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16 March 2005: Grammar Schmammar (1 of 4)
Do you hear it? There it is again! Another voice joins the cry! From founders of modern educational thought like Jean Piaget to current experts like Steve Krashen and Regie Routman! Together, with one voice, they shout: Grammar Schmammar! Grammar Schmammar!
Why such a cry? Who would dare defile the good name of grammar? What would we do without past participles and subjunctive clauses?
Well, according to a report published by the BBC on January 18: Formal grammar is not an effective way of teaching children to write. For the entire text of the article, see
The piece goes on to say that this review "discovered no evidence that the teaching of traditional grammar, specifically word order or syntax, was effective in assisting writing quality or accuracy among five to 16 year olds".
What a shocking claim! How can it be that knowing basic grammar structures does not give our students tools with which to write more effectively?
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