Children have a natural curiosity that invites effective instruction. Children eagerly learn and understand the nature of adjectives and adverbs if the presentation is lucid and entertaining.

Adjectives

1

Take a piece of white chalk. Draw a white stove on the chalkboard, and write the word "stove" beneath it.

2

Explain to the children that the word stove is a noun because it is the name of something. Explain that all nouns are names of some person, place or thing.

3

Write the word "adjectives" on the chalkboard. Below this word, write the words "hot," "white" and "big."

4

Explain that these three words are adjectives and that adjectives describe nouns. Explain that "describe" means that an adjective tells something about a noun. Ask the children what each of the three words tell about the stove that you drew. Coach them if they do not answer, and elaborate on the answers that they give.

5

Erase your chalkboard and write the following words on it: "a," "an," "the," "one," "two," "some" and "many." Explain that all these words are adjectives. Illustrate their use with phrases and sentences. Explain that all numbers can be used as adjectives.

6

Focus the attention of the children on the adjectives "a," "an" and "the." Explain the difference between them. The word "the" is called a definite article because you have a specific stove in mind when you say "the stove." The words "a" and "an" are indefinite articles because your mother is not referring to any particular stove when she says: "I'm going to buy a stove." Be sure to explain that "a" is used when the next word begins with a consonant, while "an" is used before vowels.

7

Write the following on the chalkboard: "The happy people" and "The people are happy." Explain that adjectives usually come just before the noun they describe, as illustrated by the first phrase. Explain also that sometimes adjectives are separated from their noun by such verbs as "are" or "become," as illustrated by the second sentence. Explain that this latter type of adjective is called a predicate adjective.

Adverbs

1

Draw a picture of a child who is swimming in a lake and write the word "swim" above it.

2

Tell the children that "swim" is a verb, and explain that many verbs describe activities like swimming, running, jumping, writing or thinking.

3

Write the word "adverb" on the chalkboard. Below this word, write the following words: "slowly," "swiftly," "peacefully," "yesterday," "now," "soon," "here," "there," and "outside."

4

Explain that these words are adverbs and that adverbs describe some activity. Elaborate by explaining that adjectives show when, where or how an activity took place.

5

Ask the children: "When is the boy swimming?" Explain that three of the adverbs on the board might answer this question. He might be swimming now. He might swim soon, or he might have swum yesterday. All three are adverbs that show where the action of swimming occurred. Show how these same adverbs can be used with such verbs as "run," "jump" or "play."

6

Ask the children "Where is the boy swimming?" Explain that if he is nearby, he would be swimming here. If he is far away, he would be swimming there. If you are inside a house, he would be swimming outside. In all three cases, the adverb shows where the action of swimming took place. Explain that these same adverbs can show where somebody is talking or running.

7

Ask the children: "How is the boy swimming?" Explain that the adverbs "slowly," "swiftly" and "peacefully" can answer this question. He may be swimming swiftly, slowly or peacefully. All three describe the manner in which he is swimming. Give further illustration of these adverbs by using them with such verbs as "fly" and "sail."

Tips:

Chalk and chalkboard work best in the informal atmosphere of the home, where few children are receiving instruction. In a classroom situation, inserting prepared sheets in an overhead projector is preferable.

If the children have already learned about pronouns, explain that adjectives can describe pronouns as well as nouns.