Teaching Grammar With Alliteration
July 20th, 2010
Teaching Grammar with Alliteration
Alliteration is one of my favorite rhetorical devices; probably because it fits so well into so many other rhetorical devices. Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds or kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or on the stressed syllables. Alliteration gives a poetic or literary effect. Alliteration is also referred to as “head rhyme.”
Alliteration is also great fun when it comes to teaching grammar, and anything that adds fun is a good thing.
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Alliterative Examples: Tongue Twisters: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; she sells seashells down by the seashore; rubber baby buggy bumpers. Clichés: The sweet smell of success; a dime a dozen; jump for joy Poetry: Ancient poets often used alliteration instead of rhyme.
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Alliteration is fun to teach because it’s fun to learn. Challenge your students to an alliterate-off by introducing a sampling of tongue twisters, a wonderful—and fun—example of alliteration. Once students are comfortable with the concept, challenge them to create their own tongue twisters. Then once they’ve come up with a bunch—and you’ll be surprised at how easy, not to mention fun it is—have them read the tongue twisters aloud. As fast as possible, of course.
Alliteration rocks!