Could your 8-9 year old complete a grammar worksheet? Write out an address correctly?

[Anonymous]

Do some districts never cover this? In this case, is everyone supplementing, or do they get tutored in middle school to cover gaps, or what? I keep hearing over and over that public schools don't teach writing or grammar, kids aren't reading, kids can't think critically. And yet year by year college admissions seem to get harder and crazier. How can we have even "top public" districts not teaching kids basic reading and writing, and at the same time have hundreds of thousands of super qualified superstars... more than in previous decades when schools DID teach every kid the basics?

[Anonymous]

My third grader is just now learning grammar and punctuation for the first time (other than basic capital at the beginning, period at the end).
I’m not sure what of your list he could on his own right now, but it’s like potty training- he’s not going to go to college not knowing how to use commas.

[Anonymous]

Yes my 8 yr old could do that though they might make mistakes. They are very good with commas in a series and commas to divide arts of a sentence, but might struggle to remember the rules for using commas for a state or country. They would know what to capitalize and could put the address in the right format and location on an envelope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do some districts never cover this? In this case, is everyone supplementing, or do they get tutored in middle school to cover gaps, or what? I keep hearing over and over that public schools don't teach writing or grammar, kids aren't reading, kids can't think critically. And yet year by year college admissions seem to get harder and crazier. How can we have even "top public" districts not teaching kids basic reading and writing, and at the same time have hundreds of thousands of super qualified superstars... more than in previous decades when schools DID teach every kid the basics?

ChatGPT and AI for one. But you’re right, schools aren’t covering it. Kids can get good grades because teachers aren’t assessing or assigning much writing. In fact, most teachers under 40 don’t know how to write either. College essays are something a student has a lot of time and resources to craft perfectly (or pay for it). That isn’t a great assessment of writing either. Then comes college and they flop and professors are tearing hair out. You are supposed to go to college already having mastered how to write. The professors aren’t supposed to be walking students through the writing process.

I’ve personally been working with my kids on their writing since K; age appropriate lessons. You have to, IMO. Schools aren’t going to teach it then are shocked when high schools kids don’t know how to write. My DD’s AP teachers have moved to in- class handwritten essays, since the AI/cheating has been so bad. Then the teachers are appalled at what they receive. I don’t understand how they are shocked though. No one has taught them to write.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in DCPS and gets grammar instruction.

However, I think the thing that has helped the most is lots of reading and being read to a lot. You learn to recognize when grammar feels wrong, even if you don't know the exact rule. She can easily correct the grammar in most sentences even with that being able to explain why because she knows how it is supposed to sound.

[Anonymous]

My 9 year old has never been taught grammar. Maybe middle school? I seriously hate the schools in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do some districts never cover this? In this case, is everyone supplementing, or do they get tutored in middle school to cover gaps, or what? I keep hearing over and over that public schools don't teach writing or grammar, kids aren't reading, kids can't think critically. And yet year by year college admissions seem to get harder and crazier. How can we have even "top public" districts not teaching kids basic reading and writing, and at the same time have hundreds of thousands of super qualified superstars... more than in previous decades when schools DID teach every kid the basics?

College admissions get crazier by the year only at a small slice of schools. At those schools the kids getting in had extensive supplementation or tutoring, or they come from private. And even at those schools the professors are writing sad articles for The Atlantic about how the kids can't read whole novels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do some districts never cover this? In this case, is everyone supplementing, or do they get tutored in middle school to cover gaps, or what? I keep hearing over and over that public schools don't teach writing or grammar, kids aren't reading, kids can't think critically. And yet year by year college admissions seem to get harder and crazier. How can we have even "top public" districts not teaching kids basic reading and writing, and at the same time have hundreds of thousands of super qualified superstars... more than in previous decades when schools DID teach every kid the basics?

ChatGPT and AI for one. But you’re right, schools aren’t covering it. Kids can get good grades because teachers aren’t assessing or assigning much writing. In fact, most teachers under 40 don’t know how to write either. College essays are something a student has a lot of time and resources to craft perfectly (or pay for it). That isn’t a great assessment of writing either. Then comes college and they flop and professors are tearing hair out. You are supposed to go to college already having mastered how to write. The professors aren’t supposed to be walking students through the writing process.

I’ve personally been working with my kids on their writing since K; age appropriate lessons. You have to, IMO. Schools aren’t going to teach it then are shocked when high schools kids don’t know how to write. My DD’s AP teachers have moved to in- class handwritten essays, since the AI/cheating has been so bad. Then the teachers are appalled at what they receive. I don’t understand how they are shocked though. No one has taught them to write.

College professors are moving to in class hand written essays, so it's good your DD's teachers are getting them prepared now. Blue books are back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do some districts never cover this? In this case, is everyone supplementing, or do they get tutored in middle school to cover gaps, or what? I keep hearing over and over that public schools don't teach writing or grammar, kids aren't reading, kids can't think critically. And yet year by year college admissions seem to get harder and crazier. How can we have even "top public" districts not teaching kids basic reading and writing, and at the same time have hundreds of thousands of super qualified superstars... more than in previous decades when schools DID teach every kid the basics?

College admissions get crazier by the year only at a small slice of schools. At those schools the kids getting in had extensive supplementation or tutoring, or they come from private. And even at those schools the professors are writing sad articles for The Atlantic about how the kids can't read whole novels.

Kids are paying to have professional help writing and editing college admission essays. It isn’t 100% their own work. It is highly crafted.

[Anonymous]

Yes why do you ask?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Our catholic school has grammar as its own class (separate from English, which is more like literature and writing.) My second grader does this every day.
However we don't really get History. We get social studies which I'd describe as geography. That's disappointing.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader can't do that worksheet but he's learning grammar right now in public school. We are in an affluent area and many parents hire professionals to help craft essays and life narratives, so the disconnect between college admissions and actual writing ability doesn't surprise me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think your 8 or 9 year olds could do reasonably well completing a grammar worksheet? Topics: commas in a series, commas in direct address, quotation marks to show speech, proper capitalization, end punctuation. Can they write an address correctly with the right abbreviations, capitalization, and punctuation? And if they can't, what age do you expect them to be able to?

Example Qs to correct:

1. no John you cant go to the park today

2. caracas venezuela is a city in south america

3. my address is 152 elm street sacramento ca 94203

Most 8-year-olds could do that. I think knowing to put a comma after the name of a city is the rule they often forget.

And then they have to remember not to use punctuation when addressing an envelope. That will probably come later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My third grader is just now learning grammar and punctuation for the first time (other than basic capital at the beginning, period at the end).
I’m not sure what of your list he could on his own right now, but it’s like potty training- he’s not going to go to college not knowing how to use commas.

3rd grade is fine. Grammar is not something you learn in one sitting. Those worksheet are being used through middle school.

I hate semicolons.

[Anonymous]

Yes to 2 & 3, maybe on 1