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Dicing with Grammar

Average Rating4.72
(based on 221 reviews)

It's simple really: English grammar can be a very dry subject, but this need not be the case. For a few years now, I have been developing a games-based approach to teaching important grammar concepts. It is amazing how the introduction of dice takes the learning into a new place - the element of chance making it seem less like work and more like play. Because I test my games extensively in the classroom, I get a feel for what works. Dump your boring worksheets and start dicing with grammar.

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It's simple really: English grammar can be a very dry subject, but this need not be the case. For a few years now, I have been developing a games-based approach to teaching important grammar concepts. It is amazing how the introduction of dice takes the learning into a new place - the element of chance making it seem less like work and more like play. Because I test my games extensively in the classroom, I get a feel for what works. Dump your boring worksheets and start dicing with grammar.
Earth, Moon and Sun - Quiz, Quiz, Trade, Key Stage 2, space
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Earth, Moon and Sun - Quiz, Quiz, Trade, Key Stage 2, space

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Updated instructions now added Quiz, Quiz, Trade is a fun and active way for children to learn facts. The cards can be tailored to cover any subject area, topic or learning objective and are particularly useful for introducing a new subject area that your class wouldn’t already know lots about. You could include a range of differentiated questions, but I have often found that the children you least expect will learn the more complicated facts after playing this game. The idea behind Quiz, Quiz, Trade is that it is a fun, non-threatening and exciting game that is inclusive for all and will help all children in your class to acquire knowledge quickly. Really handy when you just need them to have a bit of background knowledge or learn something quickly in order to apply or develop the knowledge in their work. Quiz, Quiz, Trade can be used for any age group (my cards are all aimed at years 4-6) that will be able to read the questions and answers. I have used Quiz, Quiz, Trade in observations with much success (see instruction page) and consistently use it to introduce new topics in class-the children love it!
Paragraph Party!  Mammoths
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Paragraph Party! Mammoths

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THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE PARAGRAPHING A FUN AND CONCRETE EXPERIENCE. This is a fun and engaging activity (for groups of four) about organisation within a paragraph. Using a non-fiction context (information about mammoths) pupils go to a paragraph party. They have to work out who is hosting the party (the topic sentence), who is the uninvited guest (information that doesn’t belong) and various other activities. In short, it’s a lively and memorable way of exploring non-fiction paragraphs.
How many proper nouns?
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How many proper nouns?

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Children are expected to capitalise proper nouns from Year 1 onwards, but many children in Key Stage 2 find this tricky to remember. Often, children do not understand the difference between common and proper nouns. This lesson, complete with presentation and an dice game, will give children experience of using a wide variety of proper nouns, from book titles to shop names. Classes about to undertake the Y6 Grammar Test would find this a useful refresher on common and proper nouns. Make missing capital letters a thing of the past by playing: ‘How many capital letters?’
Battle of the Complex Sentences
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Battle of the Complex Sentences

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This lively whole class game involves stealing words and wearing blindfolds - it causes a real buzz of excitement around creating complex sentences. It is one of my most involved games, but very easy to get the hang of. You’ll need a full lesson to play it. A fun whole class grammar game promoting the use of subordinating conjunctions in complex sentences. My class loved it - I hope yours will too.
2D shape paper folding investigation
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2D shape paper folding investigation

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This was a really fun and engaging lesson about polygons, which produced some terrific work. There is clear differentiation, and absolutely everything you need to make this fly in your classroom. I created it for a year 3 class, but I think it could be adapted for any class from y2 to y6. Included: detailed lesson plan quiz quiz trade quiz quiz trade instructions spelling box activity photos of finished investigations support activity - matching polygons to their names instructions for paper-folding polygons investigation at two levels of challenge table top vocab cards additional problems for children who have finished
Unstressed vowels, dice game
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Unstressed vowels, dice game

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I can identify unstressed vowels I can spell words with unstressed vowels Children (and adults!) often spell words with unstressed vowels incorrectly (how about these: diffrent, intresting, seprate, evryone…). This dice game encourages learners to engage with this tricky group of words. Players identify and sort unstressed vowel words into groups. They record them on a game sheet. No marking - peer assessment built in (answers are on the reverse of cards). There is a competitive element to add some fun, but it could just as easily be played collaboratively. I have included ideas on how to quickly differentiate the game, to include all learners. There is also a quick warm sorting activity. My class enjoyed it. I hope yours do too. All you need is 1-6 dice. The rest is all here.
Determiners, two dice games, presentation
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Determiners, two dice games, presentation

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Two dice games for KS2: ‘Point or show quantity’ pupils explore the two basic functions of determiners. ‘Introduce the noun’ pupils add determiners to noun phrases and sort determiners into groups. Both games have a competitive element but are tightly focused on the following objectives: I know that determiners have two jobs: ‘pointing’ or ‘showing quantity’ I can use determiners accurately in sentences I can use a wide variety of determiners to introduce nouns I can sort determiners into groups Determiners can get a little confusing for primary school aged children when you get beyond simple ‘a’ or ‘an’ activities. How far you go with your class is best judged by you (of course!). Through the presentation (which you may wish to simplify, depending on how far you wish to go with determiners) and engaging dice games, children will use lots of talk, and really engage with this tricky-to-define but important group of words.
spell ie and ei words, dice game: 'Follow the rule/break the rule', i before e except after c
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spell ie and ei words, dice game: 'Follow the rule/break the rule', i before e except after c

