25 Digital Resources for Teaching Grammar
Teaching grammar doesn’t instill a sense of joy in the hearts of many teachers. Likewise, you don’t hear students often raving about the grammar lesson they had that day. It just seems so dry, so boring, so blah. Not that it isn’t an important skill, but when you don’t love what you’re teaching, it is kind of a challenge to get your students engaged and enjoying it. So, how can we fix this? We’ve got a great start here. Check out these 25 digital resources for teaching grammar! My favorites are #1 and #2!
Parts of Speech Interactive Notebook for Google Slides
Shameless plug here… ETTC has put the Parts of Speech Interactive Notebook you know and love into Google Slides! Nouns, and verbs, and adjectives, oh my! This set includes these areas and pronouns, adverbs, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Interactive notebooks are a great way to get kids to really learn concepts. These slides are like a physical notebook, but without all the prep, wasted instructional time of cutting and pasting, and they are super engaging! They’re shiny and brand new, totally cohesive as a set, yet each file has a flare of its own. They include nursery rhymes, fill in the blanks, sorts, puzzles, and more. This resource is completely ready for you and your students. All you have to do is assign it to them and you’re covered! You won’t be sorry you checked these out.
1. Nouns
Students start out simple by identifying types of nouns (person, place, and thing). Then move onto creating plural nouns by adding -s and -es. Finally, they work on identifying common and proper nouns. As an added bonus, put it all together by identifying a variety of nouns within nursery rhymes. And with all of our digital parts of speech interactive grammar activities, there is a check for understanding at the end of the notebook.
2. Verbs
The verb digital interactive notebook has students first sort action and being verbs. This is followed by a subject/verb agreement where students select the correct verb for the sentence. After this, the students have a shades of meaning sort with seven verbs. Next, they match the action verb words to the super cute clip art images. They’ll wrap it all up with nursery rhyme verb hunting, a past/present/future tense word making activity. And as always, the comprehension check at the end.
3. Adjectives
Students begin the adjectives digital interactive notebook by using adjectives to describe themselves. (We know kids are ALL about themselves, so we use that to our advantage here!). Next, they help solidify their knowledge of what adjectives are by finishing the ‘Adjectives tell…” sentence stem with draggable pieces. Working on expanding their vocabulary, they then sort in an adjective shades of meaning activity. Finally, students match adjective words (draggable pieces) to the clipart that matches and consolidate their knowledge with the check for understanding!
4. Pronouns
The pronoun digital interactive notebook starts with students sorting words (draggable) into what is a pronoun and what is not a pronoun. After this, they match the pronoun to the appropriate set of nouns and match the pronoun to the appropriate clipart. Finally, they complete a comprehension check.
5. Adverbs
Students start by sorting the draggable adverbs into adverbs that tell how, when, or where. Next, they write in an adverb that would make sense in the given sentences and read those sentences aloud when they’re finished. Following this, for each of the three adverb types (how, when, and where) they’ll write in adverbs on a few puzzle pieces and (along with the already given adverbs) assemble a puzzle. They’ll complete the notebook with a check for understanding.
6. Articles
The articles digital interactive notebook begins with students sorting draggable words (a/an). Then, they get a brief introduction into definite and indefinite articles and select which article completes each sentence correctly. The notebook finishes with a comprehension check.
7. Prepositions
Students begin this notebook by dragging the appropriate preposition word arrow to the images. Next up are preposition word-image puzzles, followed by filling in the correct preposition in the sentence by selecting from three options and dragging the correct one to the sentence. They wrap it up with a check for understanding.
8. Conjunctions
The conjunctions digital interactive notebook has students begin by placing the correct conjunction into a series of sentences and then read it aloud. Then, they complete sentence puzzles, assembling the beginning, conjunction, and end of a sentence. They finish by completing the comprehension check.
Digital Grammar Interactive Notebooks: Volume 2
Another shameless plug – we just can’t contain ourselves here at ETTC. This resource that has been so loved by teachers and students is now available in digital format and we want to shout it from the rooftops! Volume 2 includes upper and lowercase letters, types of sentences, capitalization, end punctuation, multiple meaning words, inflectional endings, sorting objects into categories, synonyms and antonyms, simple and compound sentences, commas, context clues, affixes, root words, reflexive pronouns, apostrophes, dictionary skills, and glossary skills. Pair this with Volume 1 and you have a comprehensive resource for grammar guided instruction and/or independent practice for a variety of primary grades in a completely engaging format. Similar to Volume 1, it has a cohesive feel overall, but with a unique style for each and involve sorting, fill in the blank, multiple choice, puzzles, and more!
