Grammar Spy

The Grammar Spy Curriculum

One coherent route for secondary multilingual learners: check what students already control, teach a purpose-based grammar arc, practise it with free retrieval games, use it in a real performance task, then check growth. Six arc overviews and eighteen complete lessons for teacher members.

How the pieces fit together

1. Diagnose. Start with the free beginning-of-year ELD diagnostic — an 18-page printable that gives you a baseline in grammar, reading, writing, and speaking.
2. Teach a purpose. Pick the arc that matches what your students cannot yet do. Each arc is a communicative purpose, not a grammar label: name who did what, describe evidence, rebuild a timeline, connect ideas, explain causes, compare two cases.
3. Practise by retrieving. Each lesson has a matching online practice set, and the free browser games give the same targets a low-stakes second pass — no login.
4. Apply it. Every arc closes with a performance task in which students write about a case using the grammar they just learned.
5. Check growth. Re-run the diagnostic, or use the arc assessment inside the printable pack, and choose the next arc from the pattern you see.

The six arcs

Identify — Who and What (Arc ID)

Purpose: name the players and say who does what. Grammar: subject identification, subject pronouns, am / is / are, a / an / the, and repairing incomplete sentences. Who it is for: newcomer to early-intermediate, grades 9–12; also used as a re-teach block for long-term English learners. Included: three teachable lesson pages, matching practice sets, and an arc performance task. The paid pack adds a 17-slide deck with teacher notes, a 6-page student packet, an answer key, and an arc assessment. Open the Identify arc.

Describe — What the Evidence Shows (Arc DS)

Purpose: say only what you can see, one detail at a time. Grammar: noun phrases with adjectives, is wearing / has, place phrases, and Both … and / but sentences. Who it is for: newcomer to early-intermediate, grades 6–12, after Identify or before any descriptive writing. Included: three lesson pages, four practice sets, and the arc performance task with a student-facing rubric. Open the Describe arc.

Reconstruct — Rebuilding the Case (Arc RC)

Purpose: sequence evidence and repair a broken timeline without over-claiming. Grammar: regular simple past, five core irregular past verbs, time language, and before / after / when. Who it is for: intermediate, grades 6–12. Included: three lesson pages and an integrated performance task; the paid pack adds an 18-slide deck, a 6-page packet, and a teacher guide with answer key. Open the Reconstruct arc.

Connect Ideas — Joining Evidence Into Language (Arc CN)

Purpose: turn scattered evidence into connected language. Grammar: additive connectors (and, also, in addition), contrast connectors (but, however), and 4–6 sentence evidence chains. Who it is for: intermediate, grades 6–12, best after Reconstruct. Each lesson opens with a two-pass reading of a short case microtext. Open the Connect Ideas arc.

Explain Causes — Saying Why It Happened (Arc EC)

Purpose: say why the evidence points where it points. Grammar: cause versus sequence versus coincidence, because / so / because of, and a 3–5 sentence causal explanation that names what the evidence does not prove. Who it is for: intermediate, grades 6–12, after Connect Ideas. Open the Explain Causes arc.

Compare — Two Cases, Side by Side (Arc CP)

Purpose: compare two cases fairly, with evidence from both sides and no winner. Grammar: comparison categories, comparison language, and side-by-side synthesis. Who it is for: intermediate, grades 6–12, as the final arc in the sequence. Open the Compare arc.

Four ways to start

Available now, and what is not

All six arcs are complete: eighteen lesson pages, matching practice sets, and arc performance tasks you can teach from today, plus editable printable packs on Teachers Pay Teachers. Grammar Spy is not a complete year-long English course, and there is no auto-grading, student dashboard, or progress report for teachers. Writing and newcomer pathways are listed as in-development on the curriculum page and are not available yet.

Frequently asked questions

How many lessons are there?

Six arcs with three lessons each — eighteen sequenced lessons, plus a performance task at the end of every arc.

Do I have to teach the arcs in order?

No, but they are written to build on each other. Identify and Describe assume the least prior grammar; Connect Ideas, Explain Causes, and Compare assume students can already write about evidence.

What does it cost?

The lesson pages, practice sets, and browser games are free to teach from. The editable slide decks and printable student packets are paid products on Teachers Pay Teachers, and the teacher membership bundles member downloads.

Is this a full year-long curriculum?

No. It is six purpose-based grammar arcs you can teach as short units across a year alongside your own reading and writing instruction.

What proficiency levels does it fit?

It is written for newcomer through intermediate multilingual learners in grades 6–12, with optional stretch moves marked in each lesson for higher-proficiency students.

Start with an arc

Plan around the curriculum