How often do your students make errors in spelling, mechanics, or usage, even though they’ve been taught the rules for years?
When teachers see these mistakes come up in student work, many are tempted to “get back to basics” and teach everyone the concepts again, but that’s not a good use of your time, and it forces too many students to sit through instruction they simply don’t need.
What’s more effective is to teach these conventions in the context of meaningful writing, giving each student the exact instruction they need. But that kind of precise differentiation takes a lot of time.
That’s where
Grammar Gap Fillers step in.
A Grammar Gap Filler is a small, powerful package of materials that teach a single spelling, grammar, or usage rule. Gap Fillers are designed to let students review just the skills they need, on their own, and then get back to writing.
When you notice a student making a particular error, simply assign that student the right Gap Filler and you’re done.
Each Gap Filler includes:
✔ A short VIDEO (3-5 min) that reviews a single concept in clear, simple language, offering mnemonic devices so students can remember the rule later, plus four review questions at the end of the video.
✔ A 10-question SELF-CHECK that allows students to quiz themselves on the concept they just learned, then check their answers independently. (Also available in Google Forms.)
✔ A one-page CHEAT SHEET, giving a quick overview of the concept, which students can keep in their notebooks for future reference.
✔ A TEACHER’S MANUAL providing an overview of the teaching philosophy behind Gap Fillers, teaching tips to help you make the most of this resource, and instructions for setting up Gap Fillers in both paper-based and paperless environments.
To get a taste for what a Gap Filler is like, take a look at the video for #6:
Ready to get these for your classroom? Gap Fillers 1-12 are linked below. Click on each one to take a closer look. To see Gap Fillers 13-24, click here.
