teaching grammar through literacy "we will lead the nation in improving student...

Teaching Grammar through Literacy

"We will lead the nation in improving student achievement." Kathy Cox, State

Superintendent of Schools

Kim JeffcoatEducation Program

SpecialistK-12 Literacy

What do the experts say about teaching grammar

through literacy?



In 1936, NCTE said the following:

“The formal teaching of grammar and mechanics has little effect on students’ writing and, in fact, has harmful effects when it displaces writing time.”



Not RULES but TOOLS

“Grammar and mechanics are not rules to be mastered as much as

tools to serve a writer in creating a text readers will understand.”

(Jeff Anderson, Mechanically Inclined, p. 5)



What is Literacy?



What do the “experts” say about grammar instruction?

You must teach the standards and elements of your grade level.You must provide remediation when needed, but you need to move beyond the identification of the parts of speech (remember “Use”).You must connect grammar to relevant texts (mentor texts).



What do the “experts” say about grammar

instruction?In order for students to understand style (in both reading and writing), they need to have a basic understanding of grammar rules and syntax (structure).Understanding comes from reading, explicit instruction, writing opportunities, and feedback.Mere identification will not prove that a student understands and applies the rules of grammar.



A few concepts taught well and a few pieces done well can be much more important for a student writer’s growth than many concepts and lessons taught superficially and many pieces of writing assigned without much guidance.

~Constance WeaverGrammar to Enrich and Enhance Writing



Activity #1: Questionnaire

What have I done to teach this grammar or mechanics pattern?Have I thoroughly shared many correct models of the skill, both visually and verbally?Have I modeled the grammar and/or mechanics pattern in my own writing?Have I modeled how to correct these errors?Have I allowed the students enough time to practice?Is this mechanical or grammatical error important enough that it demands all of this work?



Non-negotiable facts about teaching grammar and

mechanics:Teachers MUST teach the grammar and mechanics students need to know.Teachers MUST NOT merely mention the grammar and mechanics rules.Teachers MUST NOT merely correct

students’ errors in grammar and mechanics.



What do we mean by Conventions?

Conventions are not merely rules for punctuation, capitalization, etc., but also

include the following:STYLE (Style is basically the way you write as opposed to what you write about,

though the two things are definitely linked. It results from things like word choice, tone, and syntax. It's the voice readers "hear" when they read your

work.)

SYNTAX (The grammatical arrangement of words in sentences.)

VOCABULARY/WORD CHOICE SPELLING

"We will lead the nation in improving

student achievement." Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools

Activity #2What do I teach?

Look in your participant’s guide and locate the “Conventions” list.In a small group or with a partner who teaches the same grade you do, study the standards and elements of the grade level that is before and after the grade you teach.Note the similarities and differences.Share your discoveries with your group.



Why Learning Conventions is a Challenge:

Students don’t see the power of conventions.Teachers are always searching for the best way to teach conventions.Educators are often reluctant to encourage risk taking.Schools often put too much stock into programs.

~Ruth Culhum, 6 + 1 Traits of Writing"We will lead the nation in

improving student achievement." Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of

Schools

What is the best method to teach conventions?

The best way to teach conventions is by example.Examples used may be mentor texts or the student’s own writing.Use skill-focused lesson books wisely to help fill in the gaps discovered about students’ weaknesses.



What the research says:Research does not support claims that

the separate teaching of grammar:Will improve the quality or accuracy of students’ writing.Will help form the mind by promoting “mental discipline.”Will help students score better on standardized tests that include grammar, usage, and punctuation.

Will help people learn the grammar of another language more readily.Will help people master the socially prestigious conventions of the spoken and/or written language.Will help people become better users of the language---that is, more effective as listeners and speakers, or as readers and writers.

Culham, 2003



How to teach conventions:

1. Assess to get a good picture of what students know and what they still need to learn.

2. Teach the skills that are developmentally appropriate according to the GPS.

3. Allow for plenty of practice, time to experiment, and opportunities to apply the new skills in writing.

4. Begin to hold students accountable for specific skills on future writings.

ALL OF THIS SOUNDS SO SIMPLE, RIGHT? IN TRUTH, THIS IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT WORK! THE SECRET COMES IN FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE.



