A handful of professional books come to mind when I think of quality grammar instruction: Getting Grammar by Donna Topping and Sandra Hoffman, Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson, Practical Punctuation by Dan Feigelson, and The Power of Grammar by Mary Ehrenworth and Vicki Vinton. This fall a new book, Grammar Matters, was published. As soon as I read it I knew it would round out my list of top grammar books list.
Grammar Matters: Lessons, Tips, and Conversations Using Mentor Texts, K-6 by Lynne Dorfman and Diane Dougherty is where children’s literature and grammar instruction meet. Any teacher who has ever used a published text to teach students how to craft a better lead, write stronger dialogue, or organize a piece of writing knows the power of mentor texts. Mentor texts can and should be used to teach as a way to engage students in learning grammar.
Lynne and Diane’s book has four parts: informational units of study, narrative units of study, opinion units of study, and conversations about grammar and conventions. Because of the terrain it covers, Grammar Matters can become your companion for teaching grammar nearly all year-long!
Lynne and Diane, who are as lovely as they are smart, answered some questions I had about best practices for the teaching of grammar and about their book. While you can go preview Grammar Matters on the Stenhouse website, their responses will provide you with more insight about high-quality grammar instruction, as well as more insight into the architecture of their book.
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Stacey: In a perfect world, how do you think grammar should be taught to children?
Lynne & Diane: We believe that the best way to teach grammar to anyone is to provide context for grammar lessons. Every learner needs a “hook” to attach new knowledge to prior knowledge. There is no point in teaching a lesson on gerunds and participles, for example, unless learners can recognize how useful these tools can be in giving a piece of writing “oomph” or in giving sentences variety and fluency. Similarly, parts of speech taught in the context of writing are addressed with a purpose. When we talk about word choice, this is the perfect opportunity to teach “verbs” and their modifiers; nouns and adjectives; prepositions and prepositional phrases, and so on. While we wouldn’t teach all the parts of speech at the same time, we would point out how a piece of writing becomes more powerful when we choose “just the right word” to show just what we want to show. There isn’t one thing about teaching grammar that does not apply to the teaching of writing!
Stacey: Why do you think many people are teaching grammar in isolation despite years of noncontradictory research?
Lynne & Diane: We think that many teachers rely on teaching grammar in isolation because they fear a backlash from the next year’s teacher. “Why don’t your students know the parts of speech? Why can’t your students tell the difference between a compound and complex sentence?” Some teachers may also lack confidence in their own grammar knowledge. Having worksheets available and providing these worksheets to their students, may feel like teaching grammar. Many of us may have been taught grammar with worksheets as well, so it feels comfortable to us.
Teachers who believe in embedding grammar instruction can help other teachers by sharing their lessons and by sharing their students’ progress. Having conversations about grammar with their teacher colleagues may open a dialogue on such things as appropriate assessment (formative and summative) as well as which grammar lessons fit most logically with which form of writing. For example, if we are teaching a narrative unit of study in writing, we know that we’ll likely be teaching such things as how to punctuation quotations (dialogue), when to start a new paragraph in a narrative, or the use of apostrophes in contractions. Even though teaching planning time is often usurped by data analysis, conversations about grammar and the teaching of grammar can be valuable for everyone.
Stacey: Why do you think using mentor texts to teach grammar is a better route?
Lynne & Diane: Student writers need mentors. Sometimes those mentors are us—our own pieces of writing and our discussion of our own struggles with writing. Sometimes those mentors are professional authors whose work we admire and want to share with our students. Always we read books aloud to our students for the enjoyment of the story or for the value of the information first. Foremost, we want our students to appreciate the text in itself. We would never use a mentor text solely for the purpose of teaching a grammar lesson. However, once we begin to “read like writers” we notice passages that may be useful to demonstrate a particular grammatical concept. Since student writers frequently cause confusion in their writing because they fail to recognize the sentence unit, using mentor text to show simple, compound, and complex sentences and how these sentences are punctuated, is ideal. Appendices A and B in Grammar Matters provide examples of mentor text to teach the sentence unit as well as mentor text use for multiple grammar lessons.
