Grammar+Instruction+&+Writing+(Kari)

= = =Grammar Instruction & Its Connection to Writing Development =


 * I. Research Questions: **
 * What do beginning teachers need to keep in mind as they plan instruction for grammar and writing?
 * In particular, what strategies are worth considering in the teaching of grammar and writing, and what is the relationship between the two?


 * Key Terms:
 * IDD/Traditional Grammar/Skill-and-Drill: This type of grammar instruction is often characterized by the use of worksheets and activities that generally separate grammar from all other parts of the curriculum. Students are often asked to define parts of speech and grammar is seen as "right" or "wrong."
 * Sentence Combining: This strategy focuses on the development of complex sentences based on a number of simple sentences. Students are asked to consider a number of simple (subject-predicate) sentences and experiment with different ways to combine them to create complex sentences.
 * Functional Grammar: This strategy, as used by Fearn and Farnan, helps students understand that different words function as different parts of speech depending on the sentence. This strategy involves asking students to discuss the function of a word in a particular sentence, and also has students experiment with writing sentences in which a particular word functions as a different part of speech.
 * Mentor Texts: As outlined by Anderson, the use of mentor texts involves using high-quality texts (either published or student/teacher created) as models to help students play with words and develop their writing. This strategy allows teachers to help students make connections with various types of texts and allows them to learn grammar in the context of authentic writing.

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 * 2. Research Highlights: **
 * The research used for the literature review came from a variety of credible sources, including seminal texts on the topic of teaching grammar, published literature reviews, and original research. I found that while there is not a great deal of research about grammar instruction out there, researchers have found some promising strategies for teaching grammar at all levels. Among these are sentence combining, the use of mentor texts, and the use of "functional" grammar instruction. Despite the variety of strategies represented, all of the researchers came to the consensus that "skill and drill, " also known as IDD or traditional grammar instruction, is not effective. Some went as far as to claim that this type of instruction is actually detrimental to student writing because it takes classroom time that could be used for authentic writing. Another interesting insight into this issue was given by Smagorinsky, who claims that English Language Arts teachers are often not adequately prepared by their degree programs to teach grammar and writing.


