Function of Words: Adjective

Materials:

A group of objects that are in some way related to each other, such as the animals of the farm. There are several of each type that differ in some way.
Slips of paper, pencil, underlay, scissors (teacher’s writing materials)
The box of grammar symbols

Independent Work: Prepared slips for the farm

Purposes:

Age: 4 ½ and up

Preparation: The child has worked with the Article Exercise.

Presentation:

Invite the child to set up the farm animals however they like. Show the child the symbol box and have them bring it to the table while you bring the teacher’s writing materials.
Write a slip for one of the animals set up at the farm, have the child read the slip and bring the animal.
When the child returns, acknowledge they brought what you asked for but that you were thinking of a different one.
Write the adjective/describing word on a slip and ask the child to bring you that variety of animal.
Set the labels under the object for the child to read with the adjective in front or behind the first label.
Move/transpose the adjective slip to the other side of the first label and have the child read. Ask the child how we would say the phrase
Cut the slip, arrange them correctly, and have the child read them.
Move the object and labels to the top left of the table and repeat for two more.

Symbolize

Bring down a set of slips and the animal in front of the child.
Ask the child what the name of the animal is. Show the child the black triangle and explain it is used for words that tell us the name of something. Place it above the noun.
Ask what kind of (animal name) it is. Remove the dark blue triangle and explain that it is used for words that tell us what kind of and place above the adjective.
Introduce the small light blue triangle. And explain that it is used for the word that tells us if there is one or one of many. Identify the article and place the symbol above it
Move the animal, labels, and symbols to the side and repeat for the rest of the objects. Always use prompting questions to help the child identify the word for the appropriate symbols.
When complete, show them the prepared slips to read, match to the farm and symbolize

Control of Error: None

Following Exercises:

Moveable Alphabet: The child can write descriptive phrases about the farm or classroom.
Template: The child may write descriptive phrases on a long strip of adding machine tape. Using the template and colored pencils, they can draw the symbol above the words.

Pedagogical Notes:

You may play a verbal game prior to the lesson where you ask the child to bring you an object and when it is brought, make the request more specific with the use of an adjective. “You brought me a pencil like I asked! But you know what? It wasn’t the pencil I was thinking about. Can you bring me the green pencil?”
The farm is not a toy. If younger children are interested in it, offer language lessons of the parts of the farm and all the animals.
The child must know the names of animals. Three-period lessons can be used for those they do not know.
The child needs something to make our abstract language more concrete. This is why we use symbols to manipulate and associate with the function of words (always emphasizing the function not the academic vocabulary).
The three triangles represent the ‘noun family’. The size of the triangle relates to its word importance in the phrase and the fact that they are all triangles means they go together.
The symbols offer a visual pattern patterns of words.

Definite and Indefinite Article