Stacey: Why do you think it’s important for children to know the names of parts of speech?
Lynne & Diane: It is important for children to know the names of parts of speech and parts of the sentence. We want them to use the appropriate terms. Why make up names for things when the names already exist? It is true that the most important thing for a student writer is that s/he writes with clarity, purpose, and interest. During revision when students are moving, removing, adding and substituting; a grasp of grammatical terms and their definitions can be helpful in the process of revision and in conferring. For example, knowing that adverbs and adverbial phrases are moveable, and that pronouns should not be mentioned before the noun to which the pronoun refers, requires that student writers know the terms: adverb, adverbial phrase, pronouns, and nouns!
Stacey: How do you think teachers who love words can help ignite a passion for language in children who’ve been turned off by it with previous teachers?
Lynne & Diane: This question makes us sad. We want students to rejoice in the use of language. Why would any teacher stifle that?
We like to start each unit of study with some shared writing. When students are contributing their ideas and sentences, we ask the class to come up with specific nouns and strong verbs, as well as exact adjectives. We brainstorm words; we use word walls; we have anchor charts of “dead” words and replace them with synonyms that are more precise. These lists are available for students to use in their writing and to add to in the classroom. We celebrate effective word choice in mentor text. “Listen to this…” “Isn’t that a great adjective?” “Isn’t that a terrific simile?”
Celebrate words throughout the day, not just in ELA. Point out heteronyms such as minute: A cell is a minute organism. We read about it a minute ago. Point out homophones, especially those that drive you crazy when they are misused: principle/principal; capitol/capital; its/it’s; there/they’re/their; to/too/two. Encourage students to find their own examples and to share them with the class. Make anchor charts of “no excuse” words.
Children love to stump the teacher! You may find your students looking for ways to surprise you with words. At least we hope you do.
Stacey: Sorry that my last question was a downer! Moving on, I was delighted Rose Cappelli gave you her blessing to use the Your Turn Lesson format in Grammar Matters. If someone is unfamiliar with Your Turn Lessons, can you explain a bit about how they can be implemented?
Lynne & Diane: Your Turn lessons use the gradual release of responsibility model. Most of these lessons are designed as direct instruction and may require more than one day to implement. The lessons begin with a “Hook” usually a mentor text that demonstrates the grammatical concept. We read the text (and it should be a text with which they are already familiar), and use the text as a stepping stone into the lesson. The “Hook” is followed by the “Purpose.” We believe it is important to tell students up front what we will be demonstrating in the lesson. Students shouldn’t have to guess what they’re supposed to learn! “Purpose” is followed by “Brainstorming” in which students work as a group to fulfill the purpose of the lesson. For example, on the lesson on Verb Tense Consistency, at the end of Part 3 in Grammar Matters, student writers are asked to brainstorm the verbs/action words, the author used in the mentor text read during the “Hook” part of the lesson. “Brainstorming” is followed by “Modeling” in which the teacher uses the brainstormed items to continue to demonstrate the purpose of the lesson. For example, in the lesson mentioned above, the teacher would use the verbs in the brainstorming part of the lesson and show present and past tenses of each verb on an anchor chart. After “Modeling” comes “Guided Practice.” This is the “we do” part of the lesson, and in our opinion, it is the most important part of the lesson and the part that is sometimes overlooked because of a perceived lack of time. During “Guided Practice” the teacher works with the students to implement the purpose of the lesson. Guided Practice may be a shared writing which can then be used by the teacher and the students to experiment with the purpose of the lesson. After the guided practice, comes “Independent Practice” the “you do” part of the lesson in which students go back to their writer’s notebooks or to their current draft to make necessary changes. We always ask students to “try it out” in a writer’s notebook entry if the lesson doesn’t quite fit their current draft. We think it is important that student writers implement the lesson in their own writing individually. If they don’t try it, it won’t stick. The final part of the lesson is “Reflection.” We tell the students beforehand what we will be asking them to reflect on during share time. Give the class one or two statements to consider for reflection. Again, this part of the lesson may seem to be something you can skip, but we think it’s important for students to think about what they now know and how that knowledge can help them as they continue to grow as writers.
