Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Wrapping It Up

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Congratulations! You have completed twelve chapters of grammar study. You are practically an expert.

Actually, let’s check to make sure. Remember the Grammar Glossary you completed in the Introduction? Return to it now, this time filling in the column on the right.

And one more thing: at the beginning of this supplement, you pitched your tent on a line. Where do you put it now? Leave a comment to tell me which way your tent moved--or if it stayed put.

 

I leave you now with this quote from Carl Sandburg:

Additional Resources

Grammar-Land: Grammar in Fun for the Children of Schoolroom-shire  and accompanying worksheets

http://growingbydegrees.blogspot.com/grammar-in-context.html

Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 12

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

1. Read chapter 12.

2. Write two messages from a deserted island, one appropriate for an English teacher, one for a peer.

3. Will you share one or both of your messages in the comments?

Go to Wrapping It Up.

Woe Is I, Jr., Lessons: Chapter 11

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10


1. Read chapter 11 and do what O'Conner suggests.

2. Browse this site which lists clichés in alphabetical order.

3. Be a PCI (Private Cliché Investigator), looking and listening for them in print and conversation. Make a page of at least five clichés you see and/or hear, illustrating each one.

4. Write an advertisement for a product, real or imagined, using clichés until you're blue in the face. (Oh, there's one!)

5. Please consider sharing your advertisement or your best clichés in the comments.

Go to Lesson 12.

Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 10

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

1.   Read chapter 10.

2.   Write a news story about a current, historical, or imaginary event. Incorporate the punctuation marks highlighted by you and your teacher on the Punctuation Checklist.

3.   If you need to be convinced of the importance of punctuation marks, read Lynn Truss’s picture books Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Twenty-Odd Ducks, and The Girl’s Like Spaghetti.

4.   Watch this video for fun.

5.   Practice punctuating with commas by completing the interactive exercises or handouts for commas at www.chompchomp.com.

6. Please consider sharing your news story in the comments.

Go to Lesson 11.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 9

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

1.   Read chapter 9.

2.   Choose a handful of words that you tend to misuse. Use each one in a sentence. Then explain how you can remember proper usage in the future.

3.   Choose a category (i.e. animals, food, desserts, etc. ). Write a list of nouns, beginning with every letter of the alphabet (i.e. aardvark, bear, cat…) on Nouns from A to Z. Add the correct article (a or an) in front of each one. If you don’t want to think through the alphabet again, you can use your list from chapter 3: You’re Mighty Possessive (column 1 or 2). You’re welcome. : )

Go to Lesson 10.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 8

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7


1.   Read chapter 8.

2.   Go on a hunt for capitalized words in magazines, newspapers, junk mail, anything in which you can leave gaping holes. Cut out the words and categorize them on A Capital Idea. If they are a unit, like a book title or an address, leave them as a unit.

3.   Write a diary entry as though you are your favorite cartoon or comic book character. Use words from each category, either ones you make up or ones that are on your chart.

4. Share your diary entry in the comments!

Go to Lesson 9.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 7

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

1. Read chapter 7. Do what she suggests, with one exception. Instead of writing a poem to fool a spell checker, you may write a short e-mail to a real or imaginary friend. Here is a silly message I sent to a friend which totally fooled my spell checker: Ewe just knead too no eye halve you're back.

2.   Choose three words that stump you when you need to spell them. Make a secret code, so they stump you no more.

3.   Choose ten of the word pairs on pages 76-84. Write a tongue twister for each pair, using both words correctly.

4. Share your favorite tongue twister in the comments.

Go to Lesson 8.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 6

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

This one is short and easy!

1.   Read chapter 6.

2.   Using “The Respectables” list on pages 70-71, write a short dialogue between two people, one who always uses contractions and one who never uses them. What adjectives would you use to describe each of these people?

3. Leave a sample of your dialogue in the comments!

Go to Lesson 7.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 5

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here, the lesson for chapter 2 here, the lesson for chapter 3 here, and the lesson for chapter 4 here.

1.   Read chapter 5 and do what O’Conner suggests.

2.   English teachers don’t usually prefer students to begin sentences with “there is” or “there are.” See if you can figure out why. Write a couple of there is/there are sentences. Then revise them to remove there is/there are. Which ones do you think are stronger? Why?

3.   Write a list of “I wish” or “If I” statements. (Bonus: Write an “I wish” or “If I” poem. Adapt the “I wish” model just a bit. Begin each line with I wish I were. How can you revise the final line to make it fit this new format?)

