Language Arts: Week 1

Grammar:
What are the eight parts of speech?

I taught the kids a mnemonic saying to help them remember the 8 parts of speech.
"I've taken a nap in my cap". I know... it's a bit far fetched. But the stranger it is, the easier it is to remember, right? :) Here's how it goes.
I'
Ve
taken a
N
A
P
in my
C
A
P
(Interjection, Verb, Noun, Adverb, Pronoun, Conjunction, Adjective, Preposition)

I told them to imagine an Irishman (but now I realize that I meant Scottish!) who accidentally fell asleep in his cap.
"I've taken a nap in me cap!"

We then made an "8 Parts of Speech Cheer" by taking the first syllable of each part, and alternated a stomping action with a clapping action. So it went like this, "In, Verb, Noun, Ad, Pro, Con, Adj, Prep". I told them to practice this at home. I also passed out a poem about the eight parts of speech. If your child memorizes this, they will always know what each part of speech does! :)

Great Words:
I did not have time to go over the Great Words II with the Franciscans. Hopefully next week!
For the Carmelites and Dominicans, we did one simple motion for each to help us remember the poem.
In winter I get up at night (shiver like you're cold)
And dress by yellow candle-light. (hold your finger up to be a candle. Blow it out after you say the line)
In summer quite the other way (wave yourself like you're hot)
I have to go to bed by day. (Put your head down on folded hands like you're going to sleep)

Writing:
I read a short story about Christopher Columbus to the Franciscans. We then worked together on making a Key Word Outline. For homework, they must write a paragraph using their key word outline. I gave them a checklist so that they know what is expected in the paragraph. They also wrote down 8 vocabulary words. We did not have time to go over them, so I suggested that they look up the definitions in a dictionary at home. They will get extra credit if these vocabulary words are used in their paragraph (so that might motivate them to look the words up).
St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers, ora pro nobis!