Stacey: What kinds of grammar-related charts do you suggest teachers use in the classroom?
Lynne & Diane: We mentioned anchor charts in answering several of the questions above. Anchor charts created with the students serve many purposes. They are foremost an opportunity for building a writing community. As students work together to solve their writing problems and to provide help for other writers, they learn to trust each other and to recognize that their classmates can be resources for their own written pieces. Additionally, anchor charts also serve as a reminder to writers. As they look at the “dead word” anchor chart, for instance, they are reminded to make sure that their writing says precisely what they want it say.
Stacey: Many of TWT readers use the Units of Study in Writing from Lucy Calkins and colleagues. How do you think your book can be used in conjunction with the Units of Study?
Lynne & Diane: Though our book may seem to be one that teachers would rely on in the editing stages of a written piece, we believe it has broader use than that. Content in any form of writing doesn’t exist without form. During conferences as teachers make notes of what their writers are doing and not doing, teachers can begin to plan the grammar instruction their students need whole group, small group, and individually. We think that our book complements Units of Study in Writing since we also concentrate on classroom snapshots while working with students on all kinds of writing.
Stacey: What are you working on next?
Lynne & Diane: We are working on a book on formative assessment in the writing classroom. We will be visiting classrooms and working with students and their teachers, conferring, keeping records, and teaching what we love!
Stacey: Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you’d like to share with TWT readers?
Lynne & Diane: We want teachers to know that they don’t have to fear teaching grammar. It’s not deadly dull. It’s not rote memorization. Our book has a comprehensive glossary of terms as well as grammar references throughout; when we mention a term, we define it right then and there. Sometimes, as readers of our students’ writings, we think, “Well, that just doesn’t sound right.” Maybe we don’t know exactly what’s wrong with it. It’s okay to say, “You know, I get confused in this part. It just doesn’t sound right. Tell me what you wanted to say.”
So don’t obsess about knowing everything. Be confident that if you are a writer yourself, you will work out your own problems, and you will be able to share your discoveries with your student writers. Correctness matters because we want the reader to understand our message. All editing is for the reader. The more you write with your students and the more you share your struggles, the better writing workshop will be.
Happy Writing!
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
This giveaway is for a copy of Grammar Matters: Lessons, Tips, and Conversations Using Mentor Texts, K-6. Many thanks to Stenhouse Publishers for donating a copy for one reader.For a chance to win this copy of Grammar Matters, please leave a comment about this post by Wednesday, 12/24/14 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. I’ll use a random number generator to pick the winners, whose names I will announce at the bottom of this post, by 12/25/14.Please be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment, so I can contact you to obtain your mailing address if you win. From there, my contact at Stenhouse will ship your book out to you. (NOTE: Your e-mail address will not be published online if you leave it in the e-mail field only.)If you are the winner of the book, I will email you with the subject line of TWO WRITING TEACHERS – GRAMMAR MATTERS. Please respond to my e-mail with your mailing address within five days of receipt. Unfortunately, a new winner will be chosen if a response isn’t received within five days of the giveaway announcement.
Comments are now closed. Thank you to everyone who left a comment. It was nice to see so much enthusiasm around grammar!
Monica’s name was drawn using a random number generator so she’ll receive the copy of Grammar Matters. Here’s what she wrote:
As a new teacher-turned-academic administrator, teaching grammar is one of the (many) things I miss about being in the classroom…it can be so fun! I’m eager to read this and share with my teachers; especially curious to check out the younger grade work.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 
Grammar finally getting its due! Sounds like a great addition to any classroom.
