Proverb of the Week #4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD4kZSpKSUw

Subject-Verb Agreement: Best Friends with a Twist- Video

I still remember the day I introduced my grade 4 students to The Grammar Family. I told them about how each member of the family has its own place without which everything would be topsy-turvy in the Grammar family's household. But, there are some words that are naughty and keep breaking the rules. And how …

Bambi- Story of the Week

Here's the story of the week. It's called "Bambi".It was a very famous cartoon movie.The film received three Academy Award nominations: Best Sound (Sam Slyfield), Best Song (for "Love Is a Song" sung by Donald Novis) and Original Music Score.Click the links below to watch the complete movie:Part- I Part- IISo what was your favourite part of the story?What would you have changed?Do …

Exercises on Commas- II

Image source: Grammarly.comComma is an extremely important member of the punctuation family. But it is slightly confused too. It is like the young siblings of the full stop for it doesn't know whether it should end the sentence or let it go on. So it kind of does both and neither of these things completely. …

Adverbs and Its Kinds

Whenever I teach adverbs to my grade 4 and 5 students, these resources prove to be really useful. Here's a look at some of them. Video 1: Adverbs and Its Kinds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJCeol2ZrTY Video 2: Adverbs of Frequency https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpESOerMY7I Video 3: Adverbs of Frequency- Description of Different Words https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEVIKyTgL40 Happy learning! Do like, share, follow and …

The Rain and Her Sorcery (A Poem)

Sitting alone I stared out of my window. Her presence was felt Even in her absence. I traced my finger as she did, Chasing the raindrops Slinding down my window- Racing down, mingling and sometimes Diverging onto separate paths. Life! I smirked. I saw her smile. Pain melted into my chest, spread And rested there. …

18 Grammatical Errors Even Smart People Make

Language can be a tricky business sometimes, especially when we have been hearing and watching the wrong thing without someone correcting it. Fortunately, with a little caution, we can always undo the mistakes that have become a part of our learning. Therefore, here's a list of some common errors even adults make. Article Do try …

Winner of the Micro Story Competition!

It's time for the next reveal! I know most of you have been asking for this. I got a higher number of entries this time as many children from various sections took part. Some of them came quite close to winning. However, the one that stood out was this one. Any guesses who it was …

Pinocchio- The Story

Image Source- Pinterest.com We have heard the above statement so many times in our life. Let's find out what happened with a puppet named Pinocchio who would always lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aewbOlGXv6s Could you make any connections? Have you experienced the ill-effects of lying in your life? What do you think about the story? Do leave your …

Tenderquill: A Blog by a Nine Year Old Plus India’s Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day, everyone! Before we get into this blog post, here's the inspiration I was talking about in my last blog post. Click here to read the last blog. I teach grade 4 and 5 students. Today India is celebrating its Independence Day. We generally discuss about what freedom truly means to them. They …

100 Followers!

This seemed surreal when it happened! It sure took its time. But to be quite honest, I did leave blogging for a couple of months after initially starting. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this amazing journey! I can't thank you enough for the support. I firstly want to thank my school …

The Lighter Side of Life

Looking at how far we have come together, I thought it's important to also take out time to appreciate the journey we are on. So here are 10 riddles/ jokes/ puns for you. Learning a language is so much fun! Don't you agree? Please feel free to share any of your funny riddles, jokes or …

20 Children’s Book That Redefine Gender Roles

Children are exposed to gender roles sometimes in very obvious ways, but sometimes very subtly. One of the subtle ways was the fairytales and story books we read while growing up where the girl was always the damsel in distress in need of being saved by a handsome and strong boy. Ugh! There were many …

Robinson Crusoe- Video

Robinson Crusoe sure is an interesting story. Here's a summary of the text "Robinson Crusoe".Good readers are always visualizing while they read. After watching the video, ask yourself these questions:Did the visuals in the video match with the visuals I had in my mind while I was reading the text?What was different in the video …

Present, Past and Future Continuous Tenses

The continuous tense shows an action that is, was, or will be in progress at a certain time. The continuous tense is formed with the verb ‘be’ + -ing form of the verb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYuwpd0YShU Questions to guide your thinking: What are continuous tenses?Give two examples of each of the following by writing complete sentences:Present Continuous …

Peter Pan

Stories take us to a different world. Let's see what happen in the world of Peter Pan. Here's the story. https://youtu.be/yJIrCIqA-6c So, how did you find the story? Any connections that you made? Any predictions that you came up with as you were listening? Do share your thoughts below. Happy learning!

