Full Stops. Question Marks. Exclamation Points. OH MY!

These are the ways we complete written sentences, and this interactive punctuation activity makes teaching end marks fun for your students.

Students will have a blast getting crafty with play dough, yarn, buttons—anything you’ve got in your classroom—to create the punctuation mark that best completes the sentence.

Some examples of sentences your year 1 and 2 students will see in this pack of task cards include:

• What time is it ___
• My party is today ___
• Don’t throw me in the pool ___

This activity includes an answer key for students to check their own work.

What is an End Mark?

As excitable and playful as children are, there comes a time when kids learn that not all of their statements will end with an exclamation point.

Punctuation activities teach students the proper end mark to complete a sentence, which is crucial to building their writing skills. We use end marks to properly convey meaning and feeling when reading and writing. Understanding the correct end punctuation to use in their own writing gives students the confidence to communicate their ideas and emotions.

Get Your Year 1 and 2 Students Excited About Punctuation Lessons!

These end punctuation task cards can be used as an independent game in your writing centre or as a group activity (see below for ideas). As a centre activity, the student will read a sentence and determine which end punctuation best fits. Then they will use household items like cotton swabs, yarn, modelling clay, or buttons (whatever you’ve got on hand) to mould the end punctuation mark.

Check Out Our List of Additional Punctuation Activities

Looking for group games for teaching end punctuation to early years students? Try these:

Group Charades

Ask students to stand up, push in their chairs, and create some space to move between their classmates. Using either the Google Slides version of this game or the printed task cards, read one sentence at a time out loud and ask students to make the corresponding movements with their bodies to tell you which end punctuation mark they would use:

• Exclamation point: Students stand perfectly still, hands at their sides and feet together
• Question mark: students wiggle their bodies
• Full Stop: Students crouch down into a ball

Don’t worry too much if your kids are copying each other. They’ll have a blast just getting their bodies moving and it’s a great way to encourage listening skills.

Mirror Game

This activity is a spin on the classic “Newlywed Game” and works best with small groups because you’ll need enough dry erase boards and markers for each student. Divide the students into 2 groups, and have the students sit down in 2 lines facing each other. Recite a sentence from one of the task cards. Students will get 10 seconds to write the corresponding end punctuation on their board. On your cue (for example, you say “Ready, Set, Go!”), the students turn their boards around so their partner can see their answer. If both students in a pair have the correct answer, they get 2 points. If one has the correct answer, the team gets 1 point.

You may find that some students master end punctuation quickly, and some need additional help with the concept. Below are strategies for teaching punctuation that give early readers a deeper understanding of how to end sentences.

• If students have mastered identifying the end punctuation, have them change the sentences and rewrite them on a sheet of paper with a different punctuation mark.
• If students are struggling to identify the ending punctuation, read the sentence aloud to them and help them identify key words that explain which punctuation mark to use. You can also just focus on one punctuation mark at a time by taking out certain cards from the deck.

Preparing This Sentence Punctuation Practice Activity for Your Students

Print the task cards on cardboard for durability to use in small groups or centres.

Cut out the task cards, punch a hole in the corner of each card, and attach them to a binder ring. Gather supplies needed for crafting the end punctuation marks. Put the cards, supplies, directions, and answer key in a labelled box or bag to make grabbing the end punctuation game easy from your classroom writing centre.

Download Your Punctuation Task Cards PDF Today!

Use the drop-down menu to choose between the PDF or Google Slides.

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This resource was created by Lauren Piper, a teacher and Teach Starter Collaborator.

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Don’t forget to browse additional activities and resources for teaching end punctuation!

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