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When will we have those wonderfull ressources in french… That would be so great!! Until then, I absolutely need this to improve my grammar teaching in a significant way!
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We have a copy of this book at school, but I would love to have one of my very own. It is a good grammar resource.
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What A great resource!!!
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I love language and grammar and have been thinking of using it with my older intervention groups. This would be a great resource to facilitate that. Thanks for the opportunity.
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A great book to help teach grammer to third graders
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When kids write with mentors, they can outstretch their grammatical vocabulary knowledge.
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I can’t wait to use this book.
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Teaching primary students grammar seems like an add-on. I am interested to read this book and to learn more about grammar tied to using Mentor Texts to teach writing! Can’t wait to read this!
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Looks like a great resource!
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Beyond excited to pick up this new book. Each mentor text book by Rose Capelli and Lynn Dorfman have been exceptional and provide tangible lesson ideas along with a bibliography of titles you can pick up to support writing instruction. I have now transitioned as an elementary librarian and we have a special mentor text library to help support writing instruction!! Thanks for highlighting this new read.
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I love that it is divided into units of study!
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This looks like a great resource!
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Mentor texts plus alignment with the Writing Units of study that I am required to teach! What a great resource!
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Thank you for sharing this book. I’m looking forward to sharing it with my teachers in the hope they stop using DOL to teach grammar.
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Grammar is a topic so many teachers ask me about! Thank you for this great resource post and a chance to win this text!
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I am so excited about this book. I think it will be great support to the teachers I work with that are struggling with teaching grammar in their writers workshop.
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As a writing paraprofessional, I’m always in need of resources that help me and my students get excited about grammar, especially in 1:1 or small group setting. I also sometimes co-teach with the English teachers in my middle school and they always want to know how better to teach grammar!
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I am a reading /writing coach and would love to share some of these ideas with the teachers I work with. I love the model that you use to teach the skills! Looks like a great book! Thanks for the information.
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As a new teacher-turned-academic administrator, teaching grammar is one of the (many) things I miss about being in the classroom…it can be so fun! I’m eager to read this and share with my teachers; especially curious to check out the younger grade work.
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I am definitely one of those teachers that feats grammar. This sounds like the perfect book for me.
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I could really use this resource. My first graders struggle with correct grammar especially as new writers. It would be wonderful to give them a more solid foundation. Thanks!
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Grammar is my most frustrating subject to teach! I find it hard to fit it authentically into my Writing Workshop. This book sounds like a wonderful resource!
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I still sometimes fall into the rut of teaching grammar in isolation. I’m interested in the support and ideas this book would offer.
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I love using mentor text to teach writing- would love to read about grammar and mentor texts.
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I loved how she said that often we teach grammar in isolation because we are uncertain ourselves. I think it’s easy to fall into that or avoid it all together, which I’ve also done
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Great book to help with grammar!
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Our district has been discussing ways to make grammar instruction more authentic – Jeff Anderson’s work and mentor texts have been a large part. I would love to read this book and share it with the other coaches!! Thank you for your site and the work you do!
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As a literacy coach, I would so love to share that books with my elementary school teachers!!
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The last time I had any formal grammar instruction was in eighth grade. I am in desperate need of brushing up on my skills in this area. 2015 is going to my my year of grammar. This book is now at the top of my list.
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I enjoyed reading your perspective on grammar. I like to think of grammar as a game or a puzzle to be figured out and appreciated. I find when I point out interesting parts of our language (word order, idioms, s-v agreement, etc), students also get excited and start noticing more as well. Thank you and I look forward to reading your book!
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This would make a great Holiday present for any teacher!
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I enjoyed the reminder of how shared writing is an opportunity to celebrate the choice of exciting parts of speech. Teaching grammar can be a fun process together!
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Love this! Especially the discussion of fear, south of what we knows he’s a supportive and joyful writing classroom can elicit so many questions from those who never experienced this environment.
