How Grammar Skills can Fuel Creativity

By: Kenneth Lini Wednesday January 13, 2016 comments

Many people believe that lessons on grammar and parts of speech for kids will stifle their creativity. They think children will be so busy trying to think about how to say something that they will not be able to fully express what they are trying to say. However, the case can also be made that understanding how words fit and work together can actually help children express themselves better and more thoroughly.

Baby Steps

When learning any skill, everyone must start by learning the basics. Mastery is a skill that is learned through time and practice. No one would expect a baby to be able to run a mile the first time she tries to walk. Those first unstable steps transform to steady toddling over the course of a few months, which then leads to running, jumping, climbing, and beyond.

Grammar is learned through a similar progression. By listening to the language from the time they are infants, children gain a sense for what "sounds right" or "wrong." Formal grammar instruction strengthens this ability by teaching children what the rules of the language are and the "whys" behind sentence construction, word choice, and more. How could one expect a child to be able to create a complex sentence portraying an abstract thought or feeling when they have not yet learned the basic parts of speech for kids?

Building Blocks of Creativity

Once they have mastered the basics of grammar, children are ready to use it to express themselves both creatively and precisely. It is not a burden or hassle, but rather an extremely powerful tool that fuels creative thought and expression. An understanding of adjectives and adverbs gives them the ability to paint a clear picture with their words that others can visualize. Learning about conjunctions can inspire children to think deeper about the relationship and interactions between two objects or events.

Dedicating a small amount of time to studying grammar each day helps children master this fundamental building block of the English language. WordParts makes it easy for kids to learn and review the parts of speech in a fun, interactive way.

About the Author: Kenneth Lini

My goal is to develop an innovative methodology that will help children learn to write and communicate more effectively.

I have a passion for technology and want to use that passion to provide new hardware and software tools to help children learn English Language Structure, i.e. grammar. I get excited to think our products can help children and give them collaboration skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.