Under Over, By the Clover What is a Preposition?

Under, Over, by the Clover: What Is a Preposition? (Words Are Categorical)is another great book in Brian Cleary's Words are Categorical series. This series is great for teaching children parts of speech.

In this book, Cleary starts with a definition of a preposition. From there he breaks down the types of prepositions children might encounter into sections, where, time and place, and direction. In each category, he provides examples with illustrations that will appeal to both young and older students.

Cleary addresses the myth of ending sentences with prepositions, which I was surprised to find in a child's picture book. Here his explanation is a bit vague and since he calls it a myth, I would think clarifying the rules regarding appropriate use at the end of a sentence would be wise. His rhyme does give an example, but many children will miss it and not understand what he means beyond saying that it is a myth.

He ends with a reminder to children that prepositions tell us when, where, and how.

This book is an entertaining way to introduce prepositions to younger children and review it with older elementary students. For children struggling with dry textbook definitions, this provides some light humor and may provide a connection to the material not available in traditional English language sources. I encourage teachers, homeschooling families, and parents to check out Brian Cleary's series. It is a great way to introduce young children to the parts of speech and to engage older children in remembering or relearning what they might not remember.

Skin Like Milk Hair of Silk

In Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? (Words Are Categorical)Brian Cleary continues his Words are CaTegorical series with a study of similes and metaphors.

I have been a fan of Cleary's for a while because he provides parents and teachers with accessible picture book resources to teach, introduce, reinstruct, and entertain children regarding a range of English language topics.

I thought the introduction where Cleary explains the difference between similes and metaphors was strong. I think children will be drawn to the cartoon illustrations throughout the book. I thought the similes were better chosen than the metaphors. I do think many authors choosing to create these books would benefit from picking some similes and metaphors that most children would know and then broadening the choices to introduce new ones.

I was less impressed with the metaphors chosen for this book. I think children would understand the construction of similes from the examples chosen, I think the metaphor examples were less clear. I would have started with more obvious and familiar choices and then moved to more obscure choices.

I continue to be impressed by the move to publish picture books on English Language topics. Parents and teachers have a wide range of choices to use with children of all ages.

Brain Cleary's Language Series

People are always looking for creative ways to teach English Language skills to students. Brian Cleary has found a creative way to teach elementary students parts of speech and various English language issues Cleary wanted to address.

I recently purchased a couple of his books for a relative. Looking through them, I was reminded at how creative his teaching methods are for engaging children in the topic. In Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? (Words Are Categorical), the author does not start by defining an adjective. In fact, at the end he asks the child to define the word. Instead, he uses alternate colored text to highlight the adjectives he uses to describe the pictures. He demonstrates different types of adjectives in an effort to give children examples of ways adjectives are used. This would be a great way to help kids develop a definition of the word adjective.

The second book I found a copy of in this series was To Root to Toot to Parachute: What Is a Verb (Words Are Categorical). This book teaches children about verbs. The format is very similar to the adjective book. This is the strength of the series. Children are exposed to a variety of examples of the topic and then given a chance to create a definition.

While I would not suggest this series as your primary English series, it is a wonderful supplement to introduce or supplement an established program. It is a way to get students to formulate a definition and not just memorize one.