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This would be a great addition to our writing program. It sounds like a wonderful resource.
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This looks so much more engaging like it will transfer much better than standalone nonsense. What a great resource.
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Can’t wait for my own copy! Sounds like a great tool.
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Grammar is an essential piece!
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Thank you for reiterating that teaching grammar in isolation is not effective. I need more practice and examples using mentor texts for grammar and editing. Loved the interview.
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Completely enjoyed this post and am completely excited about getting my hands on a copy of Grammar Matters! Thanks to everyone who works so hard to help make our job easier!
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This book sounds perfect. We started using a new language arts program this year that seems to have taken all the joy out of reading and writing. I think this book will help put it back in.
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We have a language workshop which compliments our readers workshop. I’d love to see the mentor texts used to integrate grammar lessons. This sounds like an awesome book!
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This is exactly what we have been talking about lately – how to better embed grammar in reading and writing so that kids will be able to apply it rather than just be able to identify in isolation. Can’t wait to get a copy!
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I love grammar, my students? Not so much. Our reading coach mentioned this book last week and that we might be getting it for next school year. Next year? My kids need it now and I have spent my whole budget!
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In the process of implementing Units of Study for Writing this year. This would make a great addition to what we are doing!
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This book sounds like a great resource as we plan a grammar think tank at our school for this spring 🙂
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I would love to use this resource along with the Units of Study in Writing.
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Looking forward for this to become part of my toolbox.
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i would love to use this resource along with the Units of Study in Writing. Sounds like it would be a good resource for teachers.
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I would love to use this resource along with the Units of Study in Writing. Sounds like it would be a great support to both teachers and students.
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My 2nd graders tune out the grammar lessons we try now, i.e. DLI and others … would love to use this book and try for more success!
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What a great resource to have
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Excellent recommendation! I’m already inspired to try more grammar instruction with mentor texts. Thanks for the post.
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This books sounds like it would be an outstanding addition to my teaching toolbox.
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I would love to have this book as a resource. As a K-5 long-term guest teacher, this would be a welcome resource with writing workshop and as a Units of Study compliment.
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This would be a great addition to my resources for teaching grammar!
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Would love a copy of this book!!
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I would love to win this.
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Would love to incorporate into writer’s workshop
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I think this book would be a wonderful tool during Writer’s Workshop.
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I love teaching grammar using texts. My first graders understand the concepts well with a great example!
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Would love to check out this book to help with instruction during Writer’s Workshop
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This book seems wonderful! I would love to have a copy to share with my second grade team, the ideas are fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks for sharing. I love grammar/ I wish everyone did.
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My 4th and 5th grade English students are ready for some passion! We read. We write. We study the 6 Traits. Our favorite mentor texts are: John Henry, The Secret Lives of Grown-Ups, The Most Magnificent Thing, Love That Dog, and Out of the Dust. We rely too heavily on our textbook from the 1970s. Please help us!
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Thanks for sharing this book. I’d love to have a copy of my own.
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Would be great to have a book that shows Grammar Matters. Tired of meal piecing off the web to make a great lesson.
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I would love a copy of this book to help me with the grammar component of my class.
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this sounds like what we need!
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I worked with a group of talented teachers to write a CCSS aligned ELA curriculum. This book would be a great resource for my building.
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I love teaching grammar to my third-graders. The binder we have been given with lessons is something less than stellar. This book would add that extra resource I have been looking for and perhaps, be able to share it with my district as the way grammar CAN be taught. Thank you so much.
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I love this Q&A! I plan to use it during our upcoming grade level meetings when we discuss grammar. Thank you!
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I’m a literacy coach in an elementary building. Grammar instruction has been a hot topic at every grade level this fall. I purchased a copy of this book as soon as it came out, and would love to have an extra copy to share with my teachers. You can’t go wrong with Lynne Dorfman!!!
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Sounds like a great resource! I am working on an alternative evaluation that focuses on mentor texts and this would be an excellent addition to my research!
