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What is teaching grammar
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The elements of English grammar
Grammar & Punctuation
The communicative approach to teaching grammar
Each language has its own distinct set of grammar rules. These rules tell us how to use different types of words and in what order. In English, grammar encompasses word order (syntax), tenses (past, present, future etc) and different word types (nouns, verbs, adjectives etc). English grammar is the foundation of good communication, reading comprehension, writing and story-telling. This is why teaching grammar is so important for young children.
The elements of English grammar
There are 3 main elements of English grammar:
Syntax
Syntax is important in grammar, as the way in which we order words can change the meaning in a sentence. For example,
"The ball hit the boy."
"The boy hit the ball."
In this example, the two sentences use the same words, but in a different order, which changes the meaning in the sentence. When constructing sentences, we need to choose the correct syntax in order to accurately convey meaning for others to understand what we are trying to express.
Tenses
In the English language, there are 3 different tenses: the past, the present and the future tense. These are then each divided into 4 subsets: simple, perfect, continuous and perfect continuous. In order for sentences to be grammatically correct, we must choose the correct tense and use this consistently throughout a piece of writing. For example,
"I sang a song and dance."
In this example, the verb 'sang' is in the past tense, but the verb 'dance' is in the present tense. For this to make grammatical sense, the sentence should be:
"I sang a song and danced."
Word types
The four main types of words in the English language are nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Understanding these will help improve our writing, as we can name objects, be descriptive and include actions. This helps others understand more easily what we are trying to express.
Grammar & Punctuation
In order for children to be successful writers, they need to learn correct grammar - which goes hand-in-hand with correct punctuation!
Grammar and punctuation are both essential in order for us to communicate effectively. You might have your syntax just right and your tenses spot on, but if you can't punctuate correctly then your writing will still be unclear.
Spelling, grammar and punctuation (SPaG) are taught together in schools to help children link them all together in their writing. By the end of KS2, children are expected to know all of the spelling, punctuation and grammar set out in the national curriculum, such as fronted adverbials, correct paragraph use and use of complex punctuation such as semicolons.
Children are tested on their SPaG knowledge at the end of Year 6 in the national SATs.
How to start teaching English grammar to children
Take a look at these dedicated and extensive collections of grammar resources for KS1 and KS2 to help you plan, prepare and deliver informative and engaging lessons on grammar. With a variety of interactive PowerPoints, helpful worksheets, fun games and more to choose from to help support your teaching of this topic. These lovely resources can help you come up with some great techniques for teaching English grammar. These resources will also show you how to start teaching English grammar for beginners, meaning that these English grammar teaching materials can be used by parents as well as teachers, for example.
There are many different and interesting ways to teach English grammar for beginners. Some favour the communicative approach to teaching grammar, which prioritises learning the spoken rules before moving on to writing. There is also the play way method of teaching English grammar, which encourages students to learn through play. Take a look at this great range of grammar games to use in the classroom or at home.
How to teach English grammar to beginners
Teaching English grammar can be daunting if you class yourself as a 'beginner'. There are many different techniques for teaching English grammar. We have created a huge variety of different resources to cater for all tastes. Here are some of our favourites:
Year 1 Autumn Term 1 SPaG Activity Mats
Past & Present Tense Warm-Up PowerPoint
What's in the Suitcase? Resource Pack
Special Agent Training: Interactive Grammar Game
Fix the Sentence Activity Mat
Grammar Challenge Cards
The communicative approach to teaching grammar
The communicative approach to teaching grammar is a little different than teaching grammar explicitly. This way of teaching grammar focuses on teaching grammar in a natural order of progression. This approach to teaching grammar tends to be used more with ESL students (English as a Second Language). This is because this way of teaching helps students develop a feeling similar to their first language when they learn grammatical rules.
An example of how a communicative approach to teaching grammar differs from explicit teaching is that the present tense would generally be taught first. This means students would learn the present tense and how to use it effectively before they attempt to use the past tense. Explicit grammar lessons, however, would likely introduce the past tense early on in learning grammar rules. The communicative approach gets children used to using the basics first before they build on their knowledge.
This can help children be less afraid of grammar and lets them learn in a more organic way. This can really help to motivate children and to improve their understanding of grammar over time. If children get to learn grammar as they put it into practice, they are more likely to remember it.
Lessons are less structured and it focuses more on how to use language rather than just teaching the language itself. It focuses on the function of language as well as literal words.
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