Teach Parts of Speech with Mad Libs

Online and Printable Mad Libs for elementary school, middle school, and high school

Are you the parent or teacher of a child who struggles with word choice in speaking or writing? Wouldn't it be great for that child to learn the parts of speech while playing a fun game? Mad Libs, a perennial party favorite, is an ideal way to teach the parts of speech.

Motivated to make a silly story, students don't really realize that they are memorizing grammar definitions. A word not sounding right in the story is a gentle way for a child to recognize and correct a mistake without help from a parent or teacher. Besides the original booklets, there are now online versions, printables, DVDs and even iPhone apps. Read on for teaching tips and links.

(This image is of the The Original Mad Libs, which was first published over 50 years ago. (Mad Libs, by the way, is a registered trademark of the Penguin Group (USA). I am using the term here to refer to the official product and the various spinoffs, tributes, and ripoffs that have arisen.)

Mad Libs Lesson Plans and Teaching Tips

Use mad libs for elementary school, middle school, and high school

Fall Mad Libs (from classroomjr.com)

• Don't pre-teach too much. Students will pay better attention to your explanations when they need the information you are giving to progress through the game.

• Students should be the ones to write the words that they come up with (think spelling practice). They obviously can't write directly on the story, so use a blackboard/whiteboard to record words, or prepare a separate paper for students to write on.

• Pick stories that are interesting to the students, or alter stories to include elements, like familiar names and cultural references, that they will enjoy.

• After reading the mad-libbed version of a story, go back and have students choose words that would actually make sense in the story. This helps with reading comprehension skills like predicting and making use of context.

• Have students write their own mad lib stories, and then work with a partner to fill in the blanks.

• Offer to help the students submit their stories to online mad libs sites. Who doesn't want to be a published writer?

Online and Printable Mad Libs - Play mad libs now or print out a story for later

Since you're online now, the best place to start finding mad libs is right here on the web. Check out the links below. Some feature printable mad libs. Others can be played online. Many sites offer both options.

Wacky Web Tales

For third grade and up. This site has a hundred or so stories with new ones added monthly. (online mad libs only)

Mad Takes

Mad Takes has 188 stories and you can even submit your own. (online and printable mad libs)

Word Blanks

Most of these stories seem to be user submitted. The content of some stories might be tough for young kids, like the "Paris Hilton's Early Life Story" and "Low Budget Wedding Reception." You can play Word Libs online or print them out. (online and printable)

Teachnology

This site, mainly for teachers, has twelve free mad libs. Paid members of the site have access to 200 more. (free mad libs are online only; paid mad libs appear to be printable)

Woo

This site feature features printable mad libs for kids, mostly with seasonal and holiday themes. (printable mad libs only)

More Online Mad Libs

If the above links weren't enough, here is a page with links to several more mad libs pages including Winnie the Pooh and Tolkien themed stories. (links to many different pages--some printable and some online mad libs)

Official Mad Libs Books - The real thing

Why would you want to buy Mad Libs books when there are so many free stories online? There are a few reasons. First, all of the official mad libs stories make it across an editor's desk before being published. The quality of the writing is better than much of what you'll find online. Second, there is probably a themed Mad Libs book that will suit your child's interests perfectly. And third, it's just easier to throw a Mad Libs book into a backpack or the glove box than to find and print out copies to take on the road.

Comments welcome!

Compare Kapla, Keva, and Citiblocs

Kapla, Keva, Citiblocs: Review and Comparison

About ten years ago, my kids got a 200-piece set of kapla blocks as a Christmas gift. There is exactly
one size of Kapla block, 120 mm by 24 m by 8 mm (about 4 3/4 inches long). At first, a box of 200 identical blocks looked too simple to be much fun, but after getting addicted I realized that the simplicity is what's great about them. Toddlers can stack them one on top of another. Older kids can build simple structures. Serious hobbyists have built structures over 50 feet tall. You can put them together in endless combinations, and they are precision-cut so you can build really tall without them getting wobbly.

