When do you use an exclamation mark? What's a semicolon? Why don't we use a preposition at the end of a sentence? Apostrophes, ellipses, and conjunctions are just a few of the punctuation marks and parts of speech that can confuse kids (and even adults!).
Reading fun picture books that illustrate these necessary components of reading and writing can help kids wrap their head around all this new vocabulary. Start with the book list below.
7 Books About Punctuation and Parts of Speech
1 .Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka packs a double educational punch. First, kids will have a complete understanding of the difference between exclamation marks and question marks after reading the book. Second, it's a fantastic way for kids to practice reading with expression. There are only two words in the book so using your voice to convey meaning based on punctuation is imperative to understanding the story.
2. Speaking of double layer books, Exclamation Mark! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal helps kids learn about the use of the exclamation mark. But it also packs a lesson about self-discovery and learning to fit in and stand out. Kids will be inspired to make their own "exclamation" mark in life.
3. It's playground time for the parts of speech in Wordplay by Adam Lehrhaupt. Verb is a bit jealous of Noun. But when a new kid joins the playground, Verb comes to help Noun and the two discover that they're better together as friends. Your kids won't even notice they're learning about parts of speech.
4. If you really want your kids to go deep into learning about each punctuation mark, check out Punctuation Tales: A Collection of Super–Funny Storybooks. This eight-book set includes The Legend of Johnny Comma, The Awesome Apostrophe Show, and The Amazing Abbreviation Machine.
5. Semicolons, Cupcakes, and Cucumbers by Steve Newberry is a clever story that helps kids understand how punctuation works. Period, Question Mark, Comma, and Exclamation Point want to play together, but they can't decide what to do. Your kids might find it fun to act out the story.
6. As an adult, do you struggle with the proper usage of an apostrophe? It's a common challenge. Help your kids learn when and where to use an apostrophe at an early age with The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why You Can't Manage without Apostrophes! by Lynne Truss.
MORE: Parent Primer: Grammar
7. Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? by Brian P. Cleary is part of the Words Are CATegorical series. Kids will learn all about adjectives and how they are used through silly illustrations and easy to understand text. The rest of the series dives into nouns, adverbs, prepositions, and more.
Once kids have read all about parts of speech and punctuation, they can put their new knowledge to the test with this ghostly, Halloween-themed punctuation printable.
Connect with Jodie at Growing Book by Book.
