Martha Kolln wrote:
> 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
>>>>> and select "Join or leave the list"
>>>>>
>>>>> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>>>
>>>
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>>
>> 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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>
>> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
>
>
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>
Martha,
I have copies of both.
Give me your snail mail address, and I'll loan them to you.
My memory is not very sharp about this, but I think there was a NCTE
study of middle schoolers to see if teaching them transformational
grammar would affect their writing. I believe it was in the 60's or 70's.
Best wishes,
Marshall
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