Multi-Sensory Grammar
Multi-Sensory Grammar is a way to teach
students the nine parts of speech involving more than the pencil, paper,
and textbook method. It involves using colors to help the students understand
the various parts of speech. It also uses craft foam squares, colored flash
cards, and even multi-colored candy to practice what they have learned.
This is a short overview of what we teach.
Nouns-They tell us things. They are the names of people, places, things,
or ideas. They are colored yellow just as a yellow school crossing sign tells
drivers to be aware of students that might be crossing the road.
Verbs – Show action or state of being. They tell you what is happening, so
they are colored orange just like a detour sign.
Noun Markers (articles)- These three little words (a, an, the) are
used often in the English language. Just as a red light warns of a railroad
crossing, these words warn THERE’S A NOUN COMING!!!! They are color coded
red and a red arrow goes from the noun marker to the noun it modifies (describes).
Adjectives (Ad-nouns)- Adjectives modify (describe) nouns. They answer the
questions –Which one? What kind? How many? How much? Whose? They are color
coded blue and have a blue arrow going from the adjective to the noun it
is modifying.
Prepositions – The students met either Preppy the squirrel or Preppy the
puppy. Preppy the squirrel lives in a green tree. Preppy the puppy lives
in a green house. Both are used to show the relationship between to things.
Preppy can be on the house, in the house, by the house, past the house, near
the house, etc. These are all prepositional phrases. A prepositional phrase
begins with a preposition and ends with either a noun or pronoun. The preposition
is underlined in green and the entire prepositional phrase is circled in
green
Pronouns – Pronouns are noun replacements. They take the place of a noun
so they are yellow just as nouns are yellow.
Adverbs – Take the word adverb apart and you will find what it modifies.
It can modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs. For our study the adjectives
will usually modify the verb. Not and very are always adverbs. Many adverbs
end in –ly. Adverbs answer the questions – How? When? and Where? Adverbs
are color coded purple and have a purple arrow going from them to the word
that they modify.
Conjunctions- Conjunctions join word, phrases, and clauses together. The
most common conjunctions are and, but, or. These are color coded brown just
like a wooden peg that holds things together.
Interjections – Interjections are words that show strong emotion. There is
no relationship between them and the sentence that comes before or after
them. Since they do not have an important function, they are not color coded.
