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High School English Teachers Chatboard

More grammar in the classroom?

by Arietta Rantis

May 1, 2012

Grammar in the school system has failed. Students nowadays have barely a basic knowledge of grammatical structure - that's to say even something as simple as the function of an adverb. While we continuously study literature and the works of Shakespeare, why has grammar gone by the wayside? Even in college, grammar classes have had to become to simplified due to our high school's rudimentary English education. There needs to be a greater emphasis on mastering the language that we speak every day.

view previous comments

Sam J Not allowed? On what basis? If kids can't understand grammar, how can they write? How would they know when and where to put commas or make a dependent clause?

Isn't that like teaching algebra to someone who can't add or subtract?

On 5/06/12, Robert wrote: > Ah, but writing is. I agree that most students are completely > inep...See More

May 9, 2012

chris in MA I have noticed the same thing....the grammar on state tests is evident, but it is not hugely tested. And, when looking at the common core, it counts for about 10 - 15 percent on concepts.

So, it is evident that the focus on grammar as an individual concept is slowly eroding and replaced by grammar as a component of writing.

I do...See More

Jun 1, 2012

Here's what I've noticed Not a lot of English teachers I know are even comfortable teaching grammar, and I suspect that extends to the people who devise our English content standards. LOL...if we give short shrift to grammar and sentence structure, maybe those of us who don't know it ourselves will never have to teach it, right?

On the other hand, I know many Engl...See MoreNot a lot of English teachers I know are even comfortable teaching grammar, and I suspect that extends to the people who devise our English content standards. LOL...if we give short shrift to grammar and sentence structure, maybe those of us who don't know it ourselves will never have to teach it, right?

On the other hand, I know many English teachers who became English teachers because they like to read. (Nothing wrong with liking to read, but liking to teach would be preferable.) This is how we wind up with curriculum requiring that we teach Shakespeare to students who can't string a sentence together. Nothing wrong with Shakespeare either (although Shakespeare himself wouldn't want illiterate children or anybody else READING his plays; they were written to be PERFORMED!) But few of our students really need to decipher Shakespeare unless they go to college and major in English themselves.

They absolutely DO need grammar, but sadly, the standards and curriculum are aimed more at the (majority of) teachers' interests, not at the actual needs of the students.

Speaking of which, why aren't they learning grammar and sentence mechanics in third grade, and fifth grade, and eighth grade anymore? THEORETICALLY, by the time they get to high school, shouldn't they have mastered that stuff? I love teaching it, too, but you'd think most of our new freshman would have it mastered before they even walk through the door to high school.

On 5/09/12, Sam J wrote: > Not allowed? On what basis? If kids can't understand grammar, how > can they write? How would they know when and where to put commas or > make a dependent clause? > > Isn't that like teaching algebra to someone who can't add or subtract? > > > On 5/06/12, Robert wrote: >> Ah, but writing is. I agree that most students are completely >> inept when it comes to grammar. Thus, they write poorly. I am >> not allowed to teach grammar in my high school. >> >> On 5/02/12, Teri wrote: >>> I can tell you the problem, at least in my area. Grammar is >>> NOT on any of the state tests. Hence, it is no longer taught >>> by most teachers in either middle or high school. >>> >>> On 5/01/12, Arietta Rantis wrote: >>>> Grammar in the school system has failed. Students nowadays >>>> have barely a basic knowledge of grammatical structure - >>>> that's to say even something as simple as the function of >>>> an adverb. While we continuously study literature and the >>>> works of Shakespeare, why has grammar gone by the wayside? >>>> Even in college, grammar classes have had to become to >>>> simplified due to our high school's rudimentary English >>>> education. There needs to be a greater emphasis on >>>> mastering the language that we speak every day.

Jun 22, 2012

Jennifer Harris On 6/01/12, chris in MA wrote: > I have noticed the same thing....the grammar on state tests is > evident, but it is not hugely tested. And, when looking at the > common core, it counts for about 10 - 15 percent on concepts. > > So, it is evident that the focus on grammar as an individual > concept is slowly eroding and replaced b...See More

Jun 25, 2012

Mark Pennington Yes, you're right. We are woefully under-prepared. Typically a middle school or high school teacher takes only one reading class in grad school and no classes in language. We tend to learn on the job. We also tend to jump on quick-fix openers like DOL to "cover the subject" and prep for tests or admin evaluations. Of course, some of us are willing ...See More

Jul 7, 2012

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