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I would love a copy of this book. Our district has implemented the Units of Study K – 5 in all classrooms and it seems this book would be a great resource for language lessons.
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Finding balance with conventions is something that often comes up in my work with teachers. This book looks great! It will definitely be on my buying list if I don’t have it on my winning list! Thanks, Stacey.
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I would LOVE a copy of this book with all of my teachers to enhance their grammar instruction! What an engaging way to immerse students in developing strong grammar skills and word choice in their writing through rich literature! No child would be bored with grammar worksheets again!!!
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Finding a way to incorporate grammar instruction within Writer’s Workshop has been one of my biggest challenges. Thanks for the recommendation!
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I would love a copy of Grammar Matters to increase my content understanding so I can enhance the coaching work I do!
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Thank you for the recommendation, interview and giveaway.
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Great resource, we have a copy in our literacy library so I would LOVE to have my own copy:)
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Sounds like a wonderful resource to use in integrating grammar instruction into writer’s workshop.
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This sounds like a perfect companion to the units of study I teach!
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Grammar is so hard to teach in a meaningful way! I love that this book focuses on each of the 3 units of study I teach…narrative, informational, and opinion.
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I would love to get this book! Thanks for sharing!
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This is the perfect book for any classroom.
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I’m looking forward to making this book part of my classroom resource library.
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This book looks like a great compliment to “Mechanically Inclined” by Jeff Anderson, which I’m using to lead professional development this next semester. I’ll have to make sure get my hands on “Grammar Matters”. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you. I have nearly every other book you mention at the beginning, but did not know this one. I am looking forward to reading it.
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ps- I am looking forward to their book on formative assessment.
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I would love to use this book when coaching my colleagues!
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What a timely post! I am involved in a book study of Grammar Matters and have shared your post with the teachers participating in the study. Thank you!
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Sounds like a good read for Christmas break!
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On my ‘books to get’ list….Thank you for the reminder! 🙂
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It would be perfect to use with my ELL learners.
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Sounds like a fantastic resource to integrate grammar into our daily routine!
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I can’t wait to use this book! Love Lynn Dorfman’s books!!!
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I am so excited that the Your Turn lesson format is included in this book. I have both Of Cappelli’s books and use the lessons year after year.
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My colleague has this book and it’s so valuable. I’d love my own.
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I have read about this book. I know it would be very useful in my classroom!
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Oh no it posted twice 😦
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I have read about this book – I know it would be very useful on my classroom!
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Love the incorporation of anchor charts and analyzing hooks to teach grammar- Sounds like a great book!!
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This is the most timely post I have maybe ever read, as I am meeting with teachers this afternoon to develop lessons for embedding grammar instruction into our writing workshops. Thank you so much! I’ve made copies of your post for them!!
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I have several of Lynn Dorfman’s books and they are a tremendous resource in my classroom. This book would be a terrific one not only to use in my classroom of 5th graders who find grammar a bear to learn, but for my own daughter’s kindergarten classroom.
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Reblogged this on Sandwich Literacy and commented:
We do teach grammar!!!
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Sounds great! Unfortunately…some believe that “teaching grammar” happens magically in a Reading/Writing classroom. We’re always adding to our Mentor Text collection! Thank you for this post.
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I have been looking for a new way to teach grammar or to integrate it into my writing lessons. This book seems like a great way to integrate or do mini lessons on a specific piece of grammar.
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This book looks like an amazing resource to help teachers teach grammar!
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Reblogged this on The Joy of Writing.
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Looks like a great resource to integrate more grammar instruction in times of CCSS
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I am so glad someone wrote this book. Can’t wait to read it!!!
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Our K-12 ELA committee has been having conversations around this topic recently and it sounds like this book could be a great tool to help focus our dialogue around teaching grammar within our writing workshop.
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What an interesting book and concept, I’d love to know more!
