Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms are words which have the same, or nearly the same meaning,
e.g. dirty and unclean, sad and unhappy.
Antonyms are words which mean the opposite of each other,
e.g. dark and light, strong and weak.
The following activity develops the children's understanding of the meanings of the above two terms, while increasing their range of vocabulary.
1) Begin by explaining the two terms, giving examples to illustrate the point.
2) Have a list of words which have lots of synonyms / antonyms. Some are listed here:
strongbighappyshortsoftfasteasyfatnicenewgoodquietbrightwarm
3) Split the class into an even number of groups. Label half of the groups "Synonym" and half of the groups "Antonym".
4) Say one of the words on your word list. Each group then has to think of as many synonyms and antonyms for that word as possible (depending on the group's label given earlier). The children can have a fixed time limit to do this, or can continue until they run out of words.
5) Now count up the number of words each group has produced and award points to the group with the longest list.
6) Repeat using different words. You could also swap the groups, so the "Synonyms" groups now find antonyms and vice versa.
7) This would also be a useful exercise in using a thesaurus, so if there were enough for one per group, the children could use these to add to their own lists.
Play IWB game games goo
e.g. dirty and unclean, sad and unhappy.
Antonyms are words which mean the opposite of each other,
e.g. dark and light, strong and weak.
The following activity develops the children's understanding of the meanings of the above two terms, while increasing their range of vocabulary.
1) Begin by explaining the two terms, giving examples to illustrate the point.
2) Have a list of words which have lots of synonyms / antonyms. Some are listed here:
strongbighappyshortsoftfasteasyfatnicenewgoodquietbrightwarm
3) Split the class into an even number of groups. Label half of the groups "Synonym" and half of the groups "Antonym".
4) Say one of the words on your word list. Each group then has to think of as many synonyms and antonyms for that word as possible (depending on the group's label given earlier). The children can have a fixed time limit to do this, or can continue until they run out of words.
5) Now count up the number of words each group has produced and award points to the group with the longest list.
6) Repeat using different words. You could also swap the groups, so the "Synonyms" groups now find antonyms and vice versa.
7) This would also be a useful exercise in using a thesaurus, so if there were enough for one per group, the children could use these to add to their own lists.
Play IWB game games goo
AlliterationAlliteration -- The repetition of consonants at the beginning of words in poetry or any writing.
Examples of Alliteration:
Sea Surprise
The swimmers swam and searched the sea
Special sea shells hid beneath the sand
Children catch small creatures and set them free
Screaming, splashing and skipping to the land
Alliteration in Poems
Look at this sentence, what can you see?
Dozy Doug dug a deep ditch.
Most of the words start with the same letter, D. This is called alliteration.
Task One
Here are some sentences for you to complete. The end word is missing each time. Can you fill in the missing word, thinking about alliteration as you fill it in.
For example:
Twenty terrible tigers.
Task Two
Can you think up some four-line verses that show alliteration in each line. The lines do not all have to be based around the same letter. Your verses can be about anything you like; school, animals, sport etc.
For example:
Big Bad Ben
In the playground he pushes, pinches and pulls people, He’s always naughty and nasty – not nice to know.
He bounces boys back and forth
And burps and belches at bell-time!
See if you can make a few little verses like these.
Challenge
Can you find examples of alliteration in any of the poems we have read as a class, or in poems you have read yourself.
Write down a few examples of lines from poems that show alliteration. (Make sure you write down which poem they are from please.)
OnomatopoeiaDirections: Read each sentence and circle the onomatopoeic word. Also explain what makes this noise.
