Game: Proofreading Online

Students can put their proofreading skills to the test with Spelling Connections' Online game, which provides short paragraphs for students to edit.  Players can choose their grade level, read the passages and edit mistakes using proofreading marks.  Spelling errors have to be corrected.  Students are told how many mistakes are in each paragraph, and they have a limited number of tries for each round.  There are about 30 passages per grade level, so students can get plenty of practice.


This would be ideal for a computer station; it is a good way to have students practice editing and using proofreading marks.   Try it!

image: microsoft

Practice Grammar and Recommend Books

A few months ago, I suggested using Captain Underpants as a grammar exercise in the classroom.

That got me to thinking... why stop there?  Why not create your own misspelled, grammatically incorrect grammar exercises that are at least slightly more interesting than generically-made practice books and worksheets?

Further, why not kill two birds with one stone?  Book recommendations are a good way to get kids interesting in reading and writing.  Many teachers assign book reviews so that students can share their independent reading material with the rest of the class.  Other times, teachers recommend books themselves to entice students to read.


Why not combine interesting grammar practice with the need for book recommendations?


Create a list of books you know will interest your students.  You probably already have several that you know from experience go over well with students.  Peruse your school and public library.  Also, check book recommendation sites like BookAdventure.com, which allows you to pinpoint specific titles when you search by reading level and genre.


Next, write a short review for the book.  Since you're trying to get them to read it, highlight the positives about the book.  Sell it to the kids!  Make it sound interesting.  Include a few grammar errors and spelling mistakes in your review.  By creating your own reviews and purposeful mistakes, you can focus on specific skills that you are covering in class.


Finally, allow students to read and correct the reviews you have created.  You are giving them a chance to practice grammar, and you are also encouraging them to read the book you've recommended!  They get to learn about what may be a great book for their interests, which is much better than the stuff kids are usually told to edit.


Make the book reviews unique.  Recommend books of all types and genres, including fun fiction, graphic novels, scary stories, mysteries or something that you may want them to read for class.  


You have a ton of possibilities with this activity.  You can certainly assign students to make their own "mistake-filled" book reviews for others to check, once they get the hang of how it works.


Don't be surprised if you see me making a few of my own examples and posting them here for your use!

Using Captain Underpants in the Classroom

I came up with this idea after seeing what must now be hundreds of Dav Pilkey books in classrooms.  Boys in elementary school seem to have their eyes permanently affixed to Pilkey’s various graphic novels, and I think many would enjoy any classroom activity that uses the stories.

Pilkey has written several popular series, including the Captain Underpants and Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot books.

I’m most familiar with the Captain Underpants books.  The books contain a series of what the author calls “mini-comics” created by a few of the characters.  Pilkey says he wants to inspire kids to create stories without worrying about perfection.  It’s a noble endeavor; many kids forsake the writing process, and expressing their ideas creatively, simply because they struggle with spelling and grammar.

At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with giving students a bit of practice with spelling and grammar, especially if you’re using one of their favorite books.  One of the issues many kids have with spelling or “sentence editing” practice is that they are bored with the typical skills practice sheets and language arts texts. 

Try using those Captain Underpants novels instead!  The “mini-comics” are full of spelling and grammatical errors.  Here are a few example pages.  Kids who enjoy the novel can engage in a “scavenger hunt” activity to find a certain amount of mistakes in each of the mini-comics, rewrite the sentences correctly, and check their responses with a partner.  Chances are they will be more engaged by the activity because they are using an enjoyable text rather than a dull worksheet.  This is essentially the same method used by Caught'ya! and other story-based editing activities, but Pilkey novels (and others like them) offer the chance to use stories that are likely already familiar to and beloved by students.

 The activity could be a writing center or “word work” station.

Here are a few more ideas:

·      Follow Pilkey’s example and encourage students to create their own “mini-comics.”   You can have them make purposeful mistakes to trade with a partner and “hunt” for errors, or they can be a chance to write and create stories without worrying about corrections.

·      For a more challenging activity that explores the use of voice in writing, ask students to work backwards with the mini-comic format, translating correct sentences or scenes from another book into a comic created by George and Harold.

·      Use the official teacher’s guide to Pilkey novels.  This spelling/grammar editing is actually recommended within it, so it looks like my idea is on the right track!  There are also tons of other activities listed, such as writing a letter to a favorite character, as well as designing a robot and creating an advertisement for its design.  There are also discussion questions for several of Pilkey’s novels.

·      Visit Pilkey’s official website for a lot of other information on him and his work.  There are several games on the site based on the books.  If you have Pilkey fans in your class, keep these computer games in mind as a possible reward or incentive.

-Veronica