Dear Martha:

Thanks for bringing us to date with your latest grammar project. I am 
sure John is more than excited that he will have a textbook tailored 
to the needs of his beginning Japanese students. 

Regards,

Eduard 



On Mon, 21 Aug 2006, Martha Kolln wrote...

>Dear John and Eduard and all,
>
>It is indeed true that my colleague Sandra Wyngaard, head of English 
>at State College (PA) High School, and I are in the throes of 
>production.  Our book, "Discovering Grammar: Unlocking the Language 
>Toolbox for Middle School Readers and Writers,"  takes teachers and 
>students step by small step through minilessons to mastery.
>
>We begin with a short lesson on Subject/Predicate, which, by the 
way, 
>includes a structured writing assignment (which many of the 
>minilessons do).  Then  come nine minilessons on nouns and noun 
>phrases and pronouns.  These lessons include discussions of 
>form--singular/plural as well as derivational endings-- that help 
>students unlock their own inner grammar expertise.  Next come seven 
>minilessons on verb forms.   All of these lead to and are integrated 
>with the next series of lessons on ten sentence patterns, which are 
>essentially predicate patterns.  With each lesson, directed mainly 
at 
>teachers, we include several "Unlocking" exercises and 
>"reading/writing connection"
>exercises, classroom activities for the students--many of which are 
>connected to the young-adult literature they are reading.
>
>I have learned from Sandra--and by talking to many teachers--that 
>today's language arts classes are very different from what many of 
us 
>remember way back when--or even not so way back.  Today's teachers 
>rely on minilessons, on word study, on word sorts (many of which we 
>include),  with very little, if any, attention to syntax  in an 
>organized way.  That lack of attention is due in large part to the 
>teachers' own inadequate grammar background and very scant help from 
>textbooks.
>
>We are very excited about what we have accomplished so far.  The 
>first section of the book--100+ pages--will be class-tested this 
fall 
>in all nine middle schools of Carroll County, Maryland, as well as in
>selected classes in four other school districts, including districts 
>in  two other states as well as Pennsylvania.  We expect to have the 
>finished published version ready for fall 2007.  We are publishing 
>and planning to market it ourselves.
>
>As I explain in the Introduction, the material is based on my 
>"Understanding English Grammar," which is based on sentence 
patterns. 
>I firmly believe that the framework of sentence patterns  has been 
>enormously helpful for my college-level students in the teacher-prep 
>grammar class.  In the new book, we are including the very simplest 
>diagrams for the sentence patterns--so they will be there for those 
>teachers who want to include them.
>
>As I said in my keynote address at ATEG last month, minilessons are 
>here to stay in the language arts classrooms of middle schools.  If 
>we want to have an impact, we have to join them.  Believe me, these 
>are not the  minilessons that Constance Weaver describes in her 
>books, the "teachable moment" occasions that occur in writing 
>workshops.  Ours are organized in small steps, designed to fit into 
a 
>classroom period, that scaffold on one another but that also bring 
to 
>the students' conscious understanding  step by organized step the 
>subconscious knowledge that they had with them when they entered 
>kindergarten.  Mastery through minilessons is our goal.
>
>I'll appreciate your input and interest, especially those of you who 
>might be interested in seeing more detail as it becomes available. 
>The table of contents will be ready  soon; that might give you a 
>better idea of our program.
>
>Martha
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>John:
>>
>>I guess the safest way to find out if this is true or not is to ask
>>Martha Kolln herself if she and her friends intend to publish a book
>>designed for "the lower level Japanese students." I am sure, as you
>>say, that "Japanese students would benefit from a version of this
>>book pitched at a lower level." Hopefully Martha is reading this
>>message and will answer your question.
>>
>>Eduard
>>
>>
>>
>>On Mon, 21 Aug 2006, =?Windows-1252?Q?John_curran?= wrote...
>>
>>  >Eduard,
>>>   Re your last submission:
>>>   Here is a message from an Australian teacher in Japan at the 
chalk-
>>face=
>>>
>>>,=20
>>>teaching at the primary level. ATEG's "Grammar Alive - A guide 
for=20
>>>Teachers" has been very helpful but it is difficult to adapt this
>>book to=
>>>
>>>=20
>>>the needs of the lower level Japanese students. Japanese students
>>would=20=
>>>
>>>
>>>benefit from a version of this book pitched at a lower level. There
>>is a=20=
>>>
>>>
>>>rumour going around that Martha Kolln and friends are preparing 
such
>>a=20=
>>>
>>>
>>>book. Can we be so lucky?
>>>               John Curran
>>>
>>>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
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>>
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interface at:
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>>
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>
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interface at:
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>
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