Does your school teach grammar?

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS doesn't teach grammar and I'm wondering if this is standard practice across the city. Still not sure what they think is more important to spend time on than grammar.

[Anonymous]

Our elementary did not teach grammar. BASIS definitely focuses on it in 5th and 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Yes it does.

[Anonymous]

Mine school teach grammer real good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine school teach grammer real good.

I just fell out.

[Anonymous]

Isn't teaching grammar just about modeling it? Kids learn from listening to others. Obviously, children in ESL or households with minimal education would need direct instruction, other than that.. is it necessary?

P.S. It's 1am in the morning, so please don't analyze my incorrect grammar.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if my daughter's elementary school taught it or I taught it to her but she learned it. She is away and when we Facetimed today she corrected me once.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

In a city with such a dialect it would seem grammar would get lost in the translation. Are you mad or nah, that they don't teach grammar girrrrl?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In a city with such a dialect it would seem grammar would get lost in the translation. Are you mad or nah, that they don't teach grammar girrrrl?

It's actually girlaaaaaa

[Anonymous]

At our DCPS elementary school they don't teach grammar, if any trickles down is because of individual initiatives of teachers. But I don't think it is in the course contents / curriculum of elementary schools or middle schools at DCPS. Some parents actually send their kids to private grammar classes. If anyone has evidence that grammar is in the DCPS curriculum please post the source. I am interested in this.

[Anonymous]

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 son is very good at grammar (for his age) uses things like "my sister and I" (not my sister and me) and knows the difference between their, they're and there or to, too and two. We definitely didn't teach him those things specifically. He's only 4, so I'm pretty sure his teachers didn't either. Sometimes kids just pick it up from those around them or from reading. Your kid may have learned it from his teachers, or he may be due credit for working it out himself and being interested in language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't teaching grammar just about modeling it? Kids learn from listening to others. Obviously, children in ESL or households with minimal education would need direct instruction, other than that.. is it necessary?

P.S. It's 1am in the morning, so please don't analyze my incorrect grammar.

Not necessarily. Modeling certainly helps, but I know lots of well-educated people who had well-off and well-educated parents who still make grammar mistakes, or who don't write particularly well because they don't know the rules of grammar. I spent a year diagramming sentences in sixth grade. I did not enjoy it, but it was one of the more useful parts of my education. You'll pick up a lot just from listening and reading, but there's really no substitute for learning the rules of proper sentence construction.

[Anonymous]

MY child attended Deal, and when I raised this issue I was specifically told that they do not focus on grammar. I have one child who reads vociferously, and her grammar is good. My other child, however, who is not a reader, has atrocious grammar. When I voiced my concern, I was told that it comes with reading and more writing, but the focus is content. I completely disagree with this approach, but that is the way DCPS is going. I would wholeheartedly support a policy shift on this issue!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't teaching grammar just about modeling it? Kids learn from listening to others. Obviously, children in ESL or households with minimal education would need direct instruction, other than that.. is it necessary?

P.S. It's 1am in the morning, so please don't analyze my incorrect grammar.

Not necessarily. Modeling certainly helps, but I know lots of well-educated people who had well-off and well-educated parents who still make grammar mistakes, or who don't write particularly well because they don't know the rules of grammar. I spent a year diagramming sentences in sixth grade. I did not enjoy it, but it was one of the more useful parts of my education. You'll pick up a lot just from listening and reading, but there's really no substitute for learning the rules of proper sentence construction.

My firm hires only from top colleges, and many of our employees don't know grammar. They had basic grammar modeled well by their parents, so they speak intelligently. But when they write, you see how much they never learned. They dangle modifiers, they don't use parallel structure, and their subjects and verbs don't agree in complex sentences. These things have a big impact on clarity of writing, but they have to be taught.