Reply to Time for a mutiny yet? MCPS = crummy math, no grammar, poor writing

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Reply to "Time for a mutiny yet? MCPS = crummy math, no grammar, poor writing"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I teach older students and the grammatical and spelling errors that occur early in the writing process are often a part of the struggle writers experience as they try to figure out exactly what they want to say and how to say it. As they go through prewriting and drafting, often these issues are cleared up.

It's important NOT to focus on editing until the very end of the writing process. If a writer feels writing is all about good grammar and spelling s/he will fixate on writing correct and safe and boring sentences because sentences with complex and new ideas are HARDER to write, and s/he will avoid that out of the fear of making mistakes. You will set your child up to be a very average writer if this is what you obsess over.

Elementary students should be taught spelling and grammar, but it should not be their primary focus.[/quote]

I don't know where you teach, but many of the 9th graders I've had in the past in my SS schools couldn't identify parts of speech, nor did they know the difference between a fragment and a sentence.

but when you're reading below level . . .

So I disagree with your philosophy.  As someone who's seen the pendulum swing back and forth over the past two decades, you can't substitute one thing for another.  There is the need to both MEMORIZE and free write w/o being "burdened" by errors. But drafts riddled with errors of which students are UNAWARE are drafts that remain drafts.

[/quote]

I don't teach for MCPS.

Even many of the "gifted" 9th graders I teach struggle with sentence fragments and can't always name the parts of speech. I always mark these things, and I did not mean to suggest that these issues magically go away, nor that you should be substituting one thing for another. Rather there is[b] a stage to focus on grammar and spelling, [/b]and it's not at the beginning of the writing process.[/quote]

And when would that be?

Elementary schools used to be called 'grammar' schools for a reason. Yes, you can't expect a first grader to understand the concept of irregular verbs, but 4th and 5th graders are developmentally advanced to be able to learn grammar and spelling. Why do you think your 'gifted' 9th graders can't name the parts of speech? Because they haven't been properly taught in upper ES/MS.[/quote]

When it's time to go back and edit their work.

I do think there should be grammar/spelling lessons in elementary school. That is the appropriate time to teach these terms and skills. I don't think their writing should get marked up when they're drafting, until the end of the writing process.[/quote]

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