This week I introduced some work on nouns with the Grammar Farm. The Grammar Farm is more or less what it sounds like- just a farm with word labels to help teach grammar. You could use a dollhouse or train set- you just need a setting and objects.
How to Introduce Nouns:
Before we pulled out the farm, I took a minute to introduce what a noun is. We played a game that I called "Find me Something." Ask them to find you an object. When they come back with an object, say "oh I'm sorry, I meant bring me that pencil." After a few times around I got a few giggles and a concrete example of how we use words to name things. These things are referred to as Nouns. This is a great time to introduce a word card with "Noun" and a few noun words along with the black triangle symbol for noun.
DIY Grammar Farm
Putting it Together:
Farm Animal Set (I like the Farm Animal Toobs, our craft store had it for a lot cheaper)
Setting (a barn or you can make a mat like we did)
Labels from Montessori Print Shop (print with the colors or use the b/w labels and attach to colored cardstock, Nouns are on Black)
Grammar Symbols (make your own or purchase)
When to Introduce:
after they have been working on the Blue Reading Materials. This would be when they can easily read many of the animal words without pictures.
How to Introduce:
1. Tell them that you have something new to show. Reference the work you did with nouns earlier.
2. Pull out the animals and place them on the mat one by one
3. Pull out a word card and read it.
4. Place it next to the object.
5. Invite them to read a few more word cards.
6. Finish the work cycle and put away all the cards and the animals in the designated area.
This set will get you through all of the parts of grammar- it's worth it to have. I bet chances are you have a toy farm somewhere already!
The layout for introducing the other parts of speech are similar but be sure to check back for when we work on adjectives and verbs!
