Does your school teach grammar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but not in isolation, like "OK now we're going to do grammar. Get out your grammar books." It's much more integrated into the writing program. And for most kids, they are just learning the lingo for the grammar they already know through modeling and reading and then stretching it to more sophisticated forms of language use. In other words, it may come naturally, but they still need to know how to label the parts of speech and sentences, etc. There may be more targeted grammar work for students who need it, not sure, but I'd expect so. It is definitely being taught because a summer camp teacher commented that she'd never met a 10-year-old who could discuss language and writing the way mine does -- and I didn't teach that. I credit the teachers.

My children did NOT learn grammar at our WOTP DCPS - meaning the parts of speech, active vs passive voice, nothing, nada. One child wrote well coming out the other did not. At Washington Latin we were told they use Latin to basically teach grammar. At BASIS, they diagram sentences in English class and learn the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs in English class, as well as what they learn in Latin. I grew up diagramming sentences and it helped me immensely when I turned to another language. Grammar is not being taught in DCPS. We should be doing School House Rock - "so I unpacked my adjectives.... it was a hairy bear, it was a scary bear...." DCPS absolutely does not teach this well if they teach it at all and knowing parts of speech and tenses and agreement are necessary in English and for learning other languages as well............ This does not mean that either emerged from their DCPS writing English incorrectly, just that they had no idea why it was correct. Instinct should not cut it, nor modeling. It should be taught. Then when in English class if ever you learn to read and analyze text and poetry, heaven forbid creative writing, you can unpack the author's adjectives or use your own, knowing that "an adverb is a word that modifies a verb..........."

[Anonymous]

I've heard through the grapevine that next year DCPS students will be evaluating anonymous posts from DCUM based on their grammatical accuracy.

[Anonymous]

you should look into the schools that are teaching Hochman writing: http://greatergreatereducation.org/post/23659/how-a-writing-program-helped-daniel-and-other-struggling-middle-grade-dcps-students/

It's not just about grammar, but it does start at the sentence level and is a well-regarded writing curriculum.

I really like grammar but didn't get a lot of it even decades ago at a well-regarded suburban charter school (one 8th grade teacher really focused on it, and it was then that I learned that some kids in my district had at some point been taught to diagram sentences--but it seemed to vary based on what individual teachers wanted to do). What really helped was getting involved in the school newspaper, where we were taught how to write and edit. Do any/most DC schools have newspapers?

[Anonymous]

They no longer teach grammar the way they used to. If it is important to you you'll have to do it at home. It's not coming back either. Good or bad? I don't know. Probably a litle of both. I am certain we spent way too much time taking apart sentences.