 * 3. References: **
 * Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically inclined. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.Andrews, R. (2005). Knowledge about the teaching of [sentence] grammar: The state of play. English teaching: Practice and Critique 4(3), 69-76.
 * This resource is a text that many teachers would find useful in planning instruction. Anderson gives examples of how to integrate grammar instruction into the classroom through the use of mentor texts. He finishes the book with explanations of a number of grammar topics and suggestions of texts to use in teaching them.
 * Andrews, R. (2005). Knowledge about the teaching of [sentence] grammar: The state of play. English teaching: Practice and Critique 4(3), 69-76.
 * Andrews, R., Torgerson, C., Beverton, S., Freeman, A., Locke, T., Low, G., Robinson, A., & Zhu, D. (2006). The effect of grammar teaching on writing development. British educational research journal 32(1), 39-55.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Dix, S. (2006). “What did I change and why did I do it?” Young writers’ revision practices. Literacy 40(1), 3-10.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Fearn, L., & Farnan, N. (2007). When is a verb? Using functional grammar to teach writing. Journal of basic writing 26(1), 63-87.Hansen, J. & Kissel, B. (2009). Writing instruction for adolescent learners. In Wood, K.D., & Blanton, W.E. (Eds.), Literacy Instruction for Adolescents (392-419). New York: The Guilford Press.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This is an interesting research report that discusses a study conducted with groups of tenth grade students. The report discusses the use of IDD (traditional, skill and drill instruction) versus the use of "functional" grammar. It provides interesting insight into the effects each of these approaches have on students' general grammar knowledge as well as their writing.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Hansen, J. & Kissel, B. (2009). Writing instruction for adolescent learners. In Wood, K.D., & Blanton, W.E. (Eds.), Literacy Instruction for Adolescents (392-419). New York: The Guilford Press.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Myhill, D. (2005). Ways of knowing: Writing with grammar in mind. English teaching: Practice and critique 4(3), 77-96.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Myhill, D. (2008). Towards a linguistic model of education and lifelong learning, UK. Language and Education 22(5), 271-288.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Smagorinsky, P., Wilson, A., & Moore, C. (2011). Teaching grammar and writing: A beginning teacher’s dilemma. English education 43(3), 262-292.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Weaver, C., & Bush, J. (2008). Grammar to enrich and enhance writing. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This text is very well known in the field because of its strong integration of both research and practice. Weaver, a well-known figure in educational research, makes grammar instruction accessible for teachers of all levels of experience and expertise.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">4. Research Implications: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">For Pre-Service Teachers, Teachers, & Administrators:For Parents & Families:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Despite the research that proves that the IDD method is ineffective (and according to some, detrimental), this method is still being used by a number of teachers at various levels. As educators, we have to wonder why this is the case. In some instances, it simply may be that teachers do not know what other strategies are out there and how to integrate them into their own classrooms.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Another issue that arises with grammar instruction is that many schools do not have a strong direction for the ways they want their teachers to teach grammar. Therefore, administrators should communicate their expectations with their teachers as well as work with teachers of all levels to develop the grammar and writing curriculum. Likewise, teachers should communicate with their colleagues and administrators their ideas about teaching grammar as well as their struggles. Professional Learning Communities and department meetings are great forums for teachers to share ideas and discuss curriculum decisions.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Pre-service teachers should explore various strategies for grammar and writing instruction during their teacher preparation programs in order to better understand the strategies that are being used. This way, pre-service teachers can form a strong background for instruction that they can bring to future classrooms.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">For Parents:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Parents should be aware of what their children are learning in school. With respect to grammar, research has proven the IDD method ineffective. Therefore, if a child is being taught grammar in this way, parents should take the initiative to question the reasons behind the use of that method.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Grammar should be recognized as an important part of the English language and an integral part of successful writing. To help students develop as writers, parents should become active participants in their children's writing development. They can do this by helping children revise and edit their work as well as by frequently reading high-quality texts to their children, as there is a clear link between reading and writing.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Grammar is much more important than many people realize. When your children grow up and begin looking for jobs, their grammar and writing skills may be what help or hinder them in securing employment. Often, employers will not hire someone who has grammatical errors in his or her resume and cover letter.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">5. Electronic Resources: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">For Pre-Service Teachers, Teachers, & Administrators:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|The Grammar Guru]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">I created this site for the high school English department of a local district. The English department chair asked that I create an electronic resource that could be used by both teachers and students. This website integrates a variety of the research discussed above and also links to various resources, such as graphic organizers, games, lesson plans, and writing tips.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Write Guy]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This site was put together by Jeff Anderson, author of Mechanically Inclined and proponent of the mentor text approach to grammar instruction. His website provides great examples of mentor texts to use in the classroom.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Manipulating Sentences to Reinforce Grammar Skills]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This lesson plan, written by a teacher in Ohio, uses sentences from newspapers and magazines to reinforce the understanding of grammar in context. This lesson ties together two of the strategies discussed above: mentor texts and sentence combining.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Web English Teacher: Grammar]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This site is a compilation of high-quality grammar resources compiled from across the web. It provides a number of links to other resources as well as lesson plans to use in the classroom.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|The National Capital Language Resource Center]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This site provides recommendations for creating a strong grammar curriculum, including the use of textbooks, various strategies, and goals and techniques of effective grammar programs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">For Parents & Families:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Grammar Girl]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This site includes many different resources (including sound clips and movies) to help people better understand grammar. It provides a fun way to learn more about grammar.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Apostrophe Abuse]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">While amusing, this website represents a very real problem with the understanding of grammar. Sharing this site with your children at home can help them better understand apostrophes and begin to recognize errors in their own writing.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|"Wacky Tales"]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">An online equivalent to mad libs, this site lets students play around with grammar by filling in blanks with different parts of speech. The stories that are created are often hilarious, and children enjoy them so much they hardly ever realize they are practicing grammar!
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Flip a Chip]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This is a fun game for younger children (ages 6-10) to practice verb endings in context.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">[|Magnetic Poetry]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This fun, easy craft helps kids practice grammar at home. Follow the directions on the website to create your own magnetic poetry and have your children practice making sentences on the fridge in no time!