The typical cases are usually too simple and students fall into a sense of false security. Rather than truly mastering the skill, students develop pattern recognition that gets them through the common cases. Eliminate this problem by seeking edge cases.
All AboutGrammar
Suffix Lessons for the Gifted
The year opens with a vocabulary skill analyzing “Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ly.” I adjusted this lesson to examine how these suffixes change the part of speech of words, rather than the meaning.
Uplevel Grammar By Examining Another Language
After creating an above-level grammar group, I was left with the problem of creating a challenging grammar assignment. Inspired by a friend’s self-created language, I encouraged my students to examine the rules of other languages. Some interesting rules they discussed included…
Can You Spice Up Grammar?
The first grammar lesson in our reading program is titled “types of sentences.” Nothing excites gifted 11 year olds less than watching me explain the difference between interrogative and declarative sentences. This year, rather than teach the lesson using direct instruction, I used another model of instruction: concept attainment.