Why Do People Use Punctuation?
Ask children why we need punctuation. Read aloud the picture book Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver [Holiday House, 2003]. Note how text runs together without the help of punctuation. Or, provide children with a paragraph of text from which you have removed all punctuation and have them try to read it. Discuss how punctuation marks are needed to clarify the meaning of what someone has written. Introduce Punctuation Marks • The Perfect Pop-Up Punctuation Book by Kate Petty [Dutton Children’s Books, 2006] is a great resource for introducing punctuation marks and their use. It includes rules for using each mark, along with flip-up panels, pull-tags, and pop-ups that mix funny text and illustrations to present each mark being used in context. • Read aloud a picture book that contains punctuation mark characters. The illustrations will teach children what each mark looks like, and the personalities and actions of the characters will help children understand how each mark is used.