4.   Write sentences to show the difference between the pesky look-alikes (60-61).

5. Would you mind sharing your statements or poems in the comments?

Go to Lesson 6.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 4

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here, the lesson for chapter 2 here, and the lesson for chapter 3 here.

1.   Read chapter 4 and do what O’Conner suggests.

2.   Watch Schoolhouse Rock’s Verb: That’s What’s Happening.

3.   I found the following paragraph explaining how to make a sandwich.

My favorite sandwich is a spicy roast beef delight, and making it is such a tasty adventure. Simply retrieve two slices of fresh one-hundred percent whole wheat bread, and spread spicy brown deli mustard and mayonnaise to the inside of each slice. You will then add three thick slices of roast beef to the bottom slice of bread, as well as red onions, two slices of tomato, and a slice of green leaf lettuce to the top piece of bread. Now, place the two slices of bread together completing this scrumptious sandwich. Finally, cut the sandwich in half and serve with a handful of your favorite chips as you enjoy this masterpiece.

Remove or cross out all verbs in the paragraph. Do you agree with O’Conner that “without a verb, there’s nothing going on”?

4.   Write a paragraph about your favorite birthday moment.  Copy and paste it twice. Change the first one to present tense. Change the second one to future tense.

5. Share your present tense birthday moment in the comments.

Go to Lesson 5.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 3

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here, and the lesson for chapter 2 here.

1.   Read chapter 3. 

2.   Complete You’re Mighty Possessive.

• In the first column, list careers from A to Z (architect, businessman, carpenter…). Don’t worry if you can’t use every letter.
• In the second column, list tools essential for each career (blueprints, briefcase, handsaw…). They don’t have to be alphabetical, unless you really want to challenge yourself.
• In the third column, show that the tool belongs to an individual in that career (the architect’s blueprints, the businessman’s briefcase, the carpenter’s handsaw…).
• Finally, in the fourth column, show that the tools belong to several individuals in that career (the architects’ blueprints, the businessmen’s briefcases, the carpenters’ handsaws…).

3.   Practice your possessives at www.chompchomp.com. Complete the handouts or interactive exercises for Apostrophes. Practice distinguishing it’s/its, they’re/ their/there, and whose/who’s in Word Choice.

Go to Lesson 4.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 2

I have written lessons to accompany Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can read my introductory comments here, the lesson for chapter 1 here. 1.   Read chapter 2 and do what O’Conner suggests. 2.   Write five words for each plural ending (s, es, ies) which don’t appear on any of O’Conner’s lists. (You can do this informally or use the worksheet here.) 3.   Write about a recent trip to a store. Make every noun plural. 4.   Practice your plurals here. 5. Show us what happened at the store in the comments. Go to Lesson 3. Note: This post contains an affiliate link.

Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Chapter 1

I have written supplementary lessons for Woe Is I, Jr., a grammar handbook for kids. You can find my introductory comments and the first lesson here.

1.   Read Chapter 1 and do what O’Conner suggests.    

2.   Watch Schoolhouse Rock’s Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla, a video about pronouns.  

3.   Write a paragraph or two about a funny or scary or challenging activity you did with someone else. The catch? Don’t use any pronouns. Copy and paste it; then rewrite it with pronouns. When you compare the two, what do you discover? 

4.   Practice your pronouns at www.chompchomp.com. Complete the handouts or interactive exercises for Pronoun Case.

5. I would love to see your funny, scary, or challenging paragraphs in the comments. Please share.

Go to Lesson 2.

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Woe Is I, Jr. Lessons: Introduction

It wasn't long ago that I mentioned a grammar handbook for kids: Woe Is I, Jr. by Patricia T. O'Conner. I said then that I might work the book into lessons here, but I changed my mind and  made supplementary lessons for the book instead.

I will post them on Mondays, chapter by chapter. Choose as many or as few as you like. The goal is to enliven the study of grammar by moving kids, grades 5ish to 8ish, away from the monotony of workbooks to assignments that allow them to tap into their creativity.

Having the book will be essential. It is the spine of the study.

Okay, call your student(s) to the computer. It's time to begin!

*****

Let’s start by playing a little game, okay? I say a word. You blurt out the first word that comes to mind.

Ready?

Here we go.                       

Ice cream:

Beach:

Grammar:

If you’re like most kids, you probably said happy words for ice cream and beach and a not-so-happy word for grammar. But here you are with not only a grammar handbook but a supplement as well—and not a beach or bowl of ice cream in sight. Poor you!

It’s okay, though; it won’t be as bad as you think. At least I hope not. The goal is not to transform you into a grammar guru but to help you master the basics of your language which will benefit your life no matter where you go, no matter what you do.

