Hello
The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating
Centre (EPPI-Centre) at the University of London did a sort of
meta-study of research on teaching grammar and sentence combining as
way of improving student writing. Kind of interesting.
The effect of grammar teaching (syntax) in English on 5 to 16 year olds'
accuracy and quality in written composition. Summary
http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=230&language=en-US
The effect of grammar teaching (sentence combining) in English on 5 to
16 year olds' accuracy and quality in written composition. Summary
http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=232&language=en-US
As a person who teaches both developmental students and prospective
teachers, I find that I don't really care about the argument between
cognitive and functional grammar, or what ever it is. I mean, it's
interesting, but it is also like how many angels can dance on the head
of a pin. Where is its practical application for me? I wish the
profession, (which I think ATEG reasonably reflects), would decide what
students and teachers need to know and common, clear way to convey that.
Currently, it doesn't really matter whether you are pro- or
anti-grammar. High stakes testing dictates that we teach it. We should
be doing so in the most effective way possible, as well as in the most
beneficial way possible.
What can we agree on?
Janet
-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Kehe
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:02 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Sentence composing/grammar to improve writing
Scott,
As you pointed out, there should be a way to measure the effectiveness
of teaching grammar. However, we also need to know what "teaching
grammar" means. I doubt that your student produced that great sentence
in a story after you merely introduced that structure of participle
phrases. (You didn't "drill and kill," as Patty Lafayllve described,
did you?) Would you mind summarizing the steps that it took to help him
internalize and then apply this?
Thanks,
Dave
________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Scott
Woods
Sent: Wed 2/11/2009 6:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sentence composing/grammar to improve writing
Dear List,
I have been using using Don Killgallon's Grammar for Middle School: A
Sentence-Composing Approach with my seventh grade classes. Here's an
example of a first sentence from a short story by one of my students, a
native speaker of Arabic and not previously a very good writer:
His face pale, his shirt stained with blood, his pants tattered, his
shoes ripped and dirty, the Roman soldier advanced toward the castle,
stepping over the rotting bodies of the British, every step taking him
closer to the enemy's territory, every step taking him closer to death.
Prior to learning to use absolute phrases and participial phrases (as
well as the other modifiers he learned) this student could not have
written such a sentence. He could not even really think about improving
his style. Teaching students to consciously control sentence structure
works, in my experience. Incidentally, students universally enjoy it.
Why don't the studies which measure the effectiveness of teaching
grammar look at the specific constructions and sentence types taught
and the changes in the frequency and effectiveness of their use? Clause
length and other such measures seem clumsy and not particularly useful
as measures of writing skill if we are trying to improve student
writing.
Scott Woods
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