You know that moment when you open your pacing guide and immediately think, How on earth am I going to fit all of this in? Between teaching 500 standards, trying to keep your sanity, and still having a few minutes left in the day, it’s a lot.

That’s exactly why I want to talk about one of my favorite tools: task cards. In this episode, I’m breaking down the valuable benefits of using task cards not because they’re cute or trendy, but because they actually make grammar (and every subject, really) easier to teach, easier to review, and way more engaging for students.

Whether you’re brand new to using task cards or already have a few decks tucked away, you’ll walk away from this episode with practical ways to use them for spiral review, quick skill checks, and differentiation without adding more to your already full plate.

• The top three benefits of using task cards in any classroom
• How task cards help target specific skills in short, effective bursts
• Why their bite-sized format keeps students engaged and focused
• How to easily differentiate grammar practice for every learner
• Low-prep ways to make task cards a consistent part of your routine

• https://uniquelyupper.com/benefits-of-using-task-cards-in-the-classroom/

• Instagram: @uniquelyupper
• Show Notes: www.uniquelyupper.com
• TpT Store: Uniquely Upper on TpT
• Email: uniquelyupper@gmail.com

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Commas in the Chaos wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode!

For years, I heard the same advice you probably have — that teaching grammar in context is all we need to do. If students read good writing and write enough on their own, grammar will just click.

But if you’ve been in the classroom for more than five minutes, you know that isn’t what really happens. Students can write full pages, but when you ask them to find the subject and predicate, they freeze. That’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because this “context only” approach leaves out the structure kids need to actually understand grammar.

In this episode, I’m sharing what I’ve learned the hard way: context matters, but it isn’t enough on its own. I walk through how I discovered this truth, what I see happening in classrooms everywhere, and what a balanced approach — one that combines explicit instruction with real-world writing — actually looks like.

• Why relying only on teaching grammar in context doesn’t build true understanding
• How skipping explicit instruction leaves gaps that show up year after year
• The system-wide reasons teachers and students lack confidence with grammar
• How explicit grammar lessons can exist right alongside authentic writing
• Why finding a balance between structure and creativity is what really makes grammar stick

• https://uniquelyupper.com/teaching-grammar-in-context/

• Instagram: @uniquelyupper
• Show Notes: www.uniquelyupper.com
• TpT Store: Uniquely Upper on TpT
• Email: uniquelyupper@gmail.com

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Commas in the Chaos wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode!

Have you ever taught a grammar lesson and felt like your students were staring at you as if you were speaking another language? You’re not alone — and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad teacher. It usually means your students are missing an earlier building block.

In this episode of Commas in the Chaos, we’re talking about grammar skills and a strategy I call skill stacking. Instead of seeing grammar as a random list of concepts, skill stacking helps you visualize how each skill connects to the next. Think of it as a staircase: if one step is missing, the next step feels impossible.

I’ll walk you through how to use grammar skill stacking as a diagnostic tool, how to spot gaps in real time, and practical ways to fill those gaps without overhauling your entire plan. By the end, you’ll feel less like you’re banging your head against the whiteboard and more like you know exactly how to support your students.

• What grammar skill stacking is (and what it isn’t)
• Why students struggle when we teach new concepts on shaky foundations
• How to use skill stacking as a quick diagnostic tool in your classroom
• Real-life examples of breaking down compound sentences, prepositional phrases, and verb tenses
• Teacher-friendly strategies for filling grammar gaps through micro reviews, color coding, and centers

Here’s the hard truth: most of the time, the problem isn’t the grammar skill you’re teaching today — it’s the one underneath.

Take compound sentences, for example. If students can’t identify the subject and predicate, joining two sentences together feels impossible. Or think about prepositional phrases. If students don’t know their nouns and verbs, that little preposition is just floating in space with nothing to connect to.

Skill stacking is the practice of asking: What’s the missing block? When you find it, you give your students the foundation they need to finally move forward.

The good news? Diagnosing doesn’t mean hours of data analysis. You can spot gaps with quick, low-prep strategies:

• Exit slips: One sentence, underline the subject, circle the verb. If they can’t do that, you know where to back up.
• Observation: Watch where they freeze during centers or practice. Do they skip verbs? Struggle with prepositions? That’s your clue.
• Work samples: Look at their mistakes. Are they struggling with the new skill, or tripping over an old one?

These quick checks take minutes but give you insight that can save weeks of reteaching.

Once you’ve spotted the missing bricks, here’s how to fill them in:

• Layer in micro reviews. Use bell ringers, warm-ups, or morning work to sneak in skills students missed. Two minutes goes a long way.
• Color coding. Give students highlighters and have them mark subjects in one color and predicates in another. Suddenly, the sentence comes alive visually.
• Sentence sorts & partner check-ins. Let students identify fragments, complete sentences, or label parts together. It feels interactive and less intimidating.
• Grammar centers. Centers give students repeated, hands-on practice with skills they need to master.
• Spiral review. Don’t just teach once and move on. Bring skills back into your weekly rhythm so they actually stick.

And here’s the key reminder: reteaching is not wasted time. It’s invested time. A strong...