MadLibs-style Grammar
Age Range: 5 to 11
Create a short reading assignment using vocabulary from recent weeks and then remove a few nouns, verbs, adjectives, colours, numbers, etc. Have one player ask for a noun (using the correct term for your language). Then they can fill in those blanks with the appropriate types of words from the second player's choice. Hysterical, cheap and highly effective.
Here is an example...
LETTER TO GRANDMOTHER
Dear Grandmother,
How are ______ (pronoun)? I hope your _______ (plural noun) are feeling better and that you are able to ______ (verb) to the library again. My ______ (noun), Tommy, and I are going to ______ (verb) at the _______ (adjective) pool this afternoon. This will be my _______ (ordinal number) time this summer. ______ (person in the room) said that I may ride my ________ (noun), as long as I stay on the side of the road and remember to __________ (verb) it up. It is a(n) ________ (adjective) bike and she doesn't want anyone to steal _____ (pronoun). I hope you are longer feeling ________ (adverb).
Love from your _______ (adjective) grandson,
William
The standard way this works is two players work together, across from each other. Hiding the sheet, Player One reads off the missing type of word (I need a noun, an adjective, a colour, a number, etc.) and then fills in the sheet after receiving an answer from Player Two. After all the words are filled in, Player One reads the completed sheet aloud.
An alternate way to play (single player method or to keep the volume down in a classroom) is to only give a list of the types of words needed to each person. When the sheet is filled out, or all the sheets are filled out, the person or classroom then receives the form with the blanks. Either way, it's an absolute riot to listen to the final "outcome".
Here is the completed sheet, with my son's answers to the blanked out words in all capitals:
LETTER TO GRANDMOTHER
Dear Grandmother,
How are HE? I hope your CATS are feeling better and that you are able to RUN to the library again. My SOCK, Tommy, and I are going to CRY at the SHARP pool this afternoon. This will be my 13TH time this summer. JEFF said that I may ride my BLINDFOLD, as long as I stay on the side of the road and remember to JOG it up. It is a(n) SOFT bike and she doesn't want anyone to steal YOU. I hope you are longer feeling QUICKLY.
Love from your FUZZY grandson,
William
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