“Teaching skills in the context of students’ personal writing is far better than teaching them in isolation.”

Ralph FletcherAuthor of Craft Lessons:Teaching Writing K-8



What is the power of conventions?

Students should see conventions as a tool to make their meaning clear and to help the reader understand what they are saying.When readers know to pause or stop at punctuation, it’s like a nod of the head.When readers see and understand accurate spelling, it’s like a big smile.When readers see capitalization used correctly, it’s like having direct eye contact.



Have students combine sentences: Start simple by inserting adjectives, adverbs, etc.Have students imitate model sentences.Have students practice using reference tools like charts, organizers, etc., in their classrooms and reading/writing notebooks.Have students practice with partners and independently.



Provide students with guidance and feedback via small/flexible group instruction and student/teacher conferencing.

When giving feedback, look for patterns of errors. Also, be specific about what the child is doing well (reinforcement).

Have students assess themselves and/or partners according to a checklist.

At times, children will take a piece through the publishing process, which includes revising and editing.

"We will lead the nation in improving student achievement." Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools

Have the students apply whatever approach you use to their own writing and to their reading.Have students identify and examine how their favorite writers manipulate sentences; have the students emulate their favorite writers, using the exact same style.Have students use newspapers and their own writings as sources for grammar examples and exercises.



Assessing for Conventions

Consider two approaches:1.A holistic approach

2.Grade-level expectations



Good, Everyday Practices for Teaching Conventions:Wait!Set aside editing time.Ask why.Model.Keep writing tools handy.Get ‘em, one by one.



When teaching conventions, remember:

Students should understand that editing and revising are different.Teachers should expect correctness, but only according to appropriate developmental level and age.Teachers should value experimentation right along with correctness. Remember, it’s a balancing act.Teachers must be patient. Learning to use conventions well takes time and practice.



Be Spontaneous!

Setting the stage:1.Students are working on rough drafts.2.Teacher is walking around the room,

giving praise and answering questions.3.Teacher notices something special on a

student’s paper.4.Teacher spontaneously borrows the

student’s example and teaches a mini-lesson on that particular thing.



Example of a Spontaneous Lesson:

Using Action Phrases in Description:1. You have noticed that a student, after clustering

ideas for a descriptive writing, has spontaneously produced some –ing modifiers and has incorporated two of them into one sentence.

**Sample sentence: I felt the wind going through the trees like ice cream melting in the summer.

2. You write the sentence on the board and interject a brief mini-lesson showing the other writers how they too can use similar action phrases in their description.

3. Encourage students to emulate this technique."We will lead the nation in improving


Activity #3:Rate the three lessons

Locate the activity, “A Tale of Three Lessons.”Read each lesson, and rank the lessons from the best example to the weakest example using the provided worksheet.Locate some professional examples from your own mentor texts that support your favorite lesson.



Be a Sentence-Stalker

Always be on the lookout for great mentor texts: sentences, paragraphs, essays, articles, advertisements, and novels.

(Vicki Spandel, 2005)"We will lead the nation in improving


Why do students struggle with word choice?

Too often, language is used to exclude

Vocabulary is usually taught in isolation

Students get “word drunk”"We will lead the nation in improving


Activity for Description

A list of activities for sharpening descriptive powers is listed in your participant’s guide: “Activities for Sharpening Descriptive Powers.”



Why is searching for just the right word so important?

Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”



Activities

In your participant’s guide, you will find two separate activities to support word choice:1. Activities for Using Exact Language2. Activities for Choosing Colorful Words and Phrases



The Three P’s Approach to Teaching Grammar

PositiveProductivePractical

“Teaching grammar to enrich and enhance writing is teaching grammar as possibility. We see it as positive, offering options rather than focusing on errors; as productive, especially in the sense that it produces effective sentences and paragraphs that flow; and as eminently practical.” Constance Weaver, 2008



Activity #4:12 Principles Supporting the Three

P’sIn your participant guide, you will find a list of 12 principles.Look at these twelve principles, and label them as true or false.You will have five minutes to construct your responses.I will ask for volunteers to share examples.



