Marshall, No, I'm not familiar with them. Any idea where I could find them? Martha >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>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >>>>and select "Join or leave the list" >>>> >>>>Visit ATEG's web site at <http://ateg.org/>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>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >>>and select "Join or leave the list" >>> >>>Visit ATEG's web site at <http://ateg.org/>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>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >>and select "Join or leave the list" >> >>Visit ATEG's web site at <http://ateg.org/>http://ateg.org/ >> >Martha, > >Are you familiar with the two t-g books by Jacobs and Rosenbaum, >published in 1967 and designed for seventh graders? They're called >Grammar 1 and Grammar 2. > >Marshall >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/