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Between the Lines Your source for ELA news and updates Owen J. Roberts School District February 12, 2012 Volume I, Issue II
In this issue: Grammar & ELA Focus ELA Field Test Grades 3-5 Reflections Jeff Anderson on Teaching the Craft of Grammar
Research why DOL is not effective in teaching grammar District resources for the teaching of grammar Next steps for the OJR writing program References
ELA Field Test Reflections Today, I administered the ELA Writing Field Test, in grades 3-5, with one of our outstanding Academic Coaches. Knowing that the first impulse might be to rely on teaching grammar the way we were taught writing, I went back to the writing research to seek clarity and assurance in what, why, and how we teach writing and grammar. While the ELA Field test was an eye-opener for many, it is important to stay focused on what we already do well, and how we can use that as a starting point for refining instructional practice. The following pages provide some initial reactions to the ELA Field Test, summary of research on grammar instruction, and plans for meeting this component of the Common Core within our writers workshop.
The conversation on writing and the Common Core is just beginning. We are fortunate to have an outstanding faculty who will use the next year to learn, discuss, collaborate, reflect, and learn some more. Ryan
ELA Field Test Implications • Yes, we need grammar instruction; however it was embedded into to the curriculum more clearly in the 2011-12 school year. The focus will shift to how we teach the “Craft of Grammar.”
• Yes, we need to firm our students understanding of the concepts and terms of grammar (e.g., verb, pronoun, informal/formal language, possessives, etc.), but need to do so in the context of correct models and the writers notebook • Yes, we will need to add opinion writing in grade 3 – We are looking to use the additional Being A Writer Unit or Calkins to support this effort.
• No, we should not use DOL type practice, because the research does not support its effectiveness.
Start with what is in place for Grammar @OJR • Grammar has been embedded into core ELA curriculum. • The writers workshop is structured to study mentor texts for craft, conventions, and grammar. • Professional development sessions on the Craft of Teaching Grammar were offered beginning in the Spring of 2012.
• Resources for teaching grammar were provided in the Fall of 2011. • We have started asking our students to go back into their writers notebook to find places to find where they used stronger verbs, adjectives, commas, etc., or where they can add them to strengthen the piece. • The matrix of grammar skills already established in OJR can be found on the curriculum website, on the ELA tab.
Why Daily Oral Language (D.O.L.) Doesn’t Work?
(Anderson, 2007; Graham & Perin, 2007; Pennington, 2009)
• D.O.L is proofreading, not sentence construction. Jeff Anderson, author of Everyday Editing, calls such activities “error-filled fix-a-thons.”
• D.O.L is inferential instruction, with no scope and sequence and isolated from meaning and meaningful text. • D.O.L. is focused on rehearsal of errors as models, putting incorrect writing as the default learning. • D.O.L. is teaching writing without actual writing (e.g., position of word choice matters when adding a comma).
Why Daily Oral Language (D.O.L.) Doesn’t Work?
(Anderson, 2007; Graham & Perin, 2007; Pennington, 2009)
• D.O.L uses editing concepts and skills before they learn the concepts of editing. Would a history teacher start instruction by listing all the incorrect dates and names, then asking students to fix them? • “D.O.L. involves little critical thinking. Writing involves decision-making about why and how sentences should be constructed for different rhetorical purposes.” (Pennington, 2009) • D.O.L does not transfer into student writing.
What does the ELA Field Test mean for OJR? • More Professional Development of teaching the craft of writing, in all domains (including grammar); this is planned for 2013-14 • More coherence in the language we use with students, so the same terms are reinforced each year in familiar ways for students.
• Clarity in what skills are introduced, developed, mastered and maintained by grade level to avoid redundancy (using the matrix). • Continue to demonstrate the professional dialogue about teaching practice that was evident in the guided reading learning walks. • Use the next year as a learning year, give yourself permission to not be perfect, but rather to test out the study of mentor texts for effective grammar; learning alongside your ELA writing teaching peers.
Resources already on hand for Grammar Instruction
Hear from Jeff Anderson Jeff speaks on how to “invite students to notice� effective grammar in mentor sentences.
http://youtu.be/HjgKIbow400 Also, visit his website for more information: http://www.writeguy.net/
References Anderson, J. (2007). Everyday Editing. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically Inclined. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools – A report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. Pennington, M. (2009). Why Daily Oral Language (DOL) Doesn’t Work. http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/why-daily-oral-language-d-ol-doesnt-work/