Working with Models

from literature

from a previous or current student

1.Share a modelcreated by the teacher in advance

composed by the teacher on the spot

teacher

2.Create another modelteacher and students together(pg. 63, Grammar to Enrichand Enhance Writing,2008)



Daily Practice: Using Mentor Sentences to Develop

ConceptsThis practice promotes quick, daily instruction and practice.It is best carried out at the beginning of class.The time should take no more than ten minutes.A shared experience with grammar and mechanics is provided daily.



Use of Mentor Text:Tips from Mechanically Inclined

Use mentor text during reading, writing, or skills time (for modeling in the mini-lesson, work time, or closing).Teach one thing at a time (be focused).Have students analyze in reading time and apply during writing time.Have students keep a reading/writing notebook.Provide visuals and scaffolding.



Teaching Conventions withMentor Text

Teachers model appropriate use of conventions using mentor text(s).Using mentor texts allows for explicit and intentional teaching.Students can see “rules” in the context of real literature.Students will be more likely to experiment with this same language in their own pieces.



Activity #5:Using Mentor Sentences

Locate the pages for examples of mentor sentences in grades 6-8.Follow along as we quickly review the examples.Working with a partner or in a small group, find additional mentor sentences within the books you brought that will support the elements of the conventions domain.



How do we teach students to avoid sentence

fragments?Share common language: incomplete sentence, non-sentence, intentional fragmentTeach the two-word sentence strategy:

Subject + verb = sentence.Examples of Mentor Text:They race. (p. 5) Jerry Spinelli, LoserHe sprung. (p. 128) Stephen King, Cujo



What about Run-on Sentences?

Students need to understand the differences between dependent and independent clauses.Students need to understand that information should not flow breathlessly but should instead be placed into meaningful chunks of details that flow smoothly.Studying mentor sentences is an excellent method of teaching students the craft of avoiding run-on sentences.



Sample student run-on error:

Something that makes me happy is my friend Destiny she doesn’t try to act all cool and she is just goofy like when she dances she don’t care about what nobody says and she just dances and laughs and doesn’t worry so she is a lot of fun to hang with because she makes me laugh and we can go to the mall and walk around she is not shy so we always get to meet guys.



Analysis of the problem…….

The writer has a lot to say about her friend, Destiny. Furthermore, the writer is almost breathless in putting her thoughts down on paper. It is quite possible that the writer does not understand the meaning of a simple sentence. She needs strategies to help her put into manageable chunks all of the details that are so easily flowing whenever she writes.



Prepositional Phrases to the Rescue!

If students continue to have problems with run-on sentences or identifying the subject and verb of a sentence, giving them information about prepositional phrases may help.



Activity # 6:Just how important are prepositions when

we write?

Think of a room in your home.You will have five minutes to describe the room as clearly as possible.Focus on the location of the room, the décor of the room, the placement of the furniture in the room, etc.YOU MAY NOT USE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES!Share your writings with the members of your group.What did you discover?



Activity #7: How Important are Prepositional Phrases?Look at the example piece on prepositional phrases.One volunteer in the group should read the first passage aloud.Another volunteer should read the 2nd passage aloud.Discuss what happens when the prepositional phrases are omitted.How important are prepositional phrases?

"We will lead the nation in improving student achievement." Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of

Schools

How do we teach manageable chunks?

Students need to discover the secrets for adding information to sentences without creating sentences that run-on.Students need to understand dependence first.Next, students need to learn that a sentence earns its independence when it stands on its own.



Independent vs. Dependent

Students must understand the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause. Support this idea with examples of sentences from mentor texts.Analyze the parts of the sentences.Locate the dependent clause/s and the independent clause/s.



Activity # 8Creating Mind Movies

Students close their eyes.Teacher reads the sentence and asks the students to see it in their minds.Teacher guides the students to see the parts of the sentence as they act like a camera, gliding across a scene and giving a close-up of the details.Look at the sentence again. Students will emulate sentences of their own using commas to separate and hold together the groups of words.



Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers “dangle” when it is not clear what they describe.Modifiers usually need to be near the idea (noun) they are meant to describe or modify.Correctly placed modifiers make sentences clear and help combine several ideas or actions into one thought.



Example of Dangling Modifiers in student writing:

Student Error:Barking like a burglar was breaking in, I checked on the dog.

Mentor Text:Barking furiously, Cujo gave chase. (p. 18) Stephen King, Cujo



Confusion is the result of misplaced or dangling

modifiers:

In Anguished English (1989), Richard Lederer shows how confusion is

evident due to misplaced modifiers:

Yoko Ono will talk about her husband, John Lennon, who was killed in an interview with Barbara Walters. (p. 150)



An activity for preventing dangling modifiers: Play with Sentence

PartsStudents will close their eyes and practice visualizing sentences.The teacher will provide a scene for them to visualize, such as: “Close your eyes and picture a dog approaching you.” Once they have a “picture” in their minds, the teacher will write a sentence. Example: The dog approached me.Next, the teacher will instruct the students to add action, pictures, or sound to the sentence.A list will be created and posted.Then the students will close their eyes again, and the teacher will read the list of words. Example: “Barking, scowling, snarling, the dog approached me.” The teacher repeats the sentence a few times.Next, the class will move the –ing words to the end of the sentence and discuss which is liked better.Finally, the class adds an –ing clause, such as “wagging its tail.”This activity allows students to move sentence parts around and see the possible placement patterns while discovering the differing effects and punctuation.


Double Negatives:

Read the passage in your participant’s guide from Katherine Paterson’s novel, Bridge to Terabithia.Answer the following questions about the author’s use of double negatives:What do we know about the characters of Momma and Brenda as a result of Paterson’s use of the double negative?When is it ok to use formal language as opposed to informal language?



Sneaky Negative Words

barely none hardly nor

not neither never nobody

nothing nowhere wouldn’t

didn’t can’t won’t



Activity # 9Punctuation Activity

In a small group, read the copy of What Jamie Saw without any punctuation to guide your reading.Add whatever punctuation you think is necessary.Share the different versions with the other groups in the room.Look at the original text with the punctuation and discuss the different versions.



Follow up on What Janie Saw…

When asked to explain why Coman would play with sentences and fragments the way she did, one middle school student said it best, “This piece couldn’t be written in regular sentences. What’s happening here is so horrible that it could only come out in gulps.”



Those Confounding Commas….

When do we need them?

~To join two independent clauses~To separate equally linked words or

phrases ~To separate dependent clauses from

the rest of the sentence



COMPOUND SENTENCES

Compound sentences show links or connections between two ideas.Students will use a compound sentence in speaking correctly long before they show mastery of its use in their writing.Compound sentences result when each independent clause on either side of the conjunction has its own subject and verb.



A Student’s Misconception

Conjunctions words are words that ALWAYS have a comma in front of them.

Example of Student Error:

John, and Sam ran to Piggly Wiggly, and purchased candy bars for their

friends.



The Remedy…..

Students must see why the sentence does not need the commas.The teacher may want to discuss the pattern of a simple sentence.The following visual pattern will be helpful:

SENTENCE , conjunction sentence.



Commas after Introductory Elements:

When a sentence begins with a phrase or a clause, use a comma to help the reader understand how the sentence parts make sense of the intended message.Certain words can signal writers that a comma may be needed after the opener: after, since, if, when.Participles in the first word position also need commas.



