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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]FCPS do not teach grammar, sentence structure either.  So it is pretty normal in public schools.  It is a shame too because so many young people cannot write.  Let's be honest if you cannot write your marketability is in the toilet.[/quote]

Met plenty of developers and engineers  who can't write at all.  This obsession with writing is misplaced and just leads to kids choosing ridiculous humanities majors in college.  [/quote]
DP.. both spouse and I are in tech, non humanity degree - knowing how to write a coherent sentence is important for most jobs.  I can't tell you how many times I have had to go back/forth with someone who could not write a coherent sentence.

Having stated that, however, focusing on spelling is pointless now. Grammar, yes, but not spelling. IMO, the thing that most people seem to struggle with is organizing their thoughts and  having critical thinking skills.

People don't need to know the definition of an adverb (ie, they don't need to know how to diagram a sentence), but they should know how it is used.  IMO, reading complex text and expository writing helps with grammar.[/quote]

Do you think understanding how a computer works is useful background for a programmer?  I think so, and I think knowing something about spelling and grammar are pretty important for anyone who writes (which means pretty much everyone).[/quote]

False analogy.  You should ask whether understanding how a computer works is useful background for an English major.  It is not.  And the opposite is true.

No one interviewing for a STEM job is asking my kid to provide a writing sample.  As long as they have a functioning literacy, I'd rather they focus on the STEM subjects that matter.  Don't want them serving coffee their entire lives.[/quote]
+1 exactly. This is the problem with people who are hung up on diagramming sentences... they lack critical thinking skills.  [/quote]

Oh, really? You don't think anyone in any scientific field has to write anything? Depending on what field you go in, there can be a ton of writing. Maybe not as much in certain fields, but if you are in any kind of research, you definitely have to write. One of my first jobs in DC was working for an organization that paid scientists for studies for public comments on different regulations impacting chemicals in industry. I had to take their writing and meld it into a coherent public comment narrative. It helped that I had a strong writing background and a working understanding in the sciences (at least enough to understand their research papers, not enough to be a professional in the field).

I do agree that you don't really need to know how to focus a ton on spelling or sentence diagrams after you grasp the basics, however. More than anything, you need to read a lot and practice writing to organize your thoughts and present arguments. In a similar fashion, you don't need to learn how to physically work out a lot of math problems by hand anymore when you have software to do it. It is still important to understand the concepts of how it is derived and understand when something is correct and incorrect. Unlike math, however, grammar is to a large extent innate and intuitive. [/quote]
You people need better critical thinking skills and comprehension.  I did state earlier that reading complex text was important because it helps with grammar and comprehension, and that writing coherent paragraphs was also really important.

I don't need to know the definition of what an adverb  is to use it correctly.  People are too hung up on knowing the parts of grammar. Focus should be on writing coherently and organizing their thoughts well.

Re-read the this thread.  [/quote]

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