Word of the Day- August 7, 2019 and Special Mention

Don't you collaborate almost everyday in school? So do you have any interesting stories to share of the time you collaborated? How did the work turn out to be? Do you like collaborating? Do you think it's important? I think we must congratulate the person who contributed this word. It's none other than... Ananya Goel …

Exercises on Direct and Indirect Speech (Declarative Sentences)

Practice makes perfect. Here are some exercises on Direct- Indirect Speech (Declarative Sentences) for you to practice for your test. The exercises are of different levels of difficulty. In case you want to revise the concepts before you attempt the exercises, watch the videos n Direct and Indirect Speech by clicking here. Exercise -1 Exercise- …

Direct and Indirect Speech (Declarative Sentences) – Videos

Direct Speech is when the exact words of the speaker are used in a conversation. The exact words of the speaker are enclosed in quotation marks. Indirect Speech is when we convey the words/ message of the speaker in our own words. Therefore, it is also called Reported Speech. Here the quotation marks are not …

Word of the Day- July 13, 2019 and Special Mention

Are any of you enrolled in any after school classes? Isn't it a wonderful word that we can use instead of the word "join"? Like many a time we say - I joined skating classes. Instead, we can use- enrolled. Eager to know who gave this word? It's Aditya Shaw of class IV- B! Well …

How to Find the Main Idea of a Text

Finding the "Main Idea"is one the most important skills a reader must have. Without this skill, a reader cannot understand what the text is mainly about. There are various places in the text which tell us about its main idea. Watch these two videos to find out WHAT a main idea is and HOW to …

A Special Comment on the Word of the Day- July 3, 2019

The blog on July 3rd featured the word "exotic". I received a lot of brilliant sentences on the word. (Click here in case you want to read that post again.) However, there was one comment that stood out for me. Here are the reasons why: 1. Due to the effort put in by the person. …

Winner of the Word Hunt

Wow! What amazing sentences I got on the last Vocabulary post! Indeed all of you are becoming better at framing sentences. In case you don't know what I am talking about, click here. The rules of the Word Hunt were: You had to find the synonym of "devour". The child who would find the word …

Flying Together- Audio and Questions (FBLD)

With summer break about to end, everyone is getting ready to come back to school in full swing. But for that to happen, here's a simple preliminary exercise you have to do, so that your class time is more exciting than usual. You have to listen to the audio (given below) based on the chapter …

Prepositions- Explanation and Examples (FBLD)

Ever wondered what prepositions are? Here's your answer. Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns and other words in a sentence. Here are some videos that will help you to understand Prepositions step-by-step. Video on- What are Prepositions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VK-kXkXTBc Video on- Position of Prepositions in a Sentence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF6LE4P_bEU A video song on various examples of …

Word of the Day- July 3, 2019 and the Special Mention

The word today is quite relatable, as some of you might have travelled to some exotic location sometime in life or seen someone tell you about such a place. There are many things that can be exotic- plants, animals, languages etc. List some exotic places, plants, animals or any other examples in the comments section …

Word of the Day- May 7, 2019 : Special Mention

The Word of the Day has been contributed by Devansh Trehan of class IV-E. He came across this word while reading "Alice in Wonderland". Click the link below to check out the pronunciation of "perplexed" in British English: Pronunciation of "perplexed". Let's put our thinking caps on: Why do you think the visual of the …

Word of the Day- May 5, 2019

The Word of the Day has been contributed by two children this time. Both of them gave the same word. The names of these two children are- Pragun of V-B and Nikunj Narang of V-C. Congratulations to the winners! Are you able to make any connections with this word? Think about it, we too practice …

Word of the Day- May 1, 2019

Yet another word to foster your understanding of vocabulary. The "Present: A Word Activity" seems to be working very well in my classes. So many children are coming up with new words each day that it is getting difficult to keep up with the pinning of new words to the Word Wall. The class I …

Special Mention- Winner of the Word Hunt

The first person to find the synonym of "delicious" uploaded on the blog is Sreenath Sreekrishna of 5B. The synonym of the word is "delectable". Kudos to the winner! You have won the word hunt!

