For those kinesthetic students, it is sometimes easier to explain a concept by using one of the five senses. (And even those visual students will find a hands-on activity a nice change of pace.)
We’ve cooked up some nouns — now let’s feel our adjectives!
Suggestions
- Start by explaining what an adjective is: adjectives describe objects (or nouns).
- If you have already cooked up some nouns, ask your child to describe some of those nouns he cooked. Point out that each word he uses in his description is an adjective.
- Gather items from the house that have different textures: sandpaper, cotton, linen, fur, a brush, burlap, sticky tape, pine cone, rock, apple, etc.
- Place all of the items in a large paper bag or box.
- Blindfold your child, and ask him to put his hand in the box, grab an item, and describe what he feels.
- Write each word the child uses down on paper.
- Repeat this process with two more items from the box or bag.
- Put the box or bag out of sight and ask the child to open his eyes. Review the words you wrote down, again pointing out that each word is an adjective, used to describe an object or a noun. Then ask the child to guess the object/noun.
Additional Resources
Learning Styles
Ideas on how to use, and not use, a child’s preferred way of learning. “[W]e are all unique, so we cannot be adequately classified into just these pigeonholes. However, with all of its limitations, generally recognizing the particular learning style and modality of your family members can take you a long way toward understanding and appreciating one another…. [I]t makes the job of teaching your students far easier.” Quoting Diana Waring.
Activities
Webbing Tool
Interactive at ReadWriteThink.org that allows students to create their own web graphic organizer. Can be used to work the activity above in reverse. Student can choose an object from the box/bag to describe using the tool.
Cookie-Cutter Nouns
Go ahead and try this one again, describing as you go, for a two-fer.
Books
Touch and Feel Books
There are many books in this particular series that would be ideal for younger students learning adjectives (smooth, rough, soft, furry, etc.) Perhaps baby brother already has such a book that can be borrowed!
Unit Studies & Lesson Plans
Delicious, Tasty, Yummy
6-lesson plan at ReadWriteThink.org for investigating adjectives for older students including everything from exploring apples to rewriting a literary passage.
Printables & Notebooking Pages
Describing Wheel
Free graphic organizer at EduPlace.com for documenting the activity. Just write the describing words on the outer circles. When the object is identified, the name can go in the middle.
Graphic Organizers
Word web at Pearsons that can be used to document the activity (#2 Word Web).
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