Saturday, July 23, 2005

Grammar in the writing class

Joanna asked about the circmstances in which I teach writing. All my students are English language learners. I am working on integrating grammar most in my advanced class, but it is a goal across levels.

I have so much to learn about this. One thing I need to remember is how much my students know about writing and about English grammar when they come to me. So just opening the grammar book and doing exercises 1-7 is kind of silly. I have found that when students read their work aloud, they are often able to correct their own mistakes. And then in conferences, I will point out to them a word or phrase that contains a problem, and they are quite often able to correct it themselves. This is even true of my beginning students.

In the fall I am hoping to do much more individualized or small-group grammar instruction, depending on the probelms different students seem to have. I am struggling to find a way to get them to apply the grammar that they "know" to their writing. It is a struggle.

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to do this?

No comments: