GrammarA Writer’s Tool

Chapter 13

Components of Grammar Instruction

Parts of speechParts of sentencesTypes of sentencesCapitalization & punctuationUsage

The 8 Parts of Speech

NounPronounAdjectiveVerbAdverbPrepositionConjunctionInterjection

Research on Teaching Grammar Separately Will NOT Do

Will not improve quality or accuracy of writing

Will not help form or promote “mental discipline”

Will not help students score better on standardized tests that include grammar, usage, and punctuation

Will not help people learn the grammar of another language more readily

Will not help people master conventional spoken or written language

Will not help people become better users of language—more effective listeners, speakers, readers, or writers

So How Do We Teach Grammar?

Within the Context of Literature StudiesWithin the Context of Children’s Own

WritingDuring the Editing Stage of Writing

Teaching Grammar

Minilessons – followed by application to the child’s own writing

Examine / make concept booksSentence collection / searches in

booksSentence manipulation

Teaching Grammar

New versions of books (innovations) Grammar postersWrite and proofread- EditingExpands language options - not to

replace home language

Killgallon’s 4 Types of Sentence Manipulation (Figure 13-5 – p. 445) Sentence Unscrambling

Reassemble phrases

Sentence ImitatingImitate the structure of a chosen sentence

Sentence CombiningCombine and rearrange words

Sentence ExpandingAbridged sentence is expanded

Assessing Grammar

TestsArrangement of words in sentences in

writing projectsNote errors and teach minilessons