Nouns 4 - Compound

Compound nouns are nouns made up of more than one word. They can be written as one word, written separately, or written with a hyphen.  
Daily Grammar Lesson 19 - compound nouns
Daily Grammar Lesson 423 - hyphens in compound nouns

Compound Nouns: carwash, dining room, year-end
A list of compound words that combine, separate, and hyphenate

Teaching Ideas:

• Go on a hunt for compound nouns in the home.
• Make a game with words on cards that combine (rain+coat=raincoat).
• A list of common compound nouns
• Play noun games ("Search By Topic" in sidebar) with compound nouns.

One way to identify compound nouns is by the inflection in our voice when we say them.  For instance, if we are discussing fish, I might say I saw a yellow fish.  There is a slight pause between yellow and fish, with the stress on both words yellow and fish.  However, if I saw a goldfish, gold and fish blend together, and my stress is on the word gold.  (an article on English Club discussing this concept)

Copywork Ideas (younger):

• Frog ran up the path to Toad's house.  He knocked on the front door. (Lobel)

Copywork Ideas (older):

• Time's chariot-wheels make their carriage-road in the fairest face. -Rochefoucauld
• Books -- lighthouses erected in the great sea of time.  -Whipple

Notes
Compound nouns can be confusing.  They often take the form of adj+noun (full moon),  noun+verb (sunrise), and others.  The difference is even debated by grammarians.