The tower in this photo was built by my son (then age six). My daughter (then age four) built the structure that you can just see in the right foreground. Our youngest son (now age three) has been playing with Kapla blocks practically since he was born.

Kapla, Keva, Citiblocs -- What's the difference?

On this page I discuss Kapla Blocks because they are the original and still the most popular, but Keva Blocks and Citiblocs are virtually the same product from different manufacturers. The three brands of blocks are exactly the same size and manufactured to similarly high standards. All three are made of pine. All three kinds can be mixed and matched without a problem.

We have Kapla blocks at my home and Citiblocs at the preschool where I work. The Kapla blocks seem to get less dinged up, but that may just be because the Citiblocs get heavier use.

Keva are the cheapest as of this writing, but please see below for current prices on Amazon for a set of 200 blocks, which I think is the bare minimum. We've added more sets to our original starter set. Different sets have different kinds of storage containers; the Kapla ones are quite nice. Some sets come with idea books too. You can click through the product picture to see the various sets.

Amazingly Versatile Kapla Blocks -- Even better than Lego?

I used to think Lego/Duplo was the ultimate in amazingly versatile building blocks, but I've changed my mind. Kapla planks can be placed in any dimension (there's no up, down or sideways) and they don't interlock, so pieces can be placed at any angle. They are lightweight, virtually unbreakable, and too big for a baby to swallow so they're safe in a house or day-care center with children of various ages. My sixteen-year-old son enjoys them as much as the three-year-olds at my preschool. These blocks are well made and could last for generations.

Youngest son peeking through a tower. After you get your starter kit, you might want to add color.

Leave your ideas or questions in the comments below. I'll try to answer any questions you have.

Fun Ways to Learn Hiragana

Learn Hiragana Like a Japanese Kid

Looking for fun ways to learn hiragana? You'll see how kids in Japan learn to read through games, posters, cards, apps, and more. Japanese is a notoriously difficult language to master, but learning to read hiragana, the basic syllabic script can be easy and can be fun! Each character's name is simply the sound it makes every time with a few minor exceptions. Learn the 46 characters and you'll be able to read many signs, labels, and even children's books. Vocabulary acquisition will be much easier, not to mention finding your way around in Japan. Resources for learning hiragana abound, but how do Japanese children learn to read so quickly and at such a young age?? Read on to find out how you or your students can learn hiragana naturally, like a Japanese kid.

Hiragana Chart in the Bathroom

Learn one or two hiragana every day.

Any time I visit the home of Japanese friends who have kids, I never fail to see a hiragana, katakana, or kanji chart in the bathroom. Get one of these, stick it up on your wall, and in just a minute or two per day, you'll see your hiragana recognition improve. They are all over the place in Japan, but a bit hard to find overseas. Here is the best free, printable hiragana chart I have found online.

Shiritori
Japanese word game to get you thinking in kana


Even before children learn how to read, you sometimes hear them playing shiritori. Shiritori is a fun Japanese word game played by children and adults that helps with vocabulary and the Japanese concept that the building blocks of words are syllables, not vowels and consonants. Shiritori literally mean "take the bottom" (Japanese is traditionally written from top to bottom) and is played by taking the last syllable of a word and using it as the first syllable of the next word. Players take turns doing orally this until someone says a word that ends with the syllable "n" because no Japanese words begin with that sound. Unfortunately, The image here is a complete (albeit short) shiritori game. In case you can’t read hiragana yet, I’ll explain using romaji (the latin alphabet). Reading from top to bottom, left to right, we have onigiri (riceball), riyuu (reason), untensya (driver), yamasyatsu (mountain shirt), and tsuushin (communication). The "n" at the end of tsuushin ends the game because no Japanese words start with that kana. Rules are flexible, but generally only nouns are accepted and once a word has been used, no one can use it again. See Shiritori on Wikipedia for variations.

