Teaching Nouns in First Grade

First grade is all about setting the foundation for our students. From math to science we cover all types of foundational skills. The same goes for grammar and language. A major part of the first grade language curriculum is nouns. We teach what they are and how to use them, which sets the stage for learning future grammar skills. Here are some fun and interactive ways to teach nouns in first grade.

Teaching Nouns

First grade is so much fun to teach because we get to introduce so many new and exciting things to our kids. The best way to do that is with a process that will allow them to learn the skill and then practice, practice, practice. As they get more comfortable with the skill, new things can be added. This is a great way to teach nouns while scaffolding. Here's my step-by-step process for teaching nouns in first grade that has worked so well throughout the years.

1. Introduce the Term/Skills

We know that the first thing we need to do is introduce the skill.  I do this using whole group instruction starting with vocabulary. We will discuss nouns, common nouns, proper nouns, and possessive nouns. I use things like anchor charts and posters to assist students in remembering what's what.

As a class, we go over the terms and give real-life examples so that the kids can get a solid understanding of the concept. The posters and anchor charts serve as a great reference point throughout the unit. I like to print out black-and-white versions of the posters for students to color and glue inside their grammar notebooks. This is a really simple way for them to keep a record of everything we've learned in case they need to look back on it as we learn new terms. 

2. Fun and Engaging Practice

Once we have a basic understanding of our new skills, it's time to practice. First, I like to do this as a whole group also so that I can assess their understanding. Sorting activities are one of my favorite ways to do this. I put two cards on the board to create two categories. If you're just getting started with nouns, this common nouns resource is a great place to begin. In this activity, students will sort common nouns out by category. 

Students take turns coming to the board and drawing a card from the deck. As they sort the words we talk about their choices. From there I can tell if they are ready to move on, or if we need to complete the sorting activity a few more times. When it's time to move on, I like to use the sorting activity in centers where the students get a chance to complete the activity independently. 

This is also a great time to complete interactive worksheets. Sometimes we complete them together, and sometimes I have them do the activities independently. It's nice to be able to choose the option that seems best for each skill we're focusing on and adjust as needed. 

3. Independent Practice

After all of the whole group instruction, it's time to get some independent practice in. This is where all of the magic happens. It's always my hope that everything we did together in whole group will cross over when they are working on their own. That's always the goal!

Mixing up independent practice for my students helps them get lots of important practice to be able to master the new skills. We use interactive worksheets, write-the-room activities, and play tons of fun games in centers. 

This is another great spot for informal assessment. I can always tell if we need to back it up a little bit and have another whole group lesson. Sometimes just a handful of students are struggling at this point, so I can pull them in a small group for reinforcement if needed. Either way, independent practice activities are a great way to quickly identify who needs a little extra attention and time working with a particular skill. 

4. Review

I don't like to just move on after we complete a skill. Instead, I like to incorporate the new skill into our routines and even weave it into holiday activities too. One of my favorite holiday activities for reviewing plural nouns is this gingerbread house activity. The kids get so excited about this one they hardly realize we're working on grammar! And that's really the goal, right? Making learning fun allows for continued practice all year long. 

Because they are constantly getting practice it will help transfer this learning to their long-term memory. I do this throughout the year with center activities, morning work, and homework. As students master the new skill they will slowly do less and less review. I will add in an occasional review activity just to keep the concept fresh. 

It's important to be super intentional about this because it takes practice and review to master a skill!

Teaching Nouns All Year Long

Once you make grammar lessons part of your daily routine, it's fun and easy to help your students master concepts like nouns. With a blend of no-prep worksheets, hands-on activities, and center games, your students will be experts on nouns in no time! 

This noun bundle has some of my favorite resources all in one place and is a great resource to start with. If you're looking for even more activities for teaching nouns, you'll find plenty of variety in my TPT shop too!

I can't wait for you to dive into teaching nouns in first grade. Your students will love every minute of this step-by-step process. They'll have tons of fun and master skills along the way. You'll love the ease of the routine and all of the teachable moments. 

Save these Activities for Teaching Nouns!

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