Wednesday, April 14, 2010

New Language Game for Circle Time - Goes with Montessori Noun & Verb Grammar Symbols

We came up with a game that works well if you do circle time...could also work as a game for family game time...my sons loved this game.

To play, you need:

A red ball, any sort of ball, but needs to be red  if you want it to go with the Montessori grammar symbol for verbs...

index cards and a black marker

On the cards, draw a black triangle to represent the black pyramid for the Montessori grammar symbol for noun...

For those who can write, have them write their name on the cards...for those who are still learning to write their names, have them draw themselves on their cards.

Sit in a circle and then explain how the game will work.
you could also use this time to review the idea of the grammar symbols for noun and verb...
If you have older ones who know about grammar symbols, then explain how the game ties in with that...
Then, explain that when the red ball (that represents the verbs) rolls to you, then you have to say your name (as the noun) and say the verb that you are going to do...
So, for example, the ball rolls to me and I would say Mommy hops...then I would get up and hop for a few seconds...then, I would sit back down and roll the ball to the next person, say Big Bro...Big Bro would say Big Bro twists and then, Big Bro would stand and twist and toll the ball to the next person, say Little Bro.
Then, Little Bro would say Little Bro jumps...and so on...
As each person say their name, they would hold up their noun card and show their noun card and then, stand and do the action.

To adapt this game for older children, have them find verbs in their reading. Then, have them write their verb words down on index cards.
Then, when they come to the circle, and the ball is rolled to them, they put all of their cards in a pile in a small basket in the middle of the circle...
When they roll the ball to a person, the person then has to select a card from the basket and do that action...ind of gives the game a bit of a mad libs effect if some of the verbs are funny.

This is a fun game and hopefully, your children will enjoy playing it.
In a classroom, would work best during circle time, but in the homeschool setting, you could do it either as part of the school time or else during the evening, as family time.
If parents play and add words from their reading, it makes it fun, as it increases the difficulty of the verbs used and also models that reading is great fro everyone, as if you have to go and get berbs from the books you are reading, it points out to your children that reading is something that everyone does, not just kids.

Hope that you will enjoy this game!

I have included some links to other websits and blogs about Grammar symbols, for those of you who might not know about these:

From Montessori for Everyone 

From Homemade Montessori


Here is a link to a Grammar Bingo game from AMC

Have a happy Wednesday!

Thank you to those of you who have posted nice comments this week. We have company in town so I am not writing as much, as we are doing the touristy things with our friends.

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