Play Shinkeisuijaku (Japanese Memory Game)

Japanese kIds love the memory game (sometimes called concentration) and regularly beat me at it. To play the hiragana memory game, make two copies of these printable hiragana flashcards onto some sturdy paper and you're off. Or you can play an online hiragana memory game at easyjapanese.org.

Hands on Hiragana

These blocks are just like the ones we learned our ABCs with, but they're hiragana instead! I haven't used them myself, but they have five stars from all the verified purchasers on Amazon as of this writing.

Henohenomoheji (Japanese Grafitti)

If you've spent time in a Japanese school, you've seen these faces on blackboards. It's name, henohenomoheji, comes from the hiragana characters that are used to draw it. I've seen this many, many times, but never on an unerasable surface. Japanese kids are polite that way with their graffiti.

Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners

Excellent workbook for mastering the kana

Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners is a well-reviewed, systematic approach to learning the kana. There are lots of appealing activities to keep the learning fun.

Any questions, comments, or other ideas about how to learn hiragana? Remember, our goal here is to Make Learning Fun!

Fractal Tree

Fractals are lots of fun. Very helpful for multiplication, exponentiation, place value, and counting in base two, base three, etc., not to mention art! Helpful hint: use different colors for each layer.

For lots of other great math ideas, check out naturalmath.com and letsplaymath.net.

Make Discipline Fun!

A 7-year-old kid I know (his name and relation to me will be withheld to protect the not so innocent) recently tried to stretch a base hit into an inside-the-park home run in a sand-lot game. His brother tagged him out at the plate (or did he?). An argument ensued. The baserunner proceeded to pick up his bat and hit his brother with it. (Fortunately it was a nerf-type bat that didn't hurt much.) That ended the game. I heard about it later that day.

Japanese Kid with Bat

Me: I heard that you hit your brother with a bat today.

Boy: He called me out, but I was totally safe.

Me: (Thinking about punishing the kid, but deciding to see where the conversation would go) Have you ever seen Buster Posey hit an umpire with a bat when he gets called out at the plate?

Boy: No.

Me: How about Hunter Pence? He plays with so much passion, but does he hit umpires with bats?

Boy: No. The umpire would eject him.

Me: What should we do about you hitting your brother in the face with your bat.

Boy: I should probably be ejected from the game.

Me: (Confused) But the game's over. How could you be ejected?

Boy: We didn't finish the game. We're planning to finish it next weekend.

Me: OK, that makes sense. You're ejected from the game. Your team won't have you when the game is resumed next week. Do you know what a suspension is in baseball?

Boy: Yes, like A-Rod. For using drugs.

Me: That's right. Players also get suspended for arguing too much with umpires, especially if they touch the umpires.

Boy: So I should get suspended too?

Me: Yes. No using your bat for a week.

Boy: OK. Can we still play catch though?

Me: Of course.

The boy lived up to his self-imposed ejection the following week and didn't even ask to use his bat during the suspension. Too often, we discipline kids out of anger or just routine. Let's be creative. Maybe if Lou Piniella had been disciplined better as a kid we wouldn't have scenes like this.

Uh-oh. Matthew 12 again.

I recently noticed my kids getting grouchy and snippety with one another during (home)school time, especially while working on something together without a parent involved. Kid One would read too fast or mumbly for Kid Two to hear. Kid Two would nudge and poke Kid Three into whining. A good time was being had by none.

So I did what came naturally--I got grouchy and snippety with them. That just validated their behavior. Then my morning reading took me to Matthew 12: "A house divided against itself cannot stand" As it has many times before, the light of Jesus' words illuminated the log of wood on which my critical eye was impaled. The problem didn't begin with my children. How could I expect them to treat one another lovingly when I was gruff and impatient?

Like it or not, I am the mood thermostat in my home. The attitude I have when I teach my kids in the morning, or when I come home in the evening, pervades the home. When I don't like what I see in my family, I need to check my own heart and take responsibility. That's just part of being Dad.

