Creating your own stories (with some grammar practice)

Extension activity for introduction to noun phrase

I found a great activity for practicing the concepts of these three parts of speech, which could be done after presenting the concepts and symbols for article - adjective - noun. It combines grammar with the joy of story telling and imagination.

Age group: 6-9

Materials

• three small baskets, each containing the same amount of paper strips (anything from 5 to 25 strips). The boxes should be labeled "article","noun" and "adjective", with each symbol on the label.

•  5 to 25 index cards (the same amount you chose to put in each basket)
• pencils

Introduce the baskets to the child(ren). Encourage him (them) to write any nouns they can think of in the strips of paper belonging to the noun basket, being careful not to repeat any.

 Do likewise with the adjectives.

 When the articles strips need to be done, let them struggle with the task of coming with no repetitions and then remind them (if they do not bring it up by themselves) that we only have three pronouns in English and they will have to be repeated.

Children will then take turns to take one strip from each basket and make a noun phrase with it, which should be then copied on the index card. Some will be quite striking or non-sensical, but it adds to the joy of making them fit in a cohesive story.

Proceed until every index card is completed.

Shuffle the cards and pick 3 or 4. Explain to the children that you are going to make up a story with them The only rule is that you should use all the cards you picked in it, in the order you got them.

When you are done, ask a child to make its own story.