Teaching Grammar in Context

Teaching Wonders

---

There has been quite a bit of debate about how to best teach students grammar and have them be the best writers that they can be? Evidence from fifty years of research seems to point to the attitude that grammar taught in isolation (worksheets where students are asked to pick out nouns and verbs, having no actual connection to student writing) has no effect on student writing, and may in fact be harmful to student writing. This begs the question then, why do so many teachers persist in using exercises such as DOL (Daily Oral Language) or grammar worksheets? Teaching grammar in context is not always an easy task, and I'm sure that I don't do as well with it as I should. But, when I do focus mini-lessons on issues of craft and grammar, I find that student writing is better.

Teaching grammar in context requires a commitment to teaching (and reading) student writing. It also requires a commitment, in part, to a writing workshop approach in which you are able to conference with students and identify the issues in their writing that most need to be addressed. Grammar mini-lessons should be targeted to trends that you see in general, and then specific instruction would be given to individual students.

The following are some links to research advocating for the teaching of grammar in context:

Last Updated August 4, 2007

This page is the copyright property of Jen. Please direct any comments or questions to her by clicking on this email link.