You are so beautiful to me! Really you are one of my very favorite readers! We use adjectives so much we don’t even think about it, even to describe our favorite blog readers. Adjectives are used to describe or modify a noun. Although this is still a fairly simple part of speech it may not be as easy for little ones to understand as some of the others.
Image courtesy of Chris Short at flickr.com (Scaled and text added)
The definition itself uses more complex language than that of a verb or a noun. So how do we teach this important part of speech to younger kids? Here are some fun activities that I have used in the past with students as well as with my daughter.
One of my favorite ways to teach adjectives is to Visit an Art Museum. The minute you walk in adjectives will be filling not only your head but the heads of the little viewers as well. One great activity is to choose three works of art and have the students write two sentences about each. The key is having them describe how it looks or makes them feel. This particular activity is so much fun because once the trip is over you and your learners can share your descriptions and discuss what adjectives were used. This activity also allows students to see and discuss different perspectives on the pieces viewed, creating another opportunity to use adjectives.
Another fun way to teach adjectives is to Have a Dress-Up Day. This could be done in a classroom or as a play date if you are homeschooling like us. Each student could walk a runway or have an opportunity to model their look as the other students think of words to describe them. A gentle reminder to stay positive is always a good idea for this activity. This is a great way to use adjectives and allow students to be creative and move around.
Another fun activity is Draw What You Hear. The teacher will find a picture (something simple) and slowly describe it to a small group. As the teacher describes the student will draw what they hear. For example, I see a tree on the left, it is green, there are flowers below it and so on. It is so fun to see what the students will draw and how it compares to what was being described. If possible it is great to give the students a chance to describe something as well. This will give them a good sense of how important adjectives can be when describing something to someone, even for things as simple as placement or color.
Mystery Box is a fun and exciting way to teach adjectives. This is another one that is great to give everyone a turn at. The idea is to put a mystery item in a box and use as many words as you can to describe it. The students may also ask question using adjectives, such as “is it soft or is it green”. At the end each student will write their guess down on a sheet of paper. You could even make this one a game and keep track of correct guesses. Or if a student thinks they know they can raise their hand and guess. If they are correct they will be the next to describe an item.
Adjective Bingo is a fun and interactive way to teach and learn. Each student will be given a bingo card with pictures. The teacher will use adjectives to let the student know which card has been chosen. This bingo game will require the student to pay careful attention to the descriptions given.
Shurley Grammar and Mad Libs are also favorites of mine when it comes to teaching the parts of speech.
What fun and creative methods have you been using to teach your kids?
Image courtesy of Josh Staiger at flickr.com (Scaled, cropped and text added)
I remember that when i was in school, they used to do the “Draw What You Hear” thing with us – I was in a school for the disabled….
Great ideas! I would love going to a museum to learn adjectives! What a creative option.
I would have enjoyed the trip to thr art museum. Getting see what words others use in relation to mine could be interesting.
These are great ideas. These are easy and fun ways to kids about adjectives.
I love this. Especially the mystery box. I could definitely stand to brush up on some adjectives myself. Will be saving this for the future.