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Conjunctions are words used to link sentences, clauses, and phrases. Kids who learn how to use conjunctions early can avoid mistakes while framing sentences. Conjunctions also help in the reduction of short sentence usage. However, using too many long sentences is not recommended as it becomes hard to read them coherently. As a parent, you should educate your 3rd-grade kids to learn conjunctions or connecting words. Find appropriate first-grade conjunctions teaching resources for grade 3 kids that can help them learn new connecting words. Here are some tips and insights that can help you prepare conjunctions for class 3 children:
Start from the basics
Start teaching simple conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘for’, ‘but’, etc., to your kids. Explain how these conjunctions connect two words. Don’t jump directly to joining sentences or phrases; begin with baby steps. It would be better if you teach them to connect two or more words so that they can understand the role played by different conjunctions.
For example, ‘or’ is a conjunction used to showcase a choice or option. The sentence, ‘Ram wanted to learn swimming or cycling during the summer vacation’, ‘or’ reflects that Ram has a choice. If we write, ‘Ram wanted to learn swimming and cycling during the summer vacation’, he wanted to learn both activities. Here ‘and’ is used to connect swimming and cycling. Teaching such simple lessons would clear all the doubts of class 3 kids, even if they already knew how to use these simple conjunctions.
Teaching conjunctions for class 3 kids might get more manageable if you ask your kids to read many stories and essays. Ask them to read slowly to focus on how conjunctions are used in different types of sentences. As a fun activity, you can ask them to note down all the conjunctions they find while reading any printed material. You can check what they have written to determine whether they have spotted the proper conjunctions or not.
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Conjunction practise
To make your kids practise using the correct conjunctions to join two sentences or phrases, you can write down some sentences without conjunctions. After that, you can mention some conjunctions and ask them to use the right conjunctions in each sentence. This will enhance their grammatical abilities. You can use teacher resources like online tests for kids to find such sentences easily. Want to see your child give online tests designed by Harvard, XLRI & IIM Alumini? Book a FREE Class Now!
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Using conjunctions while speaking
Ensure that you emphasize conjunctions while speaking with your kids. Also, ask them to use and, or, and similar conjunctions while communicating with their friends and classmates. You can listen to them speak and suggest the places where they could have used conjunctions in the sentences. Ask them questions that require them to give multiple answers. While answering such questions, they will have to learn conjunctions and understand how to use them.
For example, if your kid says that I ate bread for breakfast, you can correct them by saying, ‘You ate bread and drank milk for breakfast’. Simple activities like these could help a lot.
Learn conjunctions for kids
The conjunctions are not limited to or, and, for, and but. Many other conjunctions can be categorized into different types. Before imparting this knowledge, you need to research the conjunctions for kids thoroughly. There might be some conjunctions that you might not be aware of.
There are correlative conjunctions that are to be used in parts. These conjunctions are either-or, neither-nor, not only-but also, whether-or, etc. Learn correlative conjunctions and introduce them to your 3rd grader. You can also encourage the kids to use correlative conjunctions while writing and speaking.
Some of the sentences that highlight the use of correlative conjunctions are given below:
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He is not only a good poet but also a decent writer.
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She wanted to be both a dancer and a director in the movie.
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Peter can neither cook nor does he enjoy eating.
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He can either watch a football match or play a video game.
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Regan does not know whether to take the course or not.
Coordinating conjunctions are used to connect two similar grammatical units. When you connect noun to noun or adjective to adjective, they are examples of coordinating conjunctions. It also happens when you join one clause with another or one phrase with another. Some examples of coordinating conjunctions are given below:
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Both men and women can use this moisturizer.
Here men and women are two nouns connected by ‘and’.
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He is insane but creative at the same time.
Here insane and creative are two adjectives connected by ‘but’.
When you connect two clauses with conjunctions so that one clause becomes dependent on the other, it is called a subordinating conjunction. Here are some examples of subordinating conjunctions that will help you learn subordinating conjunctions for kids in a better way:
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She lost the match because she was ill.
Here, ‘she lost the match’ depends on the clause ‘she was ill’.
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Clear your debt first before applying for a new loan.
There can be many such examples that can help you impart the knowledge of conjunctions for class 3 kids. Also, numerous conjunctions can be used in various types of sentences.
Here are some fun activities that you can indulge your kids in to motivate them to learn conjunctions:
1. Scanning brochures and newspapers
Engross your kids in scanning brochures and newspapers and ask them to highlight conjunctions wherever they find them. If they manage to impress you by highlighting dozens of conjunctions, you can give them a pen or watch to encourage them. The brochures have enough conjunctions for the kids to learn conjunctions and understand how to use them.
2. Playing fun games with kids
Playing games can be fun, especially when you play them with your kids. Write some conjunctions and explain how to use them. Now ask your kids to write something they are fond of, and below that, ask them to write something they aren’t of.
Suppose they write, “I’m fond of turtles and snakes” in one sentence and “I’m afraid of crocodiles” in the second sentence. You can ask them to join these two sentences by using the appropriate conjunction. If they manage to do it correctly by using ‘but’ to join these two sentences, you can give them a small gift. However, don’t discourage or ridicule them if they pick the wrong conjunctions. Instead, you must correct them and play the game further to motivate them to use the correct conjunctions this time.
3. Playing memory games
Show a short clip or video of a song to your kids. Suggest them to hear it carefully, and once the clip or song finishes, you can ask them to remember the sentences where conjunctions were used. Start with small video or song clips and gradually increase the length of the clips to test their memory. Memory games like these enhance their grasping skills and help them learn conjunctions in a fun and exciting way.
FAQs
1. Why is enrolling kids in an English language course essential?
Your responsibility as a parent doesn’t end by teaching conjunctions to your kids. You must ensure that they don’t devote too much time to learning conjunctions. It might distract them from other essential grammar concepts. Also, you may enrol them in an English language class that includes enough conjunction resources for grade 3 kids.
2. How to help kids remember the conjunctions they have learned over a period?
Ask your kids to maintain a book where they note down all the conjunctions that they learn over a period. You can also ask them to maintain a chart containing all the conjunctions and examples that show them how to use conjunctions in a sentence.
3. When is teaching first-grade conjunctions essential?
If English is a second language at your home, there is a chance your kids might not be acquainted with the use of conjunctions in day-to-day conversations. In such a case, you can increase their knowledge of conjunctions by teaching first-grade conjunctions, i.e., the basics of conjunctions.
4. What to do if the kids get bored by learning conjunctions?
Inspire your kids to learn conjunctions and other grammar concepts and terms with equal passion. However, they can quickly get bored by going through similar stuff frequently. Introduce them to new games that can inspire them to learn the English language and conjunctions in class 3.
5. Is it challenging to learn conjunctions?
No, it is not difficult to learn conjunctions once your kids get acquainted with the basics of the English language. As a parent, you need to be patient if your kids are taking time to learn how to use conjunctions correctly in different types of sentences.
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