Review by Erin Brereton, Common Sense Education | Updated February 2013
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Grammar Bytes!

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Grammar quiz site isn't very dynamic

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • English Language Arts
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Character & SEL
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
6–10
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (4 Reviews)
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

5 images
Extreme zoom on an interesting object – but what is it? Google Sky won’t tell you.
For correct answers, kids earn a pretend prize such as a virtual car or a trip.
Students can find out the rationale behind answers in the site's exercise section.
Users can print out PDF documents to write down answers as they answer questions online.
The site also offers several grammar-related videos, ranging from approximately 4 to 14 minutes.

Pros: The clear and detailed explanations of many key grammar rules will help kids ace the interactive questions.

Cons: The quiz-type exercises are so simple -- and similar -- that the few interactive elements get old fast.

Bottom Line: This decent resource for learning grammar rules would benefit from more complex and diverse activities.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

You could use the online or printable quizzes to test students on grammar rules. You also could use the PowerPoint presentations, which cover more than 15 concepts, in the classroom.

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Standards:

In Grammar Bytes! you get a list of grammar-related terms, complete with explanations and example sentences. Topics range from sentence fragments to punctuation to subordinate conjunctions; interactive exercises test your comprehension on a dozen subjects.

Kids also can watch a few grammar-related videos and test their know-how with grammar-related challenges like adding commas to sentences. Quizzes include documents kids can print out to record their responses as they key them in online.

Grammar rules are explained well. The site doesn't cover everything, of course, but its content aligns with many of the Common Core standards for middle and high schoolers. Kids can look up explanations for any quiz answer, whether they get it wrong or right, so the learning potential is much higher than with tools that only supply correct answers or only give explanations for wrong answers.

Unfortunately, Grammar Bytes! doesn't have a huge wow factor. The design is pretty basic, and the multimedia materials aren't much more compelling than the text. The few videos and PowerPoint presentations either are too long  -- some are more than 14 minutes -- or just aren't very dynamic. For example, even when PowerPoint presentations are interspersed with clip art, they're still mostly reading. Likewise, quizzes aren't particularly fun or inventive. Without more interactive elements, Grammar Bytes! may have a hard time landing repeat users. What kid is going to come back to a site to read about grammar rules?

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Exercises can feel repetitive. A more complex site design and varied interactive elements might do a better job of holding kids' interest.
 

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Basic grammar principles come with a fair amount of background. Kids can access explanations for right and wrong answers, as well as a list of basic rules with examples.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

You can download and share PowerPoint presentations on the grammar concepts covered on the site. A YouTube channel offers more than a half-dozen videos on grammar principles.

Common Sense Reviewer
Erin Brereton
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Language

  • L.6.1

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • L.6.2

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • L.6.3

    Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • L.6.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.7.1

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • L.7.2

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • L.7.3

    Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • L.7.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.8.3

    Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • L.8.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.9-10.1

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • L.9-10.2

    Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • L.9-10.3

    Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

  • L.9-10.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 4 reviews) (4 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Amy K. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Cornell Senior High School
Coraopolis, United States
Tons of grammar resources, and solid exercises to help students.
I'm surprised that this is not rated higher on graphite. Chompchomp.com offers solid explanations of some of the toughest grammar terms and concepts, youtube videos and PP presentations for further understanding, interactive exercises, printable exercises (they are the same), and a MOOC that has three levels of quizzes and badging. Although I wish I could organize students in the MOOC it's not hard to keep track of what students accomplish. The interactive quizzes offer great practice, and there are explanations for each answer that the students can access whether they answer correctly or incorrectly. I really enjoy chomp chomp.com, and it makes grammar painless for my students.
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