Grammar Ideas!

  Teachers appreciate grammar ideas.  Here are several authors who help teachers use picture books effectively to teacher grammar.      

http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/make-language-adventure-learning.html

Bulletin Board: Sentence concept

http://mssinclair.blogspot.com/2010/10/anchor-chart-for-retelling.html

This is an awesome bulletin board for first grade (and kindergarten) to remind children about a sentence

Conventions Do Matter

I wrote extensively about dialogue

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/writing-and-reading-dialogue-week-1/

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/writing-and-reading-dialogue-week-3/

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/dialogue-writing-lessons/

 

 Jeff Anderson is the author I use extensively for editing and conventions. He wrote Mechanically Inclined. He wrote Everyday Editing:  Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer’s Workshop.  I have written about his work numerous times here at Writing Every Day Works.

Hair Lesson by Jeff Anderson
http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/hair-lesson-by-jeff-anderson/

Great Sentences Blog
http://greatsentences.blogspot.com/

http://www.ohiorc.org/adlit/InPerspective/Issue/2007-05/Article/feature.aspx

Books that Help Teach Punctuation
Anastasia Suen posts a lesson daily. Some of the lessons are about punctuation. Here are a few examples. The blog has better examples.
Footprints in the Snow. Mei Matsuoka. “Wolf is reading stories.” This story has dialogue.
Ella Sets Sail. Carmela & Steve D’amico. “The lucky hat is lost.” This story has dialogue.

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/touchstone-text-or-mentor-text-activity/

More Punctuation Books
Jan Carr. 2007. Greedy Apostrophe: A Cautionary Tale
Robin Pulvir. 2008. Silent Letters Loud and Clear
Speed Shaskan. 2008. If You Were a Contraction
Loewen. 2007. If You Were a Pronoun
Loewen. 2006. If You Were a Conjunction
Moira Rose Donohue. 2006. Alfie the Apostrophe
Moira Rose Donohue. 2008. Penny and the Punctuation Bee
Robin Pulver. Punctuation Takes a Vacation
Chris Raschka. 2000. Ring! Yo?
Chris Raschka. 1993. Yo! Yes?
Lynne Truss. 2006. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!
Lynne Truss. 2007. The Girl’s Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can’t Manage without Apostrophes!
Lynne Truss. 2008. Twenty-Odd Ducks: Why, every punctuation mark counts!

Schoolhouse Rock! DVD Collection Available through Amazon and also I have seen them through Target recently.

Professional Books
Jeff Anderson.  2005.  Mechanically Inclined
Jeff Anderson. 2007.  Everyday Editing:  Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer’s Workshop
Jeff Anderson.  2008.  Teaching Apostrophes. DVD. 
Jeff Anderson. 2008. Editing Invitations. DVD.
Jeff Anderson. 2007.  The Craft of Grammar. DVD. http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2007/03/teaching-grammar-and-conventions.html 
Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault. 2008.  Mastering the Mechanics:  Grades 4-5:  Ready-to-Use Lessons for Modeled, Guided and Independent Editing 
Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault. 2008.  Mastering the Mechanics:  Grades 2-3:  Ready-to-Use Lessons for Modeled, Guided and Independent Editing 
Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault. 2008.  Mastering the Mechanics:  Grades k-1:  Ready-to-Use Lessons for Modeled, Guided and Independent Editing  http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/mastering-the-mechanics-k-1-2-3-4-5/ 
Carl Anderson. Assessing Writing. 2005.

Two Writing Teachers posted recently about studying about punctuation and conventions. http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/thinking-about-punctuation-in-texts/

Writing about someone else, Single/Double subject

Objective:  I have to remember to tell whom I am writing about one time in each sentence.

Give a reason for the teaching:

I noticed that in lots of the sentences that we have been writing, I name the character twice in the same sentence.  Let me show you what I mean.

Example sentences: 

1.  Daddy daddy I have a present for you.

2.  Mom she took me sledding on the steep hill with my new sled over break. 

3. Grandma she made wonderful mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner.

I had previously written these sentences on a piece of chart paper so I quickly showed them to my students.  Cross out the words that we don’t need.

1.  Daddy daddy I have a present for you.

2.  Mom she took me sledding on the steep hill with my new sled over break. 

3. Grandma she made wonderful mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner.

Next demonstrate a quick story for my students.  Today while I write, give me a thumbs up if I write the character two times in the sentence.  Don’t outburst or yell out.  We will fix it after I write today. 

Shelby he likes to play find the treat.  Shelby he likes to jumps and runs.  He runs all over the house then knocks over the pillow and eats his treat.  Shelby he is the best.

After writing, I have the students turn and talk about the character words (pronouns) I do not need today. 

After turning and talking I draw sticks and have several students quickly cross out the extra words. 

I then reiterate that the teaching point.  Today when you are writing, remember that I have to remember to tell whom I am writing about one time in each sentence.

Conjunction Junction, Grammar

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that if teachers wanted to increase grammar skills and test scores, they might want to play the video or DVD by school house rock. Conjunction Junctin is available on YouTube. Here is the link: link to conjunction junction You Tube

Hair Lesson by Jeff Anderson

You tube is awesome! I just found Jeff’s grammar lesson, “Hair Lesson.”

Hair Lesson by Jeff Anderson on You Tube

Jeff encourages us to ask effective questions:

- What do you notice?
- What else?
- How does it sound when we read it?
- What would change if we removed this or that?
- Which do you prefer? Why?

These questions help editing to become inquiry based. (Everyday Editing, page 15, Jeff Anderson) He is wonderful. His book is full of awesome advice!

Jeff Anderson is Awesome!

Jeff Anderson encourages students to study sentences that are correct instead of D.O.L. which is studying error. He is awesome! I have his DVD’s and have read all his books. If you ever get a chance to hear him at a workshop, GO!

http://greatsentences.blogspot.com/ This website supports Jeff’s work.

Compound Sentences

Name the Craft
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses. Conjunctions are connectors that link equal words, phrases, or clauses. Coordinating conjunctions cue readers in on the relationships. (Jeff Anderson, Mechanically Inclined)

Conjunctions spell out the acronym FANBOYS:
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So

Do writers need this? Maybe, maybe not! However, on most state tests, students are asked about this rule.

Simile

Name the Craft
A simile is a technique that the author uses to describe the unknown by comparing it to the known. Authors use similes to describe something quickly rather than writing a long description.

Commas in a Series

Name the Craft
Use commas between items in a series