9. Upper and Lowercase Letters
Made for your youngest learners, the upper and lowercase letters digital interactive notebook begins with students sorting upper and lowercase letters. Next, they match the upper and lowercase letters to an ice cream cone with an image starting with that letter (one or the other is missing – either upper or lowercase). Then, they’ll circle all of the matching letter (upper or lowercase) in the row and finish by pairing the upper and lowercase letters (neither provided this time) to an image starting with that letter.
10. Types of Sentences
This notebook is available in two formats – one with the categories, ‘interrogative, imperative, declarative and exclamatory,’ and one with the categories, ‘question, command, statement, and exclamation,’ depending on what terminology your school uses. Students start by matching the definition of each type of sentence to the name of the sentence type. After this, they sort sentences into their type with draggable pieces (available at differing levels of difficulty – with or without punctuation on the sentence). Then, they read a sentence and identify what type it is by circling the type (again, available with or without punctuation for easy differentiation).
11. Capitalization
The capitalization digital interactive notebook starts with a digital anchor chart that students need to explore and match the heading to each section answering the question, “What do we capitalize?” Think this would be too easy for your scholars? No worries! We have you covered with an alternate version where the headings are given and students fill in examples of each. Next, students complete a sentence fix-up activity, also available at two levels of challenge for easy differentiation. Finally, they sort draggable words and phrases into the appropriate category of why that word or phrase needs to be capitalized.
12. End Punctuation
This is the Achilles heel of SO many early career writers… end punctuation. In this set of digital interactive notebook slides, students will begin by sorting information about each type of end punctuation to help learners solidify their knowledge and understanding. This is also available in a higher challenge level with empty areas for students to write in information about each end punctuation type. Then, students read draggable sentences aloud, sorting them into their end punctuation type after reading. Next, they write their own examples of sentences with each end punctuation type.
13. Multiple Meaning Words
Students start this notebook by dragging the homonym to the matching pairs of images. After this, they are given the word and an image of the two definitions and they drag the correct definitions to the images. This set covers a wide variety of common multiple meaning words!
14. Inflectional Endings
The inflectional endings digital interactive notebook begins with the sounds of -ed. Students have helpful reminders available in each column about what each sound of -ed is, but also features of the word that would give it that sound. Next, students explore -ed and -ing (past/present tense) by sorting words with these endings to match their root word. After that, students are introduced to each type of word (words that end with a short vowel and one consonant, words that end with a silent e, words that end with two vowels and a consonant or two consonants, and words that end with a consonant and a letter ‘y’) and the rule for adding -ed and -ing endings. Then, they practice adding these endings to each type of word.
Following this, they do a similar activity, but with the endings -s, -es, -ies, -ves, and -fs, however, this time they have to sort the root word first, then create the new word using the given rule. Finally, they select the correct word with/without an inflectional ending to complete a set of sentences.
15. Sorting Objects into Categories
This notebook reminds me of a lesson I teach where students learn that ‘words can go together based on what they mean.” While I think I’ve done a decent job with this in the past, this lesson is definitely being replaced with the sorting objects into categories digital interactive notebook! It begins with easy differentiation anchor charts – one where students add a heading to each section and one where students are given the heading and they add in the examples of each category – all answering the question, “How can we sort objects?”
Next, students are shown a number of sets of objects and are asked to drag over the appropriate category name, one additional example, and then write in a final example that fits in that category. Finally, students are shown sorted images. They need to drag over the one way for each page that the images are sorted, then write in an additional way that those images could be sorted, what the way would be, and what would go into each category (for example, for the slide above, these images could also be sorted by things that belong indoors- including toilet paper, lipstick, the box, the envelope, the door, and things that belong outdoors – the log, the mountains, the tent, the sun. The students could argue their case for the door, the cheese, the paper, the hats, the basketball, and the cabbage, and the eyeball clearly belongs in both!).
