Punctuate like a Pro: from dashes to colons and more!
How do your kiddos do with punctuation? Do they typically forget basic punctuation marks? Do their sentences lack pizazz? Punctuation is one of the key elements to complete and accurate sentences, and many students:
1) don’t know the different types they can use, and
2) don’t know how those different types even work!
Yes – proper punctuation is a crucial component of effective writing. However, teaching punctuation can be challenging, as it requires not only a strong knowledge of the rules but also effective communication and engagement strategies. That’s why I wanted to share with you some tips on how to teach punctuation in a way that will engage and educate your students!
#1) Start with the basics
Before launching into more complex punctuation rules, make sure that your students have a solid understanding of the basics, such as full stops, commas, and quotation marks. Once this is familiar, begin adding in other types one-by-one.
#2) Use real-life examples
Punctuation is all around us, from the signs on the street to the books we read. Use real-life examples to demonstrate the importance of punctuation and make it relevant to your students. You can make this fun and 
go on a punctuation hunt!
#3) Make it interactive and relevant
This is what our programs – Literacy for Boys and Literacy for Kids – do well! Punctuation can be a dry topic, but it doesn’t have to be. Every punctuation quiz in our program is linked to the topic – this simple technique keeps your students engaged and helps them internalize the rules. The quizzes are varied too: click and drag, multiple choice, short answer.
#4) Hone in on common errors
Identify the most common punctuation errors that your students make and focus on addressing those specifically. This will help them avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
#5) Practice, practice, practice!
The best way to improve punctuation skills is through consistent practice! Provide regular opportunities for your students to practice their punctuation, whether through in-class exercises, homework assignments, or writing prompts.
#6) Provide scaffolds
Your students can practice creating a sentence with a specific punctuation like a semi-colon, hyphen, or quotation marks EVEN if they borrow from the example you give and just alter a few parts!
Remember: Teach the more common types to all of your students and give them access to display charts or scaffold reminders for accountability and success. Teach the more complex forms of punctuation to students who need a challenge – this will spice up their writing and provides a new experience to their audience: the reader!
We hope that these quick tips will be helpful in your efforts to teach punctuation effectively!
Needing extra help with improving a child’s literacy? Students from Year 3 to 9 wanting extra practice with their comprehension, spelling, grammar and punctuation can enrol in our program Literacy for Boys.
Feel free to contact us info@literacyforboys.com.au to enrol for a FREE 2-week trial.
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Brought to you by Tanya Grambower