Word of the Day- April 30, 2019

Have you ever frolicked anywhere? I sure have seen most of my students frolicking in the school itself. Leave your connections in the comment section. Don't forget to use the word as you describe your incident. Also, referring to our conversation from yesterday, I still haven't received the synonym of "delicious" uploaded on the blog …

Reading Strategies

A good reader is consciously or unconsciously always using these strategies while reading. Well, to be more precise, while learning, these strategies are consciously used, but once a person keeps reading using these strategies, it becomes an automated process. These strategies have proved beneficial in more than one way in the classes I teach. My …

10 Ways to Say “Beautiful” in English

Everytime my students describe something with the words " beautiful/ nice" like- "The dress looked "beautiful/nice", "The place was "beautiful/nice", I tell them to use more descriptive words to show what they saw. It is one of the first ways to make the reader of your story, visualize details. (Remember, the reading strategy that makes …

Word of the Day- March 28, 2019

Here's another word. This word can be used in many different ways. It can be used well to define the place, the weather, an event among other things.Find out some other meanings and ways to use this word.Can you come up with a sentence using this word. (Hint: You can refer to the background of …

Exercises on Commas

So here a video to help you learn about some of the uses of commas: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/punctuation-the-comma-and-the-apostrophe/introduction-to-commas/v/meet-the-comma-the-comma-punctuation-khan-academy Exercise on use of commas to punctuate lists. Exercise on use of commas while directly addressing someone. Here's a quiz on commas. Mixed bag quiz on commas. Another mixed bag exercise. You can check your answers at the end. …

FANBOYS Conjunctions

Conjunctions are also known as "joining words". They can be used to join words like: Jasmine and Jyoti are best friends. Here the conjunction "and" is joining the two names- Jasmine and Jenny. Or, they can be used to join two sentences. Like: James went to the market. He bought a packet of chips. We …

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and Indirect Speech is one of those topics that ESL learners find especially challenging. However, if you only understand the use of both types of speeches, it becomes fairly easy. I always tell my students to just think about reporting everything that is said in the direct speech to a friend of theirs in …

Still Think Punctuation Isn’t Important?

Funny right? or Funny, right? Did you get the difference between my first two sentences? The first sentence "Funny right?" means that the right side is funny, whereas the second sentence "Funny, right?" simply means that I am asking for an affirmation from you that these pictures are funny. By the way, even the meaning …

Finding the Main Idea

Finding the main idea of a story can sometimes be challenging for young students and even adults sometimes. But to know how to find it, we must first know what it is. So here's a video explaining this topic in the simplest way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHEQ04EOykE Another video to help you with this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjjYRI3QCTsNow try out …

How to Arrange Things in a Sequence

We engage in sequencing things everyday. But how is it relevant to learning a language? And how can we sequence things? Let's find out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTXQMjRx28M Sequencing is generally done to put things in a logical order for them to make more sense. Transitions are great indicators to know the sequence of a story. Here's a …

What are Context Clues?

Don't we sometimes get stuck on words while reading a book? Well, we don't know the meaning of words and wonder how our teachers and other adults know the meaning of so many words. Well, I always tell my students that nobody can memorize the entire dictionary, unless they have an eidetic memory.  Most people …

Word of the Day- February 8, 2018

A good word while describing a character in your story, don't you agree? By the way, did you notice the use of the Question Tag? And yes, as the visual suggests, our optimism makes even people we encounter joyful. So keep smiling! Put in your efforts to improve at the right time and not at …

Word of the Day- February 7, 2018

I know, I know! I am posting the 'Word of the Day' after a long time! Due to multiple reasons this good practice got stalled for a bit! But every set back or shortcoming teaches us something new. Don't you think? Now THAT is OPTIMISM! It can also be referred to as 'positive attitude'. There …

All About “Question Tags”

I asked my students what does a tag on clothes looks like? Most of them said that it hangs separately to the piece of clothing. They all agreed it sort of sticks out at the end. Similarly a Question Tag is a small question that sticks out at the end of a statement. It is …

Types of Sentences

There are four types of sentences. Knowing the different types of sentences helps to write the correct sentence structure and also in proper punctuation. Here is a video that will help you to identify them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf9LWnnADzw Just to add on, Imperative Sentences also express requests, advice or suggestions. Now, let's test how much you have …

Comparison of Adverbs

We earlier learnt about the various kinds of adverbs. If you want to revisit the post, click here. Now let's learn about the adverbs that compare. Here's a video on this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shLLaRxIgnw Do notice the adverbs that are compared in an irregular way. Now, test how much you understood by clicking on the links to …

Active and Passive Voice

Active Voice: The verb is in active voice when the subject performs the action. The focus is on the subject. Eg. The lion killed the deer. Passive voice: The verb is in passive voice when the subject receives the action. The focus is on the action. Eg. The deer was killed by the lion. HOW …

Idioms and Phrases of the Week

So here's the thing! I have been getting a good response related to idioms and phrases that are uploaded. A lot of you seem to be using them quite well. So every now and then, I plan to upload more idioms and phrases so that your fluency and expression is enhanced further. And, keep up …

