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 >>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/ >> >>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/ > >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/ 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/