SIMPLE Prepositions for Little Learners
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"Mom, what is a preposition?"
A great question to start the day. Impromptu language arts lesson.
Curious minds are ripe for learning!
A preposition is a word that connects or shows the relationship between two nouns or a noun and pronoun. Prepositions are always with an object or person.
We reviewed nouns and pronouns. Then, I gave examples of each and used them in a sentence.
Together, my little learners and I looked around the room and chose two nouns for our preposition play, mice and cars.
Paper mice were made from 3x5 cards, each child coloring a mouse family. I found some Duplo cars from our collection of blocks.
Once all the mice were colored and decorated, tails in place, our preposition discovery began.
For our play we would act out sentences, stating the relationship between the mice and the cars. I demonstrated by placing the mice on the cars while stating,"The mice are on the cars." I wrote "on" on a 3x5 card and placed it near the cars.
Then, I asked each of the child to place their mice in some relation to the cars, stating the position in relation to one another.
The mice are under the cars.
The mice are on the cars.
The mice are aside of the cars.
The mice are behind the cars.
As the children placed the mice and verbally expressed their position, I wrote the preposition on a card. Before long we had a handful of preposition cards. By the end of a few hours, we used our creative thinking, worked on spatial relationships, applied artistic uniqueness, and UNDERSTOOD prepositions and how to use them in sentences.
Int he end, we also had a handful of spelling cards to use for other lessons.
Learning started with a question.
"Mom, what is a preposition?"
SIMPLE.
Click to download your FREE PDF printable!
Tricky Y Game
/"Those tricky Ys! They make all different sounds. They are so confusing!"
A little learner, quite confused by all the "Y" words on a recent workbook page, voiced her opinion about why "Y" shouldn't have so many sounds. Those tricky "Y" words!
I decided to take learning off the page and put it into her hands.
And we learned TOGETHER!
I made a list of words ending in "Y" which took on the ending sound of either long e or long i. Then, I created a document which would provide 2 x 3 inch cards when printed on 100 pound card stock (colored card stock made our game more fun). Once printed, little learners used a blunt-ended scissors to cut the words apart.
Once cards were cut, I designed a pocket Y using two envelopes--one business and one letter. To make the Y, I sealed the envelopes. Then, I trimmed 1/4 inch off the top edge of each envelop to make two pockets. Next, I formed the "Y", gluing the envelopes together and traced around the outside edges with a black permanent marker to make the "Y" more pronounced. Finally, I wrote "long e" on one envelope pocket and "long i" on the other.
Before we sorted the words according to ending sound, each learner read the words on the cards. We reviewed rhyming words as words that sound the same and sorted the cards in rhyming words piles.
After reading the words, learners took turns choosing a word card from the draw pile, read the word, and placed the word in the correct pocket. Turn taking continued until all words were placed correctly.
This game was a hit!
In fact, this game was requested for several days straight until one of the learners discovered the words could also be used as spelling words. Great idea!
Every learner had either learned or reviewed the Tricky Y concept, sorted rhyming words, and practiced spelling, all from printable cards and two envelopes.
Intentional. Real. Relational.