Word of the Day- December 30, 2018

Here is another word you can use to describe a place. It goes hand in hand with yesterday's word. Isn't the place picturesque? To find out the meaning of 'picturesque' click here. So what did you understand from today's word? Can you tell what the ambience of the place in the picture seemed like to …

Word of the Day- December 29, 2018

This word seems really easy to use. Instead of using the word 'beautiful' all the time to describe a place, this word can be used. Can you think of some other synonyms of the word? A little research only helps us improve. So go look up some synonyms and think of how you can use …

Idioms and Expressions related to Christmas

Idioms and phrases always improve the quality of your speaking and writing skills. Do use them. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Word of the Day- December 23, 2018

So what are you able to visualize while reading this? Any connections anybody could make? Do list some synonyms in the comments sections. Like, share, follow and comment if you like the blogposts. Follow the blog also to get an instant update about all blogpost. To visit all the previous blogposts click on the title …

Word of the Day- December 18, 2018

Any connections, anyone? Can you frame a good sentence using the word? Do like, share, follow and comment if you like the blogposts. Follow the blog also to get an instant update about all blogpost. To visit all the previous blogposts click on the title of the blog.

Word of the Day- December 17, 2018

Can you come up with a good sentence with this word? Any connections? Comment below. Do like, share, follow and comment if you like the blogposts. Follow the blog also to get an instant update about all blogpost. To visit all the previous blogposts click on the title of the blog.

Word of the Day- December 11, 2018

I noticed dense thicket all throughout our trip in Ranthambore. I took the picture with 'the word of the day' during our trips in the canter. Did anyone else notice it?

Word of the Day- December 10, 2018

denounce (verb) publicly declare to be wrong or evil Sentence- The government denounced the use of violence, as it leads to only fear and destruction. Questions- Have you come across this word before? If yes, then when or where?

Puns- An Amusing Use of the English Language

Puns are a creative and humorous use of the English language. Here's are some good ones to "crack you up" (You see what I did there).

Word of the Day- November 28, 2018

Puns are a great way to add humour to whatever you are writing or speaking and to liven them up. The previous two blogposts talked about using idioms as puns. To view to two post click on the words below: Idioms- Two Ways Idioms with Food Click here to get some more examples of puns. …

Idioms- Two Ways

There's an interesting way to use idioms to even add humour to your write- up. Learn more about it here.

Word of the Day- November 25, 2018

I can make so many connections with this. Oh! And the visuals! Do comment below what you can recall. Did you eat something delectable on a Sunday? Also, don't forget to mention some good synonyms too. Do like, share, follow and comment if you like the blogposts. Follow the blog also to get an instant …

Word of the Day- November 23, 2018

witness i. (verb) to see something happen, especially an accident or crime Sentence- The Sharmas were living in the city during the terror attacks and witnessed a lot of horrors. ii. (verb) to show or give proof of something. Sentence- Last year's fete was the best so far, as witnessed by the number of tickets …

Word of the Day- November 22, 2018

captious (adjective) tending to find fault or to express criticism over unimportant issues Sentence- The captious boy kept finding faults with all that his friends did, so everyone got exasperated and eventually stopped talking to him. Question- Can you use another word or idiom from the previous words with this word to make a good …

Word of the Day- November 21, 2018

elaborate i. (verb) to add more information or explain something that you have said Sentence- The teacher told the student to elaborate on his reason for breaking the school rules, so that she could get a clear picture of what was going on in his mind. ii. (adjective) Containing a lot of connected parts or …

How to Choose the Just- Right Book

To enjoy reading, we must learn how to choose the right book.

Word of the Day- November 20, 2018

excerpt (noun) short part taken from a book, movie, speech etc. Sentence- The excerpt from the book "Robinson Crusoe" which is given in our textbook Marigold, does not clarify who the mysterious footprint belonged to, so I ended up reading the whole book. Questions: Have you found out any such excerpts in your books? What …

Some Food for Thought

I was reminded of a quote from the movie "Rough book"- "Padhaane se sabse zyada fayda padhaane wale ko hota hai." So which level are you on? Think of some ways you can teach others what you have learnt yourself. Can simply teach everything to ourselves again or our parents? Group studies can also help …

Word of the Day- November 19, 2018

embark (verb) go on board a ship or aircraft Sentence- Christopher Columbus embarked for India in the fifteenth century. ii. (verb) begin a course of action Sentence- Ria left her previous job and embarked on a new career as a teacher. I could think of many connections with this word. It reminds me of texts …