As a language teacher, one of the most fundamental skills to teach your students is identifying the subject of a sentence. The subject is the person, place, or thing that carries out the action in a sentence. Without it, sentences can’t express meaning. Here are some fun activities you can use to teach your students how to identify the subject of a sentence.

1. Build sentences:

Write out some sample sentences on slips of paper and get your students to construct the sentences by putting the words in the right order. Once they’ve got the sentence correctly constructed, have them identify the subject, and ask them to underline or circle it.

2. Picture books:

Picture books are a great way to grab your students’ attention and spark their imagination. Choose a picture book with fun characters and a clear storyline, and read it to your students. Then, ask them to identify the subject in the sentences that describe the actions and dialogues in the story.

3. Sentence diagramming:

Divide your whiteboard into two columns, and on the left side write out different sample sentences. On the right side, have your students diagram each sentence – they’ll place the subject on a line at the top of the second column and then write out the rest of the sentence in order.

4. Charades:

Charades are a fun way to get students up and moving while also learning about sentence structure and parts of speech. Write different sentences on slips of paper, and then have students pick one at random, act it out, and then identify the subject.

5. Scavenger hunt:

Create a scavenger hunt where students have to find sentences written on different cards scattered around your classroom or school. Once they’ve found a sentence card, have them identify the subject and bring the card back to you.

6. Show and Tell:

Ask each student to bring in an object from home, and then have each student write a sentence about their object, making sure to include the subject. Have students then read out their sentences and see if the rest of the class can identify the subject.

There are many creative and engaging activities that can help your students to identify the subject of a sentence. These activities not only make the learning process more enjoyable, but they’ll also help reinforce the concept in your students’ minds, leading to stronger language skills.