Circle the best answer: is or are, a or an, on one short page

A kindergarten teacher I print for asked for “something short with is and are”. Not a grammar unit. Just enough sentences to find out who hears the difference between “the dogs is” and “the dogs are”. This is the sheet I made for her, and it has stayed in her Friday folder since.

What the sheet looks like

On the circle the best answer sheet, every sentence has a blank and two words beside it. The child circles the one that fits and writes it in the gap. The sentences come from a hand-written bank of 75, grouped by skill: verbs (is or are, has or have, runs or run), plurals, a or an, pronouns, and vocabulary, where the choice is between the word that makes sense and one that does not. Pick one skill or mix them, choose six to twelve sentences, and switch the answer key on if you want it.

Why it works

• Two choices keep the task about listening rather than guessing. “My friends ___ at the park” with is and are is a question a five-year-old can answer by ear.
• Writing the word in, not just circling it, means the child reads the whole sentence back with the right word in place.
• Mixing the skills on one sheet makes a quick diagnostic. Most children get a or an right and miss has or have, which tells you where the next week goes.

Who it suits

Kindergarten through second grade, and it does not stretch far beyond that. The bank is finite and a strong second grader will find it easy within a few sheets. Children still sounding out words should have the sentences read to them rather than attempt them alone. For the next step up, the grammar skills sheets cover plurals and verb tenses with more to write.

Six sentences is a five-minute sheet, which is about the right length for this age.