Many verbs are “action words.” Teaching verbs as action words helps students associate verbs with actions, and they can use that association to identify verbs in sentences by looking for the action words. Write a few sentences on the board and read them aloud. When the students hear an action word such as “jump,” they should do that action. Explain that the action word is the verb in the sentence. Write a few new sentences on the board. Have the students identify the verbs, and then you can perform the actions together.
Some verbs are linking verbs. That is, they connect the subject of a sentence with additional information about the subject. Most people can identify linking verbs when they see them, but students still need to be taught what they are in order to identify them. Create a train engine and cars out of poster board. The engine should have a subject written on it, and the cars should be the sentence predicates. Make links to connect the engine and cars, and write linking verbs on them. Help the students assemble the train using the linking verbs.
Having students fill in the verbs in sentences will introduce them to how verbs are used in language. Seeing where the blanks are in the sentence and then seeing the completed sentence shows students the applications of verbs. Write a simple story and leave out the verbs. Have the students give you verbs to fill in the blanks, then read the completed story to them. The finished story can be straightforward or silly. Either way, the students will learn how verbs are used to create sentences.
You can introduce verbs as being part of the “puzzle” of sentences, and when the puzzle pieces are put together, a sentence is complete. Write a sentence on a piece of poster or foam board. Cut out the verb from the sentence in a jigsaw puzzle piece shape. Make additional jigsaw puzzle pieces with verbs, nouns and adjectives written on them. The verb pieces should fit the hole, while the other words shouldn't. Give sets of puzzle pieces to groups of students. Have them bring up their verb pieces to complete the puzzles and finish the sentence.