Just to remind Craig and Scott, what I originally wrote was: >I think we will find that studying grammar helps with > reading ability, but I believe the main way to become fluent at reading > is by reading, and progressing incrementally from easier to harder > levels ... Explicit instruction in text structure of different genres is also extremely helpful, of course. I guess my main point is that any kind of instruction NOT accompanied by generous amounts of reading won't work. I also really believe that kids who don't read a lot won't have much of a chance at becoming good writers. It takes generous amounts of both exposure and practice to automatize any kind of learned pattern. Much internalization is going to happen unconsciously. Dr. Johanna Rubba, Associate Professor, Linguistics Linguistics Minor Advisor English Department California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo E-mail: [log in to unmask] Tel.: 805.756.2184 Dept. Ofc. Tel.: 805.756.2596 Dept. Fax: 805.756.6374 URL: http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba 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/