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I love that this book correlates with the writing units of study. Looking forward to checking it out!
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Thank you for the blog today! This topic has been an ongoing conversation with teachers in our district. We have been digging into Mechanically Inclined and starting to use mentor sentences. It sounds like Grammar Matters would be a helpful resource for teachers!
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Thanks for sharing these resources and ideas about teaching grammar more authentically!
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What a treasure this book is! Sounds like good Christmas break reading.
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Love the lesson structure (gradual release). Sounds like a perfect fit to the balanced day approach. I know I certainly could use more support with my grammar instruction. Thanks for sharing this book.
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I think grammar is super important- to use with mentor texts and within context of students writing. I hope I can win!
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This sounds like a great resource to use to with my 5th graders! We are trying to figure out ways to teach grammar to our students that is not in isolation.
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My school is looking for a grammar mentor text. This is definitely a book we would like to look into!
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Can’t wait to order this book!
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This book looks amazing! Can’t wait to read it.
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This book sounds like a great resource.
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As an author and a teacher of writing to children and adults, this book sounds like it would be very helpful to me! Thanks for writing it — and for your great comments in your interview.
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I am a Literacy Coach and this seems to be just what we need. Teachers are always looking for fun and exciting ways to teach grammar…I think this will be a great resource.
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This sounds like a wonderful tool to help support grammar in my kindergarten room. Thanks for the opportunity to win this resource.
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I love grammar and teaching it to my students. This book sounds like a wonderful resource! If it were possible, I’d give it a “Grammy” award!
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This sounds like the perfect tool to compliment what we are doing with grammar.
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I have heard great things about this book! I would love to use it as a resource as I am always looking for new ways to teach grammar in my third grade classroom.
justcallmichele@gmail.com
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As a new teacher this sounds like an amazing resource!! Grammar is not a part of our everyday curriculum but I still try to find ways to incorporate lessons because it is so important!! Thank you so much for supporting teachers with all these great ideas every day. It is much appreciated!!
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Grammar is always a touchy subject. I strongly believe in embedding lessons with authentic writing. Worksheets have no proven worth and my gifted kids would not tolerate them anyway. However, grammar is necessary. I find myself referring to mentor texts often when trying to get a point across. Thanks for this offer.
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My LA department just had a long conversation about grammar yeaterday…I’m hoping this book will help with some of the issues that came up yesterday!
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I like the way you have connected the study of grammar elements to the type of writing-units of study. Very tactful and realistic answer about why teachers teach grammar in isolation.
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Figuring out how to incorporate more grammar instruction in my 5th gr writing workshop is on my New Year’s list of things to do. I think I really need this book!!
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I am a literacy coach for grades K – 4 in Indiana. This sounds like exactly what we need. We are currently in the process of talking through our next steps of grammar instruction.
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This book sounds like it would tie in seamlessly into the WW. As a literacy coach, I often work with teachers who struggle to see where grammar instruction “fits” into the writing workshop and through the writing process. This one’s definitely going on my list!
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This is just what I have been looking for.
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I am looking forward to reading this book and helping my 5th grade writing students. I love that it complements the Units of Study in wriitng.
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I am really interested in this book, especially seeing it can be used k-4. Our teachers do believe in teaching grammar through worksheets and rote practice, but mostly because they don’t have a strong belief that it can be taught another way. I’m interested in seeing more!
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I’ve been hearing about this book, and now after reading your interview – know it’s one that belongs on my shelf. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
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This book sounds like a life saver! I have been trying to find a resource that wil support my grammar teaching without much success! Can’t wait to read and use it!
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As a student who was well taught in grammar by my 7th grade English teacher, Mr. Ostrove of JFK Junior High in Bethpage, NY I struggle to teach it to my third grade students. Although grammar is not a formal part of our curriculum the value of understanding how our language system works is not lost on us teachers. Resources like Grammar Matters certainly helps us deliver instruction to our youngest students! Thanks for this interview…I learned so much.
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