ATEG and Dr. Veit's inquirer, I am not aware of any published research dealing with this issue (others on the list probably are), but I would say that the grammatical incompetence of the inquirer's 6th-graders is the best possible "research" into the need for direct grammar instruction in the elementary grades. Tim Hadley Texas Tech University Quoting "Richard Veit, UNCW English Department" <[log in to unmask]>: > ATEG members: > > I invite others to help in replying to the following message that I > received from a grade school teacher (who found my address on the web site > of my book Discovering English Grammar)? The questions asked are certainly > central for the Assembly. Because the writer is probably not a subscriber, > be sure to copy the writer <[log in to unmask]> on any reply. > > Dick Veit > > ________________________________ > In your opinion, is it necessary to have > direct grammar instruction at the > elementary school level, or are the > students better served by "writing > workshop" and editing "daily oral > language" sentences? Our district > Language consultant refuses to > consider a grammar textbook without > research that demonstrates the > importance of direct grammar > instruction. We've been attempting to > teach writing and grammar skills > without a textbook for the past 7 years > and are now faced with 6th graders > that have no ability to identify a verb or > a noun, and call apostrophes "that > floating comma thingy." > ------------------------------------------------------ --------------------- > (e-mail) [log in to unmask] > ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Tim Hadley Ph.D. student, Technical Communication and Rhetoric Texas Tech University 806-742-2500, x 281 [log in to unmask] ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/