1. When Mum asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
2. The best part about music class is that you can bang on the drum.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
3. While the cat cleaned himself, the thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
4. After sweating it out on the court, Vince gulped down the Mountain Dew.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
5. Though she stepped very lightly, Vanessa’s heels still clacked on the hardwood floor.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
6. Ronald zipped up his sleeping bag as he packed up all of his belongings.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
7. Tim almost stepped on the snake and then he heard the rattle of its tail.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
8. When Bobby got home after a long day at school, he threw his books down with a thud.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
9. The two-year old crashed into the cabinet while chasing the dog around the kitchen table.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
10. The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the clinking glasses and they prepared to embrace.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
11. Brian was rapidly clicking his pen to annoy me, but it wouldn’t work this time.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
12. Angie sprayed her neighbor with the hose in a playful way; he didn’t mind since it was so hot.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
13. They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of his keys.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
14. Anytime anybody comes over to my house, my dog hides behind the couch and barks for hours.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
15. Chris saw the garbage truck driving right toward him so he honked his horn and waved his arm.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
16. I woke up to the sound of bacon sizzling in a frying pan and I knew that it would be a good day.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
17. The lawyer almost drove right into the ambulance while chasing after the wail of the sirens.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
18. Most musicians use a small piece of plastic, but Johnny Nickels used a coin to strum his guitar.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
19. Mark tried sneaking in the house after the party but the squeak of his shoes woke up Mom.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
20. Jenny tried to focus on the final exam but the ticking clock kept breaking her concentration.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
21. Barry felt very patriotic as the sunset and the flag flapped in wind.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
22. John was eager to begin taking notes so he started tapping his pencil on his desk.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
23. As the paintball splattered against the windshield, Kevin knew that he would be in trouble.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
24. As the fans packed into the stadium, the fireworks boomed overhead.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
25. When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a banshee.
What made the noise? ________________________________________________________________
Examples of Alliteration:
- Bobby broke his bat at Bart's house.
- Sugar makes the sauce sweet.
- The worm wiggled when we touched its wet skin.
- The pots and pans were Peter's prized possessions.
Sea Surprise
The swimmers swam and searched the sea
Special sea shells hid beneath the sand
Children catch small creatures and set them free
Screaming, splashing and skipping to the land
- Tell students to choose a topic that they like.
- Ask students to write a six line poem. The poem should use alliteration, using one letter, like in the example poem. There should be at least six words that start with the same consonant within the poem.
- Students should trade their poem with one other person. Each person should find the examples of alliteration in the other person's poem.
Alliteration in Poems
Look at this sentence, what can you see?
Dozy Doug dug a deep ditch.
Most of the words start with the same letter, D. This is called alliteration.
Task One
Here are some sentences for you to complete. The end word is missing each time. Can you fill in the missing word, thinking about alliteration as you fill it in.
For example:
Twenty terrible tigers.
- One awful........
- Two horrid........
- Three smelly ....... .
- Four frightened ....... .
- Five frisky........
- Six smiley ....... .
- Seven sickly........
- Eight evil........
- Nine naughty ....... .
Task Two
Can you think up some four-line verses that show alliteration in each line. The lines do not all have to be based around the same letter. Your verses can be about anything you like; school, animals, sport etc.
For example:
Big Bad Ben
In the playground he pushes, pinches and pulls people, He’s always naughty and nasty – not nice to know.
He bounces boys back and forth
And burps and belches at bell-time!
See if you can make a few little verses like these.
Challenge
Can you find examples of alliteration in any of the poems we have read as a class, or in poems you have read yourself.
Write down a few examples of lines from poems that show alliteration. (Make sure you write down which poem they are from please.)
OnomatopoeiaDirections: Read each sentence and circle the onomatopoeic word. Also explain what makes this noise.
1. When Mum asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
2. The best part about music class is that you can bang on the drum.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
3. While the cat cleaned himself, the thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
4. After sweating it out on the court, Vince gulped down the Mountain Dew.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
5. Though she stepped very lightly, Vanessa’s heels still clacked on the hardwood floor.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
6. Ronald zipped up his sleeping bag as he packed up all of his belongings.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
7. Tim almost stepped on the snake and then he heard the rattle of its tail.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
8. When Bobby got home after a long day at school, he threw his books down with a thud.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
9. The two-year old crashed into the cabinet while chasing the dog around the kitchen table.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
10. The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the clinking glasses and they prepared to embrace.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
11. Brian was rapidly clicking his pen to annoy me, but it wouldn’t work this time.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
12. Angie sprayed her neighbor with the hose in a playful way; he didn’t mind since it was so hot.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
13. They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of his keys.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
14. Anytime anybody comes over to my house, my dog hides behind the couch and barks for hours.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
15. Chris saw the garbage truck driving right toward him so he honked his horn and waved his arm.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
16. I woke up to the sound of bacon sizzling in a frying pan and I knew that it would be a good day.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
17. The lawyer almost drove right into the ambulance while chasing after the wail of the sirens.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
18. Most musicians use a small piece of plastic, but Johnny Nickels used a coin to strum his guitar.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
19. Mark tried sneaking in the house after the party but the squeak of his shoes woke up Mom.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
20. Jenny tried to focus on the final exam but the ticking clock kept breaking her concentration.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
21. Barry felt very patriotic as the sunset and the flag flapped in wind.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
22. John was eager to begin taking notes so he started tapping his pencil on his desk.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
23. As the paintball splattered against the windshield, Kevin knew that he would be in trouble.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
24. As the fans packed into the stadium, the fireworks boomed overhead.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
25. When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a banshee.
What made the noise? ________________________________________________________________
Contractions
What is a contraction?
