Many young children do not yet fully understand the relationship between the spoken and written word. Reading stories aloud helps to reinforce this connection for both the words and the punctuation marks that help structure the text. When parents and teachers read stories aloud to children, they can demonstrate how punctuation changes the way the sentences flow together, and how it indicates changes of pace and direction. Similarly, when children read aloud, teachers should make sure they modulate their spoken voice according to the punctuation.
Storybooks are a tried and tested method for teaching children about morality and social norms, but they can also be used to teach specific grammar points. If you'd like to create a story for your class, each punctuation mark should have a different story. In these stories, the central characters could use punctuation correctly to escape from a sticky situation, or to defeat a monster or help someone in distress. Similar storybooks are available from several different publishers. These books have different themes and cater to different age groups and interests.
Teaching children to read, and regularly scheduling reading assignments teaches grammar through what is known as Form Focused Instruction. Essentially, this means teaching a language by concentrating on the form, rather than teaching vocabulary, grammar and syntax as separate concepts. When children read stories, they enjoy the narrative but also unconsciously absorb grammatical rules as they see punctuation marks on the page.
Combining movement and reading is often an effective way to instill the rules of punctuation. Teachers can pick sentences from students' favorite stories and devise a dance based around the sounds of the letters and the punctuation marks. Children read and then act out the sentences, dancing through the phonemes and punctuation. Linking physical action to linguistics in this way makes it more likely children will retain the information.