Pronoun

Age

6-9.

Materials

• Very long strips of paper
• Black and red pens
• All of the symbols known and the pronoun symbols
• Similar objects from the environment
• Impressionistic charts of the Verb Family
  

Presentation

1. The directress writes a long command, which consists of several actions on one object, i.e. Go to a friend, get a pencil, bring the pencil to your place, put the pencil on the table.
2. The child reads the command aloud and executes it.
3. Afterward the symbols are all placed above the words.
4. The directress reads the command aloud, this time emphasizing the repetition of the object noun.
5. The child is asked to observe the awkward way that the command was written.
6. The child or the directress may suggest an improved version using the pronoun it.
7. This version is written on a long strip with the pronoun written in red.
8. The second one sounds better.
9. The child then places symbols on the words he can identify in the second command.
10. The child reads the second command again noticing it, and noticing that it replaces the pencil.
11. This word is a pronoun.
12. Recall the other pronouns.
13. The symbol for pronoun is a tall purple pyramid, (the figure is presented).
14. It resembles the noun symbol, because it takes the place of the noun.
15. The purple is an expression of rage - because it wants to take the noun's place.
16. Etymology....(pronoun: pro - from Latin meaning instead, thus we use the pronoun "instead of the noun."
17. Give the child two dimensional symbol to place over the pronouns on the second strip.
18. Tear the strip into several parts, and invite the child to rearrange the words so that it will still make logical sense.
19.  She will see that the pronoun (as an object) must follow closely behind the verb.