A contraction consists of two words that are combined to form one word. To “contract” means to “make smaller,” and that is what we do when we form contractions: we take two longer words and contract them into one shorter word.
When do we use contractions?
Contractions are informal “shortcuts” that we take in our everyday speech. Instead of saying “Do not tease the dog,” we shorten it to “Don’t tease the dog.”
Those same shortcuts can be used in informal writing when we want our writing to reflect our way of speaking. In formal writing, however, it’s best to avoid contractions.
How do we teach contractions?
are not = aren’t
cannot = can’t
could not =couldn’t
did not = didn’t
do not = don’t
does not = doesn’t
had not = hadn’t
have not = haven’t
he is = he’s
he has = he’s
he will = he’ll
he would = he’d
he had = he’d
here is = here’s
I am = I’m
I have = I’ve
I will = I’ll
I would = I’d
I had = I’d
is not = isn’t
it is = it’s
it has = it’s
it will = it’ll
must not = mustn’t
she is = she’s
she has = she’s
she will = she’ll
she would = she’d
she had = she’d
should not = shouldn’t
that is = that’s
there is = there’s
they are = they’re
they have = they’ve
they will = they’ll
they would = they’d
they had = they’d
was not = wasn't
we are = we’re
we have = we’ve
we will = we’ll
we would = we’d
we had = we’d
were not = weren’t
what is = what’s
where is = where’s
who is = who’s
who will = who’ll
*will not = won’t (irregular)
would not = wouldn’t
you are = you’re
you have = you’ve
you will = you’ll
you would = you’d
you had = you’d
A contraction consists of two words that are combined to form one word. To “contract” means to “make smaller,” and that is what we do when we form contractions: we take two longer words and contract them into one shorter word.
When do we use contractions?
Contractions are informal “shortcuts” that we take in our everyday speech. Instead of saying “Do not tease the dog,” we shorten it to “Don’t tease the dog.”
Those same shortcuts can be used in informal writing when we want our writing to reflect our way of speaking. In formal writing, however, it’s best to avoid contractions.
How do we teach contractions?
- Use a rubber band to demonstrate to your student the concept of expanding and contracting. When you stretch the rubber band, it expands; when you let it go, it contracts. That’s what we’re doing when we contract words – we’re just making them smaller.
- Demonstrate the concept by writing he is on a piece of paper, or use letter tiles if you have them. Cross out the i and replace it with an apostrophe. Read the new word to your student to show how the pronunciation changes from he is to he’s.
- You may need to explain that an apostrophe is a type of punctuation mark. One of its jobs is to help us form contractions. However, many students put the apostrophe in the wrong spot, as in ar’nt. Understanding that the apostrophe must always take the place of the omitted letters will prevent such errors.
- Now write or build the words she will. Cross out the w-i and replace those letters with an apostrophe. Explain to your student that she’ll is a shortcut, a shorter way of saying she will.
- Underscore the importance of the apostrophe by removing it from the contraction she’ll. Point out that without the apostrophe, the word is shell and not she’ll. Never forget the apostrophe!
are not = aren’t
cannot = can’t
could not =couldn’t
did not = didn’t
do not = don’t
does not = doesn’t
had not = hadn’t
have not = haven’t
he is = he’s
he has = he’s
he will = he’ll
he would = he’d
he had = he’d
here is = here’s
I am = I’m
I have = I’ve
I will = I’ll
I would = I’d
I had = I’d
is not = isn’t
it is = it’s
it has = it’s
it will = it’ll
must not = mustn’t
she is = she’s
she has = she’s
she will = she’ll
she would = she’d
she had = she’d
should not = shouldn’t
that is = that’s
there is = there’s
they are = they’re
they have = they’ve
they will = they’ll
they would = they’d
they had = they’d
was not = wasn't
we are = we’re
we have = we’ve
we will = we’ll
we would = we’d
we had = we’d
were not = weren’t
what is = what’s
where is = where’s
who is = who’s
who will = who’ll
*will not = won’t (irregular)
would not = wouldn’t
you are = you’re
you have = you’ve
you will = you’ll
you would = you’d
you had = you’d