Teaching Grammar and Punctuation
There seems to be a bit of debate about this one, doesn’t there? Hmm, if we advocate teaching grammar and punctuation explicitly are we stuck in the 1950s? More importantly, are we ‘stifling children’s creativity’?
We don’t think so.
But at the other extreme, we don’t want to be teaching grammar between 09.30 and 10.00 every Wednesday morning. We definitely don't want to be working through a long list of everything children should know, starting with capital letters and full stops and ending with the subjunctive. Learning this stuff in a vacuum isn’t going to help anybody.
Grammar and punctuation help children to have control over the language they use. If children can learn to express themselves in the clearest way they can it will open doors for them in the future that would otherwise be shut. Grammar and punctuation are really important things to teach- the trick is how to teach them.
Teaching Language Features
At Shakespeare and More, we firmly believe that these things have to be taught explicitly, with teachers and pupils using the right terminology, but they need to be taught in context, as part of teaching reading and writing.
Often our plans have a section that says:
Whole class teaching of one or more key elements of English
This is where we like to get our grammar or punctuation teaching in. Right there in the middle of the writing process.
This means children can be taught how to do it, see it in a book (or in a piece writing by their peers) and then use it in their own writing. Really good assessment then picks up the ones that can do it and teaches them something else and picks up the ones that can’t and teaches this to them again.
Here are some things we think might help:
Grammar and Punctuation Top Tips- Hmm, can you work out what this section might be?
Language Features in the Curriculum- we’ve picked out the key bits and pieces children need to learn to do in each year. All you need to do is have a look and teach them.
Language Features for Planning- even better, we’ve got the same objectives, but laid them out in our planning format. All you need to do is find out what the class needs to learn (from your assessment), copy and paste the relevant row into your planning and teach it. Couldn’t be more simple. Gosh, we’re nice.
We don’t think so.
But at the other extreme, we don’t want to be teaching grammar between 09.30 and 10.00 every Wednesday morning. We definitely don't want to be working through a long list of everything children should know, starting with capital letters and full stops and ending with the subjunctive. Learning this stuff in a vacuum isn’t going to help anybody.
Grammar and punctuation help children to have control over the language they use. If children can learn to express themselves in the clearest way they can it will open doors for them in the future that would otherwise be shut. Grammar and punctuation are really important things to teach- the trick is how to teach them.
Teaching Language Features
At Shakespeare and More, we firmly believe that these things have to be taught explicitly, with teachers and pupils using the right terminology, but they need to be taught in context, as part of teaching reading and writing.
Often our plans have a section that says:
Whole class teaching of one or more key elements of English
This is where we like to get our grammar or punctuation teaching in. Right there in the middle of the writing process.
This means children can be taught how to do it, see it in a book (or in a piece writing by their peers) and then use it in their own writing. Really good assessment then picks up the ones that can do it and teaches them something else and picks up the ones that can’t and teaches this to them again.
Here are some things we think might help:
Grammar and Punctuation Top Tips- Hmm, can you work out what this section might be?
Language Features in the Curriculum- we’ve picked out the key bits and pieces children need to learn to do in each year. All you need to do is have a look and teach them.
Language Features for Planning- even better, we’ve got the same objectives, but laid them out in our planning format. All you need to do is find out what the class needs to learn (from your assessment), copy and paste the relevant row into your planning and teach it. Couldn’t be more simple. Gosh, we’re nice.
You might want to read:
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Grammar Rules by Craig Shrives
Need to touch up on your grammar before you teach it? This book is clear, comprehensive and authoritative. Well worth a read. |