Sample Mentor Texts for Introductory Elements

When I saw the woman, she reminded me of a bird. Though her hair was white with age, she walked with small, quick, lively steps. (p. 13) Laurence Yep, The Star FisherHolding his hat against his chest and Tarfufo’s leash with one hand, he knocked on his office door with the other. (p. 6) E.L. Konigsburg, The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

"We will lead the nation in improving student achievement." Kathy Cox, State Superintendent

of Schools

Sample Mentor Text for Adding on without Running

OnThey handle the BB gun carelessly, trading it back and forth, each slinging the barrel over his shoulder like a hunter in a frontier television show. (p. 1) Winter Birds by Jim Grimsley

Abraham was growing fast, shooting up like a sunflower, a spindly youngster with big boney hands, unruly black hair, a dark complexion, and luminous gray eyes. (p.11) Lincoln: A Biography by Russell Freedman



Activities for Constructing Better Sentences

See the handout in your Participant’s Guide:

“Activities for Constructing Sentences that Enhance Meaning”



The Bionic Mnemonic

*AAAWWUBBIS(Ah-whoo-bus)

This large mnemonic helps students remember the subordinating

conjunctions:after, although, as, when, while, until,

because, before, if, since.~*Jeff Anderson, Mechanically Inclined, p. 91~



Ban the Daily Correct-all Activities

According to Jeff Anderson, Mechanically Inclined, middle school students don’t need proofreading practice to capitalize the first word of a sentence or to put a period at the end of a sentence. Their errors emerge when they struggle to shift gears from the informal communication of their world to the more formal or standard language expected in academic writing.



Less Skill and Drill, More Authenticity

Save the worksheets for intervention, remediation, and homework.Worksheets alone should not be the primary resource for the writing instructional time.Integrate the conventions within the context of genres/content writing. There will be more transfer and application of the skills because of student relevance.



Clauses, clauses, clauses

Middle school students must recognize adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and noun clauses.Students must incorporate clauses into their writing in order to improve syntax.Students must be familiar with the rules of clauses.Students must be able to distinguish between a clause and a phrase.



Activity #10Accessing the Information

Using the handouts on Adjective, Adverb, and Noun clauses, locate sentences in your mentor texts that match the examples given.You may use the worksheet provided.



20 most common errors in order of frequency (Connors &

Lunsford)No comma after introductory elementVague pronoun referenceNo comma in compound sentenceWrong wordNo comma in nonrestrictive elementWrong/missing prepositionsComma splicePossessive apostrophe errorTense shift

Unnecessary shift in personSentence fragmentsWrong tense or verb formSubject-verb agreementLack of comma in a seriesPronoun agreement errorUnnecessary comma with restrictive elementRun-on or fused sentenceDangling or misplaced modifierIt’s versus its error


Sample Editor’s Checklist

CHECK:

CapitalizationHomophonesCommasPronounsApostrophesSubject-verb agreementDouble negativesDialogue

What could get its own list:

Capitalization

Word wall of homophones and frequently misspelled words

Compound sentence patterns

Complex sentence patterns

Serial comma patterns

Pronouns

two-word sentences

Verb tense

Dialogue rules"We will lead the nation in improving student achievement." Kathy Cox, State


An Example: The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone

Conventions that are in this book include

Quotation MarksCompound SentencesPhrasesCommas to Show PauseVaried End Punctuation**This is not an all-inclusive list of

conventions."We will lead the nation in improving


Suggested Mentor Texts for Minilessons

NounsA Cache of Jewels by HellerMerry-Go-Round by HellerYour Foot’s On My Feet by TerbanAdjectivesGuinea Pig ABC by DukeMany Luscious Lollipops by HellerFeet by ParnallThe Widow’s Broom by Van Allsburg



Suggested Mentor Texts for Minilessons

VerbsThe Night Thief by AllenThe Big Squeeze by BrownThings I Like by BrowneKites Sail High by HellerWatch Me by Ann MazerJiggle, Wiggle, Prance by Noll

Source: Fayette County, KY Public Schools



What’s next?

Most important point: Teach the standards and elements.Remediate when necessary.Use reading and writing as the basis for your conventions instruction. (This will improve the students’ learning in so many areas.)Make conventions an important part of your integrated curriculum.Balance is the key!!!


ELA Contact Information

Kim Jeffcoat, Education Program Specialist, K-12 [email protected]

404-656-0675

Mary Stout, ELA Education Program [email protected]

Malaika Jartu-White, Teacher on [email protected]



mailto:[email protected]



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