So after repenting and resolving to watch my own attitude, I asked my older kids to read Matthew 12 and tell me what they thought. It's a long chapter, 50 verses that span several topics, but both kids came right back with verse 25: "a house divided against itself cannot stand." They recognized that their attitudes toward one another had gone bad and they wanted to change.

It's been a week now. The house is peaceful. More laughing around the table. More helpfulness. More encouragement. Experience tells me this won't last forever. But at least for now, when whining starts or a temper begins to flare, someone is quick to laugh and say, "You'd better be nice or we'll have to read Matthew 12 again."

Love and unity are the way to go. They are what really make learning fun.

Homemade Risk Game

We have a closet-full of board games, but Risk isn't one of them. No problem. My son, who had played once at a friend's house, made his own Risk game with some army guys and an atlas, then got his little brother involved. Instant geography lesson!

Who knew Antarctica was so strategic?

Coincidence that we were studying Napoleon this week?

Let's Hope They Have Questions

Christopher Danielson is a math teacher and teacher trainer whose blog is always thought provoking for me as a teacher. He turns the "Any questions?" question on it's head like this:

See, in math classes asking questions is usually a sign that you have not learned.

“Any questions?” is a signal to students to speak up if they don’t get what has just been explained.

We have it all backwards.

It shouldn’t be, “What questions do you have?” [I hope you have none so that I can tell myself you learned something.] 

It should be, “What new questions can you ask?” [I hope you have some because otherwise our work is having no effect on your mind.]

I'm going to apply this right away with my own kids and my other students. Every lesson will end with a variation of "What question do you have that you couldn't have asked before this lesson?" 

Read the rest of Danielson's article.

How's your ear for languages?

This is a fun game to see how many languages you can recognize by listening to 20-second snippets. The variety of sounds that people make when they communicate is amazing. I got 450 points on my first try, getting tripped up by Tongan, Yiddish, and (gulp) Portuguese.

Try the Great Language Game!

How To Learn More from Making a Tin-Can Phone

Everybody's made a tin-can phone or string phone as a child. They're fun, they work (Can you hear me? Yes!!!), and they're quick and easy to make. But what can we as parents and teachers do to increase the fun and learning? Read on for the basics of how to make a tin-can phone, and then read some ideas for experimenting for more fun and learning!

photo by Florian Seroussi (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Making a string phone is easy. Here's what you need.

• Two paper cups.
• A length of non-stretchy string.
• Something to poke holes in the cups (a sharp pencil will do).
• Two paper clips (big ones work best).

And here's what you do.

1.  Poke small holes in the bottom of your cups.
2. Poke string through the bottom of each hole.
3. Tie a knot around each paper clip so that the that the paper clips are inside the cups. This anchors the string and prevents it from pulling through the hole in the cup when you pull the string taut.
4. Decorate as desired.
5. Enjoy your phone by holding the string tight between two people. One talks, and the other listens. 

 Then experiment!

 

My students experimenting with string phones

Kids will probably have lots of ideas for experimenting with their string phones, but here are some to get you started.

• Make a phone for each person and connect them so everyone has an earpiece and a mouthpiece as in the photo above (They could hear each other well).
• Try different materials: cans or plastic cups instead of paper cups, different kinds of string or twine.
• Experiment with the string length. How long of a string can you use before the sound is too weak to hear? The video after this list shows people who really push the limits.
• Do the people on the phone need to be in a a straight line? Try talking with the string going around a wall corner. How about around the leg of a chair.
• Will the phone work if the string passes under a rug? What if it's wet? What if someone pinches the string?

Can You Hear Me?: The Longest Tin Can Phone Ever.

 

What do kids learn from string phones?

Kids often understand intuitively why things work if they get hands-on and experiment a lot, but it never hurts to ask the "why" question and see how much they really understand and what needs to be taught. Depending on the interests and abilities of your children, they can learn about sound waves and what media sound travels through, how signal can be dampened and amplified (maybe focused is a better word). They can also learn some engineering when they try to keep the line tense without it ripping through the cup. Kids can learn about real telephones which operate on the same basic concept, except the sound signal is electronic instead of accoustic. (Here's a page about how telephones work.)

