Getting the hang of English grammar is pretty important for your child’s education, laying the foundation for critical thinking, effective communication, and language comprehension. But let’s be real: traditional grammar lessons and adult-talk instruction can be a total snooze fest, sending your child straight to sleep.
There are a few creative and enjoyable ways to infuse or supplement grammar lessons into your child’s day— one idea is using bedtime stories.
Here are a few ways to make your child the best word finder and grammar expert they can be without sending them straight to snooze!
Storytelling-Driven English Grammar Learning
Stories are full of different sentence structures, making them perfect tools for teaching grammar.
You can use bedtime stories to teach your child about simple sentence structures, like the difference between a simple independent clause and a compound one. Children get to see how language is used in context by identifying sentence structures in their favorite nighttime tales.
Highlight the contrast between independent and dependent clauses in bedtime stories by selecting a sentence from the tale and asking if it makes sense without extra information. Explain that an independent sentence, much like an “I can do it by myself” attitude, stands alone, while a dependent sentence requires additional support. Make it relatable by relating it to situations where they want to do something independently versus times when they might need a bit of help from an adult.
Fairy Tales and traditional legends such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, and Johnny Appleseed are also excellent resources for studying verb tenses, given that most are written in the past. Choose narratives that children are familiar with, as the familiarity will make it easier for children to explore the language and grammar.
Focusing on English Grammar Rules Minus the Snores!
Play is one of the best ways to teach children about difficult topics like English grammar because it’s fun and educative.
So, next time you delve into a child’s favorite bedtime tale, you could bring the stories to life and add your own twist.
Instead of treating grammar as a rulebook, infuse storytelling into the learning process. So, open the pages of your child’s favorite bedtime tale and let the adjective adventure begin. Engage your child by encouraging them to think of their own adjectives to turn ordinary sentences into personal masterpieces. The “ferocious windy day” suddenly becomes more intense, and the “brave little hero” sounds much more interesting.
If a book already contains adjectives, point them out. You could even ask them for alternatives that could mean similar things. Once you’ve identified the adjectives, you can discuss their intensity, ordering them from least intense to most. For instance, big, huge, and ginormous all have different degrees of intensity.
Instead of adjectives, you could even focus on action verbs. For instance, in Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae, he describes each animal’s natural behavior with words like “munch,” “quivers,” or “wander.” Discuss what these verbs mean. Can they think of other verbs that describe each animal in the jungle?
Punctuating Correctly
English can be a difficult language to grasp. There can be millions of grammar rules, and getting to grips with them is pretty tricky. Part of grammar rules is punctuation. Teaching kids about punctuation can be confusing, so the best thing to do is make it memorable through games and activities.
While reading your bedtime story, make sure your child can see the text. You can emphasize direct speech by acting out the various characters within the stories. Create new voices every time someone new speaks. Point out the speech marks and perform, or even ask your child to try voicing for a hands-on activity.
Use the right tone for punctuation marks, such as exclamation points and question marks, so that kids can easily understand what they signify.
Rhyming Grammar Lessons!
Many children’s books contain rhyming words, and for good reason! Not only does rhyme teach children about how language works, but it also improves vocabulary, memory, and concentration. You can use bedtime stories like The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson or Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae to work on finding the rhyming words in the story. Can they think of any more words that might rhyme?
Alliteration in Bedtime Stories
Think of a child’s favorite bedtime story. Can you find examples of alliteration in it? Like rhyme, alliteration helps children memorize letter sounds, allowing them to recall words and vocabulary later for spelling and reading fluency. Find parts in the story where words start with alliteration and see if you can come up with more fun examples. For example, if Peter Piper is picking a peck of pickled peppers, what else could Peter Piper be doing that begins with P?
List of Grammar-Focused Bedtime Stories
Here are some short stories that focus on English grammar, designed to help you get started in about five minutes or so!
- Steve Newberry’s Semicolons, Cupcakes, and Cucumbers – bring the punctuation marks to life and discover what they do!
- Tom Percival’s Finn Little Fibs – discover adjectives, feelings, and onomatopoeia.
- Robin Pulvers’s Punctuation Takes a Vacation – a funny story about what might happen if punctuation takes a much-needed holiday.
- Jamie Lee Curtis’s Big Words for Little People – a rhyming story full of rich vocabulary.
- Gene Barretta’s Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones – explore homophones in this funny animal story.
Remember, the most important part of grammar lessons is about having fun while you’re learning, so focus on engaging activities that make the process enjoyable and educational.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.