Grammar and Handwriting
How I address these in writing classes . . .
GrammarAlthough I will not formally teach grammar in class, I will correct the grammar on all student papers. Parents can review their students' corrected papers to see what needs to be addressed with their individual student(s) concerning grammar. I would recommend using a separate grammar curriculum in conjunction with my writing classes.
Please remember, however, that it takes time to consistently apply concepts learned in grammar instruction to student writing, especially for new writers. I believe it is more important for students to learn the skills taught in class than to generate grammatically perfect writing. I recommend that parents address one concept at a time, moving on as students master these. Too much criticism concerning grammar, punctuation, and handwriting in student work can do more harm than good with fledgling writers. I want to build confident and fearless writers first so that they can hone their writing skills as they mature. |
HandwritingOften, students who struggle with the physical act of handwriting have an excellent vocabulary and clear spoken communication. Especially if their minds work faster than their hands, this can lead to frustration; thus, a reluctant writer is born. We will often create outlines from source materials in class. I always encourage slow writers to focus more on listening and participating in class discussion rather than writing down every word in class. I will always post a copy of any class-generated outlines for students to have at home in our private Facebook group. Students may find it helpful to write their rough drafts in pen (it's okay--it's a rough draft, let them scribble out any mistakes). Students can also type their rough drafts or use a program called Dragon Dictation on a tablet or cellular device. Dragon Dictation allows them to speak their completed sentences into the device from their key word outline and turns their spoken words into text. After this, they can email this to themselves, then copy and paste into a word document to edit. This can significantly speed up the writing process so that students can focus on communicating their ideas rather than handwriting. If handwriting is still an issue for a student, I recommend continuing to work on this, but keeping it separate from the written expression aspect of the writing process. |
PunctuationStudents will receive basic punctuation instruction in class as needed; however, I do not expect perfect punctuation with beginning writers. After students begin to master outlining and getting their thoughts on paper, focus can gradually shift to honing grammar and punctuation on assignments.
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