Reply to At what level should a fluent reader start in Lexia?

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Reply to "At what level should a fluent reader start in Lexia?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is there a reason FCPS does not teach grammar in elementary? Is this a science-based decision? I ask as someone who never explicitly learned grammar but somehow learned to write at an advanced level. I'm not knocking grammar instruction but I wonder if it is really necessary if children are actually spending a lot of time reading and learning implicitly (which children are very adept at doing). [/quote]

Not everyone learns grammar implicitly to a high enough degree, ime at a top law school. [/quote]

Ok, but that might be because they didn't get enough input (reading). Do not tell me you think some people are "explicit learners" and some are "implicit learners". That would be as wrong-headed as "learning styles". The brain is wired for implicit learning, given good input. [/quote]

NP. I think it’s like reading instruction. Some kids learn how to read with very little instruction, and others need explicit instruction. I don’t think we don’t know why, but unlike learning styles, it’s a documented phenomenon.

I actually did a test with one of my kids. My mom was this strict prescriptive grammarian and I hated how she always corrected my grammar. I decided never to correct my daughter’s grammar to see if she would just pick up good speech. Verbally, she is brilliant (she actually scored a 142 on the verbal section of an IQ test, I think WISC?). She is a voracious reader and her reading comprehension scores are always in the 99th percentile. And she didn’t pick up on many grammar rules! It was fascinating. She always said “me and my friend” and used incorrect plurals and such, well into late elementary years. This is a sample size of one but not every child will pick up on grammar rules, even with plentiful inputs. [/quote]

That's an interesting experiment, but there's an alternative explanation. Your daughter learned grammar well (as evidenced by her comprehension and vocab, both of which are aided by strong understanding of grammar). She could say things like "me and my friend" because she inferred this is a case that defies rules, as it is quite common speech (and largely acceptable, at least in colloquial speech).

What you really mean is your daughter didn't implicitly learn (or learn to prefer) the more formal ways of speaking and writing that are contrasted by colloquial speech and writing. Children start to implicitly learn grammar before the age of two and implicit learning informs a lot of learning in reading, writing, and spelling, much more than many realize. [/quote]

Okay you are correct, but when I was using the word "grammar" I really meant "usage." Learning usage is important and won't always be picked up without explicit instruction. 
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