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
>>>
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>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web
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> Visit ATEG's web site at 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
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