Fortunately for you, Ms. O’Conner didn’t write a dense, dry, boring book. She wrote a lively one, engaging and witty. Through the text, she talks directly to you, the “younger grammarphobe.”

But I must warn you that she makes an assumption about kids: she assumes you are attracted to words that erupt from your ears, nose, and mouth. You know, words like earwax and boogers, vomit and belch. If vocabulary like this grabs your attention, be prepared to chuckle as you learn. If it offends you or insults your intelligence, overlook it to explore the concepts underneath. Remember, the alternative is dense, dry, and boring.

As you’re reading Woe Is I, Jr., you can do the following, as much or as little as you and your teacher decide.

1.   READ each chapter carefully, pretending that Ms. O’Conner is your tutor sitting beside you on the couch. When she asks you to do something, do it. Avoid the temptation to be a passive reader. Instead, think, engage, learn. Letting your eyes glaze and your mind wander will only waste your time, and you’ll know no more grammar than when you started.

2.   WRITE short pieces to help you apply the concepts you are learning. After all, if you can’t apply the grammar, what good is it? Right? I can’t hear you. Right? (Typing the pieces is recommended, as it will make the entire process easier.)

3.   COMPLETE the handouts included with this supplement. Handout titles are underlined and linked.

4.   PRACTICE concepts by following the links to more grammar fun.

You are now ready for the introduction. Enjoy!

1.   Read the Introduction of Woe Is I, Jr.

2.   Are you a grammarphobe, “somebody who has a phobia, or, fear, about grammar”?  If you were to camp on the line below, where would you pitch your tent?

(I’ll check in with you later to see if the tent moves one way or the other.)

3.   Okay, get it out of your system before you read any farther. Write a piece about anything—your opinion of grammar, for instance—with your absolutely worst grammar. Put punctuation marks in random places. Spell words incorrectly. Forget capital letters. (Even if you don’t have a single English teacher gene in your body, the sight of your writing will probably make you tremble.) Read it aloud. What do you think? Then give it to a friend to read. What is his/her reaction?

4.   How much do you already know about grammar? Well, let’s find out. In the left column of Grammar Glossary, write what you know about each word. Don’t worry if the sheet is bare when you’re finished. Blank spaces show you have some learning to do--which isn’t a bad thing.

5. I would love to see your "bad writing" example. Would you mind putting it in the comments?

Go to Lesson 1

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Writing Rules

Rule #1: No sentence fragments. Rule #2: Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read. Rule #3: A writer must not shift your point of view. See what is happening? In How Not to Write, William Safire breaks the rules he pronounces, then creatively explains the rules, tossing in some rule breakers in his explanations. Ideas for how to use this book: Read the rules, finding and fixing the mistakes Safire includes. Mark or highlight the times Safire breaks the rules in his explanations. Demonstrate the rules with original, correctly-written sentences. Marvel at how Safire can take potentially stuffy content and make it fun. Note: This post contains affiliate linkx.

Grammar Handbook for Kids

 

Some might call me an English geek, but I love to read grammar handbooks.  Last week I found one written just for kids: Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English by Patricia T. O'Connor. (She also wrote Woe Is I for adults, which I haven't read.)

I'm a fan. How couldn't I be?  O'Connor explains grammatical principles all kids need, in a way they can understand. I can't wait to use it; I just need to find my first victim, I mean, student. Don't be surprised if I work the book into lessons here, but until that happens, I wanted to be sure you know about it.

One bummer: Unfortunately, you'll have to tolerate occasional mentions of poop and vomit, belches and boogers. Otherwise, O'Connor does well with writing conversationally, using examples and jokes which keep the content from becoming dense and dry.

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Grammar-Land

 

 

Have you ever thought of the parts of speech with personalities?  How would you characterize a noun? an adjective? a verb?  M. L. Nesbitt personifies the parts of speech in her allegory Grammar-Land: Grammar in Fun for the Children of Schoolroom-shire:  "They are funny fellows, these nine Parts-of-Speech. You will find out by-and-by which you like best amongst them all.  There is rich Mr. Noun, and his useful friend Pronoun; little ragged Article, and talkative Adjective; busy Dr. Verb, and Adverb; perky Preposition, convenient Conjunction, and that tiresome Interjection, the oddest of them all" (3).

These "funny fellows" are in a tizzy about which words belong to whom, so they must appear in court to present their case before Serjeant Parsing, Dr. Syntax, and Judge Grammar.

The author includes exercises at the end of each chapter. If you would like them in  worksheet/handout form to accompany your study of this book, you can find them here.

This text is also available as a free e-book here.

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