Using sticks for teaching literacy concepts is just brilliant. Learners find it more interesting than flashcards, although it serves the same purpose. I have used Subject and Predicate sticks and Synonyms and Antonyms sticks before with success and made these adjectives and adverbs sticks to teach our grade 2’s this past week.
Making these teaching sticks are so easy: simply write adjectives and adverbs on craft sticks, then add some Washi tape to the ends!
I used the adjectives in one lesson and will use the adverbs in the next lesson in more or less the same way. At a next stage we will mix the sticks up to write longer sentences too.
Firstly, we had a discussion on what adjectives are(describing of a noun) and then we brainstormed a few. We discussed why you should add adjectives to your writing: to make your writing more interesting and to “paint a picture” of what you are discussing.
After that, each learner chose a adjective stick and had to think of a sentence using that word. Each learner had a turn to say his or her sentence and the rest of the class had to guess which adjective is written on that stick. For instance, “I ate a soft bread roll on Sunday.” Adjective: soft. Noun: bread roll.
After an oral discussion, we moved onto writing sentences. Each learner chose a stick and wrote a sentence in their books using that specific word. After they finished a sentence, the adjective had to be highlighted. They had to write as many sentences they could in a certain time.
In a smaller group setting I will also use these sticks to teach antonyms: dividing up the sticks between the learners and then playing a game of “I have, who has…the opposite of closed”.
Frugal teaching tools like these adjectives and adverbs sticks are great to use in the class or in therapy sessions. Also, check out these Ways to use craft sticks for learning for more ideas!
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