Teaching Grammar in Context
My grammar learning experiences were incredibly redundant and rigid. We simply went through a language arts text book every year, re-learning rules and working through examples and worksheets, endlessly diagramming sentences. Despite the rigidity of my grammar experiences, I did enjoy learning how to write and speak properly, and since I have a good memory, memorizing the rules was always fairly easy for me. However, I do wonder what else I could have been learning instead of repeatedly memorizing grammar rules year after year. I wish we would have spent more time learning how to write well and reading more classic and modern literature.
Peterson article take away: Teaching writing skills is most effective when taught in a natural context, such as a writing activity or project, rather than in an insolated context, such as worksheets or grammar lessons. When students can clearly see the usefulness of these skills, they understand the purpose of the lessons and the relevance to their own lives. I think that Peterson presents a balance between allowing students to simply write and express themselves and over-teaching grammar rules and structures. He touches on the idea of the “social tax” that
Andrews mentions in his book, and I think it’s an idea that students can grasp and apply to their writing.
Weaver article take away: Weaver’s comments are more detailed in nature, and I found his categories for teaching grammar helpful. I also thought his suggestion to discuss grammatical terms in the context of literature was a great way to effectively teach grammar in a relevant context. I hadn’t thought about teaching grammar with the idea that that the underlying motivation in the classroom is not to transfer knowledge, but instead allow students to create it. This means that we have to allow our students to make mistakes in order to truly construct meaning.