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I can spell ‘ie’ and ‘ei’ words Lots of children (and adults) get mixed-up when spelling 'ie' and 'ei' words. Is the rule 'i before e except after c' actually helpful? This dice game encourages children to explore the rule and decide for themselves. Here are some words that keep to the rule: field, shield, brief, chief, belief, believe, unbelievable, relief, relieved, piece, achieve receive, conceit, deceive, deceit, conceive, misconceive, perceive, perceivable, ceiling, receipt Here are some that don't: neighbour, weigh, counterfeit, foreign, kaleidoscope, their, caffeine, leisure, protein, seize, weird ancient, deficient, glacier, proficient, society, science, sufficient, species Play the game ‘Follow the rule/break the rule’, classifying words into two groups. After the game, the class could consider if this rule may work best: “i before e except after c, but only if it rhymes with a bee!”
addition and subtraction facts, root facts, fluency, two grids
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addition and subtraction facts, root facts, fluency, two grids

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All maths teachers, regardless of the age they teach, know how important it is for children to be fluent in their root addition and subtraction facts. I couldn't find them as a word document anywhere, so I made these two simple grids. They can be used in so many ways, for teaching, practising and assessing how children are doing with their basic number facts.
Paragraph Party! Organisation within a paragraph, fun whole class activity, space
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Paragraph Party! Organisation within a paragraph, fun whole class activity, space

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This is a fun and engaging whole class activity about organisation within a paragraph. Using a non-fiction context (information about space) pupils go to a paragraph party. They have to work out who is hosting the party (the topic sentence), who is the uninvited guest (information that doesn't belong) and various other activities. In short, it's a lively and memorable way of exploring non-fiction paragraphs.
Whole school fluency map, fluency grids for year groups, fluency grids for parents, other resources
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Whole school fluency map, fluency grids for year groups, fluency grids for parents, other resources

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These resources are designed to promote the teaching and learning of basic number facts across primary school. If children are fluent they do not need to keep going back to inefficient counting methods! Many of the fluency skills promoted here may be the same in Key Stage 1 as they are in Key Stage 2. This is because for many children it is just as important to learn root addition and subtraction facts in Year 6 as it is in Year 1. These number facts will support children when facing the very large numbers they have to deal with at primary school, so it is well worth promoting fluency across your school…and I’m not just talking multiplication tables! Everything is fully editable, so adapt it to make it work for your school. Resources included: A whole school fluency map, showing the number facts that must be learned from Y1 to Y6 ( a lot of skills are repeated across every year group. This is intentional! Fluency guides for each year group, linked to the whole school map Fluency guides for parents (please make sure you send out with the ‘addition and subtraction roots on one page’ document copied onto the back of the sheet) Addition root facts Subtraction root facts Optional reward chart for parents to use at home, linked to parent guides Multiplication facts pre and post assessment sheet Division facts pre and post assessment sheet In the zip folder: Multiplication and division - bronze, silver and gold timed challenges, including medal chart and medals. We give out a times tables wristband anytime a child gets a gold medal - this has proved a big hit. Bronze - times table in order, 30 seconds Silver - times table out of sequence, 40 seconds Gold - times table with division facts, 80 seconds Good luck! I hope your fluency work has a positive impact on mathematics teaching and learning at your school. And remember explicit teaching of fluency skills is just as important as practising and rapid recall.
free verse poetry
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free verse poetry

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Create poetry on any subject using this engaging dice activity. Why not kick your next topic or writing project off with a some poetry? This works well as a stand alone activity or as part of a writing unit, to develop adventurous language. Assessment focus: I can use figurative language and word play I can assess another writer’s work (peer assessment) I can draft, edit and publish my own free verse Follow the steps of this fun two part lesson (approximately 2 hours needed) and pupils will be able to create poetry on any subject. Simply give pupils a picture they can write on, and let the activity do the rest. What’s included? A detailed explanation of the activity, with real classroom examples Resources to try the activity with an image of a Viking archer (but you could replace the image with anything you like - the activity will work just as well!) Differentiated activity sheets, with many examples of short lines, verbs, prepositions, personification, alliteration, metaphor and simile Peer assessment prompt sheet I use this approach a lot, often with great success. Give it a try!
I can subtract from multiples of 10, subtraction, mastery, Year 3
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I can subtract from multiples of 10, subtraction, mastery, Year 3

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This lesson is planned in detail and fully resourced, with warm up activities and 5 independent activities, all about subtracting from multiples of 10. First there is a subtraction fluency warm up activity, to get children involved straight away. Using the mastery approach, the lesson begins with simple concrete activity (using counters) that everyone can access. Following this, children can quickly move on to other activities, at their own pace. I used this in a Y3 class and it was a great session. It could work well in Y2 or early in Y4, to check understanding.
3D shape quiz quiz trade cards
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3D shape quiz quiz trade cards

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Learning about 3D shapes? Why not kick off the lesson with a quiz quiz trade to get everyone moving and using mathematical vocabulary. Just print off enough cards for one per child or get adults involved too.
How to write a biography paragraph, organisation within a paragraph, Simon Cowell, Anne Frank
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How to write a biography paragraph, organisation within a paragraph, Simon Cowell, Anne Frank

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This session teaches children one way of structuring a biography paragraph. Prior to the session, children will need to have gathered some information for the biography they are going to write. Everything else you need is here! You are buying: - a detailed lesson plan; - a 'paragraph party' resource, based on Anne Frank's life; - a presentation, including suggested shared/modelled writing.
homophones
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homophones

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A brilliant lesson on homophones and near homophones, suitable for Year 5 and Year 6. Assessment focus: I understand the term ‘homophone’. I can give definitions of many common homophones. I can spell common homophones. You are buying: - a detailed lesson plan; - ‘mistaken identity celebrities’ PowerPoint; - mistaken identity scavenger hunt; - self –assessment tool (on powerpoint); - engaging dice game differentiated 2 ways - plenty of challenge - answer checkers provided; - SEN/low attainers activity; - an extension activity for those who finish. You’ll love this session - a fun way to explore homophones and near homophones.