Grammar [doesn't have to be a] snooooze

Let's be honest, grammar can be insanely boring. I've tried so many different ways, including direct instruction, including worksheets, including workbooks uggghhh. Then I found this article on Scholastic's website, I liked the idea of a grammar journal and brought it to them. I've since made it our own and set up a routine that the kids are loving! The best part is, they are becoming better writers and are..... wait for it.... enjoying writing! It also helps that they are earning marbles like crazy (more on that later)

Day 1: New concept notes (one page)

Not too pretty, but it works :)

The class now has a FIND IT mission, anytime they find the concept in ANYTHING they read, they record the sentence (making sure to cite textual evidence explicitly - comon coooore!)

For the next few days the routine goes as follows:

Each day we 'check in' our findings

The first to find one!

(I take volunteers the first few days)

I display student notebooks under the document camera. We read their textual evidence as a class, then decide if it does in fact fit the grammar concept we are studying. If it does, I highlight the rule (conjunctions at the moment) and we get a marble!

Next, we practice it

I give the class a prompt (they've actually been coming up with their own lately, high interest!)
I then set the timer for 4 minutes.
Noooone stops writing until the timer goes off. Captains then pass out highlighters and students highlight the grammar rule they have used in their own writing.
They show me on their fingers how many conjunctions or prepositions or phrases (you get the idea)..... they used. The first day, almost everyone used 1 or none, by the third day I have some kiddos using 4 or 5 correlative conjunctions in one piece of writing! Wooo!