Manipulative Visual Language™

MVL

What is MVL?
MVL is an innovative system which presents the rules of grammar visually, enabling students to see, touch, and manipulate parts of speech using colorful, appealing shapes made of wood or plastic. It is a tool to assist teachers in presenting the parts of speech as taught in conjunction with whatever curriculum is in use in the school. MVL can be used as a supplementary system to be used in the teaching of English grammar. It is also a new tool to help crack the code of English.

As a tool, MVL may also be used to represent the parts of speech in other languages, making it easier for students of foreign languages to see the similarities and differences in structure between their first and second languages.

What are the shapes?
Three-dimensional wood blocks to use on desks, two-dimensional magnetic plastic shapes to use on a whiteboard, and personal two-dimensional plastic shapes for individual students to manipulate on their own desks.

How does MVL work?
MVL takes the basic parts of speech and presents them in the form of visually appealing wood or plastic blocks that can be manipulated by the teacher and student. Correct grammar structure is presented visually in the form of sentence "maps" that enable students to follow logical patterns of sentence formation.

Where should MVL be used?
In a word: EVERYWHERE! We provide workshops for teachers, to show them how to use MVL in their classrooms, for parents, to help them help their children with their homework, and for students directly! The blocks can be used to illustrate sentence structure as a part of any curriculum lesson.

Who developed MVL?
Two teachers, one Deaf, one hearing, working together at a school for the Deaf, have developed this system of blocks, posters, sentence maps, and classroom activities over the past five years. They have achieved dramatic and lasting results.

When should MVL be used?
As early as possible! Language acquisition is most efficient at early ages, so the earlier MVL can be introduced, the better, but adults love it too! MVL is intended to be used in the elementary grades, in order to establish a strong foundation in understanding grammar. BUT MVL can also be used with middle school and even high school students who are still struggling with English.

Why use MVL?
The best reason of all: the students love it! Using the blocks makes learning fun.