4th Grade Grammar Help and Assignments

Techniques for Teaching 4th Grade Grammar

In everyday speech, words are used differently than they would be used in writing. Speakers also contract words that are not commonly contracted in writing. For example, the verb construction 'might have' is often spoken in a way that sounds like 'might of,' which is grammatically incorrect.

To help your 4th grader better comprehend these types of differences, you may choose to have him or her complete miniature lessons that focus on one topic, such as verbs or prepositions, once or twice per week. It may also be beneficial to show your son or daughter how important grammar is by letting him or her compare texts of varying quality. You can try the three assignments below to provide your child with extra 4th grade grammar help at home.

Three Grammar Assignments by Topic

Contractions

A game your child might be familiar with is memory, sometimes referred to as concentration. The typical board game features themed images that players must match, flipping only two cards over per turn. However, in this version, the cards will not be identical. You can create them yourself or find printable worksheets online to cut out.

Start by creating a list of common and not-so-common contractions that your 4th grader may use, and then create a list of the two words that make the contraction. For example, one card will say 'I am,' while the other will say 'I'm.' Once your deck is complete, shuffle the cards and place them face down in rows. Alternate turns with your son or daughter, flipping over two cards at a time to try and match the words with their contractions. If a match is made, collect the cards and count them as points. The player with the most cards at the end wins.

Synonyms and Antonyms

In the 4th grade, students should be able to take grade-appropriate words and identify other words with similar or opposite meanings. You can use this synonym/antonym practice activity in conjunction with your child's weekly vocabulary list.

Start by taking his or her word list and placing it in the first of three columns on a worksheet. The columns should be labeled 'word list,' 'synonym' and 'antonym.' You may even choose to include a fourth column labeled 'definition.' Have your son or daughter come up with a one synonym, one antonym and the definition for each of the vocabulary words. Completing this each week should help your child gain a better understanding of the words, what they mean and how they can be used in a text.

Adjectives

By the time they reach 4th grade, kids should have a relatively good understanding of adjectives. However, it's always good for them to get extra practice identifying the nouns each adjective describes, placing them in a standard order and coming up with additional or similar descriptors. This assignment will also help your child with writing.

Each week, give your son or daughter a worksheet with 5-10 sentences. The sentences can include classroom vocabulary words, but they don't have to. For each sentence, have your child come up with at least one additional adjective to insert into the original sentence and also have him or her write a completely new sentence using different adjectives from the first.

For example, if 'Bobby took a yellow bus to school' is the sentence, your child may choose to insert 'big' before 'yellow.' His or her new sentence might read, 'Bobby rode a large, brightly-colored bus this morning.' If you'd rather focus on antonyms, the new sentence could be: 'Bobby rode a small bus today.'