Enjoy your string phones, and if you have questions or ideas for further experiments, please leave a comment!

Home-Made Hot Air Balloon

The first human flight took place in a hot air balloon in France over 100 years before Orville Wright took to the air. It's not easy to make a working airplane, but balloon technology is simple--just heat the air inside a balloon so that the air inside and the contraption itself are lighter than the air that is displaced.

We made our balloon with a thin trash bag, straws, aluminum foil, tape, and six birthday candles, following the excellent instructions from sciencetoymaker.com.

Here is our balloon's second attempt at flight, after trimming some weight from the straws, trash bag, and foil.

 

 A fun way to add some literacy and history to this activity for younger kids is with Hot Air, the story of the first balloon flight with passengers aboard (animal passengers). For older kids, The Twenty-One Balloons a fun mix of fiction, history, and balloonology is recommended.

Enjoy making your balloon, and keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water handy just in case!

 

20 Foods to Learn Fractions

The most fun and delicious way to learn fractions is with food. You can count, add, subtract, even multiply and divide fractions with food. We've all studied fractions with halves and quarters of apples, but how about these other foods? Some foods can be cut into fractions easily. Others are already in sections. Still others come in bunches.

1. Pizza
2. Pie
3. Quesadillas
4. Orange wedges
5. Graham crackers
6. Bunches of grapes
7. Bunches of bananas
8. Chocolate bars
9. M and Ms
10. Heads of cabbage or lettuce
11. Pancakes
12. Waffles
13. Popsicles
14. Cookies
15. Six-packs of juice or soda
16. Bell peppers
17. Marshmallows
18. Animal crackers
19. Jelly beans
20. Packs of candy or gum

Enjoy learning fractions! And Bon Apetit!

Feel free to add more foods in the comments.

Photo of Orange by Esther Gibbons on Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Pine Cone Animals

Pine Cone Triceratops

My kids went to the science museum today and made these great pine cone animal sculptures. What a wonderful way to use found items for art! If you've read my blog before, you know I am interested in fine motor skills activities for older children. Well, holding a glue gun with one hand and attaching all of these little parts with the other is wonderful exercise for the small muscles of the hand. As with all of the best exercises, I'm sure making these cute pine cone animals didn't feel like exercise at all!

Pine Cone Dogs

Check out the acorn birds' nests the kids made the same day.

Question: What fun crafts do you have in mind for the fall?

Catch the Match: Fun Pattern-Recognition Game for All Ages

Catch The Match is a deceptively simple card game that develops observation, pattern recognition, memory, and concentration skills. In the  box are 15 sturdy, colorful cards, each with pictures of the same 15 objects. The objects are in different places on each card and the colors (red, yellow, blue, and green) are mixed around. Any two cards has one and only one pair of the same object in the same color. The goal is to be the first to match that pair.

As a parent and educator, here's what I love about Catch The Match:

• Everyone plays all the time. Unlike other memory games, there is no taking turns. All players have an opportunity to make a match at any moment.

• Age doesn't matter. In my family, our nine- and eleven-year-olds hold their own against their mom and me. Our four-year-old, is less likely to be the first to make a match than the rest of us, but he still enjoys the game.

• It's fun for preliterate or ESL players. No reading or vocabulary skills are required. In fact, players who speak different languages, can learn some new vocabulary words.

• The rules are easy to adapt. Adjust the competition level by playing in teams or deciding whether or not to keep score. Add difficulty by matching items with opposite colors  (a blue airplane with red wings matches a red airplane with blue wings). You can even play Catch the Match alone against the clock.

A game similar to this one but more complex is SET, which I haven't played yet, but would like to.

Question: What is your top pattern-recognition activity for kids?