Play This Game to Practice Punctuation--Fun Writing Ideas for Kids

This punctuation game helps writers learn and solidify their understanding of a period, question mark and exclamation point.

Common Core State Standards

NOTE: This game can address the following Common Core State Standards:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1, L.K.1.D, L.K.1.F, L.K.2, L.K.2.A, L.K.2.B, L.1.1, L.1.1.J, L.1.2, L.1.2.B, L.2.1, L.2.2, L.3.1, L.3.2, L.4.1, L.4.2, L.5.1, L.5.2, RF.K.1.c and RF.1.1.A

It covers a lot!

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Here’s How It Goes:

You’ll need one magnetic spinner*.

(If you haven’t read my full post on the winner spinner, you won’t want to miss it! It gives you a long list of game ideas that are so easy to run and super fun for the kids. Check out the full post here.)

First, draw two circles on the whiteboard. Divide the first circle on the left into 16 sections.

16 Words

At this point, you can fill the 16 spaces with specific words that you’d like your writers to work on (like the game Spelling/Vocabulary-4-11 Word ). Or, you can ask your students to give you whatever words they want (like the game Silly Sentences).

My students and I often play this game after 60 Seconds Nouns-Adjectives-Verbs because the students like to turn the 16 letters into 16 words.

Punctuation

Third, divide the second circle into 3 equal sections. Write a period in one section, a question mark in the 2nd section and an exclamation point in the 3rd section.

Smaller Groups

When working with smaller groups (up to 8) I divide the board into 4 sections. A pair is assigned to each section.

Larger Groups

For larger groups, or if I don’t have a classroom whiteboard, I divide the group into pairs. Each pair gets a small white board, dry erase marker and a sock to serve as an eraser. You can purchase a class pack on Amazon*.

Two campers spin.

Students Write

Then, one partner in each pair takes a turn writing a statement, question or exclamation using the word that was spun.

Earning Points

In order to earn a point, the sentences have to have a capital letter, spacing, correct spelling and punctuation. Once they’ve completed their sentence, they don’t say anything. They simply hold up their white board.

Checking for Mistakes

I look at it. If there is one mistake, I hold up 1 finger, 2 mistakes, 2 fingers, 3 mistakes, 3 fingers, 4 mistakes, 4 fingers. If there are no mistakes, they get a thumbs up and tally a point. Students who have a mistake continue to correct the sentence until their sentence is correct and they get a thumbs up.

Campers who get a thumbs up right away can continue to write more sentences, earning more points, while they wait for every camper to finish their one sentence.

Once each pair has correctly written the sentence, we move onto the next turn.

Continue playing until each pair has had a turn to spin or the allotted time runs out!