Montessori homeschool might be the perfect combination. To have the freedom to be Montessori outside and to integrate movement while learning is a critical component of a child’s development.
This week we continued our grammar unit and learned about adjectives. Below is an outline of how we approached our adjective learning.
Adjectives for Kids
My son doesn’t like to be told that “we’re doing school” or that it is “time to start our learning”. So, I have to be a top-notch facilitator. Some might say I have to be a bit tricky but there is more to it.
Get Outside & Move Your Body
Start with a bike ride or walk around the neighborhood or yard. Really this part is simply a conversation. I like to say, “Today we’re going to learn about adjectives.”Then, I make observations such as “the green leaf”, “a tall tree”, and “the bumpy road” as you pass through your yard or neighborhood. More often than not, your child will become excited and begin to identify his own descriptive phrases using the objects on your route.
In order to start this new unit, I took my son on a bike ride to our favorite coffee shop. Fresh air, exercise, and an enticing steamer. What more could a six-year-old need to ignite his desire to learn?
Fun Children’s Books about Adjectives
Entice children with clever books about adjectives. We love Ruth Heller’s books. The rhythmic language she uses within the pages of her books engages kids (and adults). In some respects, her writing echoes Dr. Seuss’ lyrical approach.
This book is an engaging way to get kids interested in learning about grammar. Heller’s books cover all aspects of grammar and I highly recommend every one of them!
Silly Sentences Adjectives Game
My 6-year-old is all about having fun (who isn’t?) when learning. You might say that I am gathering loads of games to put in my back pocket. One of these games I call Silly Sentences or Phrases (in this case).
Quite simply you create silly phrases with an article [optional], an adjective, and a noun. This game extends through all the parts of sentences and therefore age ranges and language capabilities.
For example, you might choose “the tasty volcano” as I did in this image. You’re bound to get a chuckle. Then work together or ask the child to find a better match. He might choose “hot” or “huge”.
Logical Adjective Noun Game
I included this game in my Montessori Learning about Adjectives Activities Pack. Kids seem to enjoy finding an appropriate adjective to noun match.
Roll an Adjective Game
This game always gets my son writing, which is our pain point. It is basically a race to who can fill a column.
Choose an adjective to match with each side of a die. So if you roll a one, you write “green” in the one column and so on.