16. Synonyms and Antonyms
Students begin with finishing the acrostic poem for ‘SYNONYM,’ and ‘ANTONYM,’ by dragging over the pieces – which describe or give examples of each word. Cinnamon rolls with synonyms are up next, with students sorting the synonyms to match each cinnamon roll. This is followed by an antonym matching activity. After this, students complete synonym (3 piece, with each synonym image having two synonyms to drag over) and antonym puzzles (2 piece, with one draggable antonym puzzle piece).
17. Simple and Compound Sentences
To start this notebook, students drag over sentence pieces to complete a simple sentence stem. Next, they match a simple sentence to an image and then read it aloud. After that, students select an appropriate conjunction to join two simple sentences and rewrite the new, compound sentence. Students finish this notebook by making a compound sentence, combining two draggable simple sentences and using a draggable comma, conjunction, and end punctuation.
18. Commas
This notebook begins with anchor charts on when we use commas with a few options – level of difficulty with one being a match the heading to the examples and one being a fill in the examples under the given heading, but there’s also an option for people who write dates with the th/rd after the day number and an option for those that don’t. Then, students practice comma usage in a set of sentences. Finally, students will edit an entire letter, adding in commas when necessary – really putting that knowledge to the test!
19. Context Clues
Students begin this notebook by naming each example type of context clue (inference, synonym, example, antonym, and definition). Following this, they go through twenty-four examples. Each example contains a short passage, a comprehension multiple choice question on the definition of an underlined word in the passage, and a draggable label to identify what type of context clue is being used in that passage. Next, they are given another short passage, again with an underlined word. Using context clues, they find the definition that best fits and drag it over to the passage. The context clues digital interactive notebook wraps up with a page of sentences and highlighter strips. Students use the highlighter strips, after they read the sentences, to color code the underlined word in each sentence to the definition that is already highlighted for them.
20. Affixes
ETTC selected twelve common prefixes and twelve common suffixes for this notebook. Students start by dragging the meaning for each prefix to the prefix itself. Then, they do the same with suffixes. Next, they use draggable root words and make new words (for example, combining the draggable, ‘agree,’ with the prefix in the column, ‘dis,’ to make ‘disagree’). They follow this with the same activity, but with suffixes. On the final page, students are given a work mat where they can drag a root word, a prefix, and a suffix to make a new word (using the previous example, they might also add the suffix, ‘ment,’ to make the new word ‘disagreement’). Once they have a new word, they add it to their list of new words.
21. Root Words
The root words digital interactive notebook begins with students putting together three piece puzzle – piece one has the root word, piece two has the meaning, and piece three has an example/examples using that root word. Next, they take a given root word with definition and meaning and match the definitions of four words using that root word. Finally, they match a root word to an image for the meaning of that root word.
22. Reflexive Pronouns
Students kick off this notebook with a matching of the reflexive pronoun to the corresponding pronoun activity. Next, they match the reflexive pronouns to the corresponding pictures. This one is short, but sweet!
23. Apostrophes
The apostrophes digital interactive notebook starts with answering, ‘What gets an apostrophe?’ with images and the category answer given, and students match examples of each category. Next, they sort singular and plural possessives. Finally, students match the contraction to the words that make up that contraction.
24. Dictionary Skills
Students begin this notebook with a sample dictionary entry and move the labels to match the different parts of a dictionary entry (entry word, pronunciation, part of speech, first meaning, second meaning, third meaning). Following this, they put a set of words in alphabetical order with each set getting progressively more difficult. They finish this notebook by using the dictionary letters guide to help them sort words into front, middle, or end of dictionary words.
25. Glossary Skills
A short, but sweet delve into glossary skills, students start with ordering the four steps for how to use a glossary. Next, they actually use a sample page from a glossary to answer questions. Finally, they put sets of words in alphabetical order. Then, they create a sample book title (for each set) where they might find those words in the glossary.
So, what are you waiting for? Jazz up your grammar instruction, make your life a little easier and help the planet while you’re at it. This resource includes options for easy differentiation and an incredible scope of content. Dive into these digital grammar resources today! And if you have any other great resources, share them below.
Written by: Kristin Halverson
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