goes a long way!
Write words for them all the time—let them know you are always available to “pen” for them!
Writing is the spoken word written down---littles need to know that if they can talk, they can eventually write! And they can write immediately if you pen for them!
Let them dictate to you—words, sentences, phrases, paragraphs---write it all for them!
Write with highlighter for them to write over –they can practice the penning process by you writing what they say in highlighter and letting them write over the highlighted words.
 
Give them every opportunity to “write” (dictate to you)—kids’ menus, coloring pages, empty notebooks, napkins, notes, greeting cards—you name it!
There are so many things we can do to prepare preschoolers to write in the future! They can already create. They can already develop a love for writing when their words are written down for them.
 
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #11: Determiners (Parts of Speech Order series)

Parts of Speech are for sentence building:
 
The (noun marker/article)
 
The CAT (noun)
 
The SNEAKY cat (adjective)
 
The sneaky cat CLIMBS. (Verb)
 
The sneaky cat EASILY climbs (adverb).
 
The sneaky cat easily climbs. HE uses HIS claws. (Pronoun)
 
The sneaky cat easily climbs. He uses his claws ON the tree. (Preposition)
 
YES, the sneaky cat easily climbs. He uses his claws on the tree. (Interjections)
 
Yes, the ONE sneaky cat easily climbs. He uses his claws on the tree. (determiner)
 
1) Determiners determine clarify something about the next word or words
 
2) They are taught as a catch-all grouping in many programs and handbooks.
 
3) They include other categories/parts of speech:
 
a. Possessive pronouns: The boy rode HIS bike.
b. Articles/noun markers: She ate AN apple.
c. Number adjectives: They have TWO choices of cupcakes.
d. Indefinite pronouns: I would like a FEW choices!
e. Possessive common nouns: It is the BOY'S bike.
f. Possessive proper nouns: It is JON'S bike.
 
 
Would it be better to not have one large group called determiners but instead teach each of those things as what part of speech they are?
 
Get your 140 parts of speech posters and student reference rings at one of my stores!
 
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #10: Coordinating Conjunctions (Parts of Speech Order series)

Parts of Speech are for sentence building:
The (noun marker/article)
The CAT (noun)
The SNEAKY cat (adjective)
The sneaky cat CLIMBS. (Verb)
The sneaky cat EASILY climbs (adverb).
The sneaky cat easily climbs. HE uses HIS claws. (Pronoun)
The sneaky cat easily climbs. He uses his claws ON the tree. (Preposition)
YES, the sneaky cat easily climbs. He uses his claws on the tree. (Interjections)
1) Coordinating conjunctions (cc)
2) Used to join coordinating pieces.
-two or more words
-two or more phrases
-two or more sentences
3) Teach through acronym:
FANBOYS
F or
A nd
N or
B ut
O r
Y et
S o
Goals for students to start recognizing them. Find them in grammar exercises. Punctuate them. And, most importantly, write with them to create compound sentences.
Get your 140 parts of speech posters and student reference rings at one of my stores! 
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #9: Interjections (Parts of Speech Order series)

Welcome to another episode of 10 Minute Grammar!
This is number 8 in our Parts of Speech series--the eighth part of speech that we teach/learn for sentence building!
1. Noun marker: THE
2. Noun: The CAT
3. Adjective: The SNEAKY cat
4. Verb: The sneaky cat CLIMBS.
5. Adverb: The sneaky cat EASILY climbs.
6. Pronoun: The sneaky cat easily climbs trees. HE uses HIS claws.
7. Prepositions: The sneaky cat easily climbs trees. He uses his claws ON TREES.
8. TODAY!!! Interjection: YES, the sneaky cat easily climbs trees. He uses his claws on trees.
 
RHYME:
My, well, oh
Wow, yes, no
 
Two ways to use them in sentences:
1) Interjected at the beginning of sentences:
a. Yes, the cat climbs.
b. No, he doesn't bite.
2) As stand alone sentences with an exclamation point following:
a. Yes!
b. Oh!
 
Products mentioned in this episode:
1. CAVES---what a sentence contains poster set 
2. Beginning Think Fast Quiz for memorizing parts of speech
3. Advanced Think Fast Quiz for memorizing parts of speech
4. Checklist Challenge FREE book and video set for application of grammar to writing! 
 
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10 Minute Grammar Episode #8: Prepositions (Parts of Speech Order series)

Parts of Speech are for sentence building:
The (noun marker/article)
The CAT (noun)
The SNEAKY cat (adjective)
The sneaky cat CLIMBS. (Verb)
The sneaky cat EASILY climbs (adverb).
The sneaky cat easily climbs. HE uses HIS claws. (Pronoun)
The sneaky cat easily climbs. He uses his claws ON the tree. (Proposition)
1) Prepositions show position!
2) Over 200 prepositions.
3) Modes of learning: song/chant (about 30 prepositions) and check sentences.
4) Preposition Check Sentences for spatial/position: The ____ flew/ran ____ the ___.
Bugs on log
Spidey, Birdy, Polly with tube
Bird or plane in clouds
Angel or reindeer in clouds
Beauty or Luminaire in castle
5) Preposition Check Sentence for time: ____ laughed ____ ____.
Pilot, Birdy laughed…before take off.
Santa, the Angel, Beauty, Santa laughed…before dinner.
 
Get your 140 parts of speech posters and student reference rings at one of my stores here! 
Get your Preposition Packs at Teachers Pay Teachers here! 
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10 Minute Grammar #7: Pronouns (Parts of Speech Order series)

Pronouns are number six in our line-up of parts of speech order. PRO means for.
Pronouns are FOR nouns. They replace nouns so that we don’t have to use the same words over and over again.
Two favorite ways to show importance of pronouns:
 Read paragraph with all nouns---no pronouns.
 Read paragraph with all pronouns—no nouns.
Teach kinds of pronouns as we use them---too many types to teach all at once.
Remember grammar is for writing and speaking. They should be writing with pronouns (and the other parts of speech right away).
Some programs/handbooks/experts will call some pronouns something else (like both might be considered an adjective or who might be considered a subordinator).
Personal possessive pronouns NEVER have apostrophes: his, hers, theirs, ours.
Indefinite pronouns do have apostrophes to show possession: somebody’s, other’s, anyone’s.
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