This blog post is all about teaching adjectives in your elementary classroom. Adjectives are important in reading, writing, and language. They are going to be present across all content areas and are important for students to understand. Students will need to form and use different types of adjectives, modify adjectives, and correctly order adjectives.
- 1st Grade: L.1.1f- Use frequently occurring adjectives.
- 2nd Grade: L.2.1.e- Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
- 3rd Grade: L.3.1.g- Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
- 4th Grade: L.4.1.d- Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
Introduce Adjectives with a Video
First, engage students with a video. BrainPop is always a great place to start when introducing a language skill. Not only is there a simple and engaging video describing the skill, but there are also interactive elements that follow. After showing your students the video, the quiz, graphic organizers, worksheets, games, and challenges can be added to your independent, partner, and small group activities.
Here are links to the BrainPop videos!
Anchor Chart Ideas
A descriptive anchor chart, like this printable/projectable one, can be displayed as a reinforcement for students as they are learning about adjectives. In younger grades, it is beneficial to remind students about the types of descriptions and where adjectives can be found.
This anchor chart can be made interactive by simply using it as call and answer prompts. Have students think of a noun. Ask each of the questions to the group and have them call back adjectives to describe their noun.
Create your own anchor chart for continuous adjective practice. In 4th grade, students need to start ordering their descriptive words within a sentence. In the anchor chart above, a 4th-grade class is able to rearrange the adjectives to put them in the correct order!
Use Mentor Texts to Show Adjectives in Action
An important addition to adjective activities will be mentor texts. Students will need repeated exposure to adjectives in action so that they can develop experience with the language. There are many adjective-focused mentor texts out there, but many of the picture books you already have will be perfect for this!
Each of the book links below are affiliate Amazon links!
Try a Simple Fold and Go Paper Adjective Activities
These simple paper-folding organizers can be great adjective activities. They can be used in several different ways and all you need is a sheet of paper! The activity above is called a “Shutterfold.” Students will fold their paper inward like a book and snip the font flaps in half. Have students describe nouns on the inner flap using multiple adjectives. Or, you can have students track adjectives from their reading!
Another paper-folding activity is this “Fold and Snip!” Students will simply fold their paper in half and snip to create as many tabs as they need. For younger students, they may want to write adjectives that fall under the 5 senses. For older students, they may want to use the 9 adjective categories so that they can work on adjective order!
Show Pictures and Have Students Brainstorm Lists
Google images can be used to practice adjectives, as well! For example, search for an image that can be described using adjectives. Print or display the image and have students create a list of adjectives to describe the photo. Add this activity to partner or small group centers, independent work, or even homework!
Go on a Book Hunt
One of my favorite adjective activities is a Book Hunt. Students can grab books from the shelves and find as many adjectives as they can! Moreover, this activity can be modified for any type of learner and can be repeated over and over! As you can see in the activity above, students could either create a continuous list of all adjectives used or track adjective phrases on sticky notes.
Participate in a Partner Activity
Finally, partner adjective activities will be a great addition to your independent work time or centers. Students can work together on a printable activity, like the one above, and build on each others’ understanding. Even after instruction, be sure to mix-in adjective activities for students to work together on. Don’t forget to continue to add these activities back into student practice throughout the year!
Grab these Ready-to-Go Adjectives Lessons & Activities:
1st Grade Adjective L.1.1.f
2nd Grade Adjective L.2.1.e
3rd Parts of Speech L.3.1.a
4th Grade Adjectives L.4.1.d
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