\doc\web\99\01\grammar.txt +OK 4858 octets Received: from smtp6.nwnexus.com (smtp6.nwnexus.com [206.63.63.45]) by mail1.halcyon.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id FAA31435 for ; Tue, 26 Jan 1999 05:58:45 -0800 (PST) Received: from ripple.dundee.net (ripple.dundee.net [206.249.104.12]) by smtp6.nwnexus.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id FAA23795 for ; Tue, 26 Jan 1999 05:58:27 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: From: "Donna Garner" To: "ClearingHouse" Subject: [education-consumers] Use Elements of Style Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 07:36:50 -0600 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Reply-To: "Donna Garner" Precedence: bulk Status: ===================================================================== Published in the Waco Tribune-Herald, Tuesday, January 26, 1999 -- from the Editorial Board: USE ELEMENTS OF STYLE: SUBJECTS LIKE GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY SHOULDN'T FALL BY WAYSIDE America's educators, including those at the Waco Independent School District, made a destructive error a decade or more ago when they de-emphasized grammar, spelling and vocabulary. Recent tests show Waco students woefully deficient in their knowledge and understanding of the principles by which a language functions. Waco school officials and teachers again must take up a formidable teaching challenge to make up for past decisions that lowered educational standards. Just as reading and writing are basic subjects, grammar is a fundamental tool needed to understand and use language. More than half of more than 3,000 ninth- through 12th-graders failed a comprehensive test in December designed to measure grammar learning. These students received intensive grammar instruction in their English classes during their first semester of the school year. "I knew that we had fallen behind, but I didn't realize how very far, " said WISD trustee Dot Snyder. Several high school English teachers developed a new grammar curriculum plan this past summer. The plan was implemented in high school in the fall. A similar plan for a middle school grammar curriculum is expected to be developed later. While lamenting the lack of grammar proficiency among WISD students, Waco High teacher Phyllis Strother, wife of trustee Ralph Strother, looked on the bright side. "It's a very humbling situation," she said, "and yet I look at that as good because now that it's all been exposed, we can do better." The exposure came about through tests that measure learning. Accurate and fair measurements are needed to improve learning. ' Grammar is important because it provides the rules needed to arrange words so people can communicate with ease and accuracy. Grammar can be viewed as the rules of language. Different languages have different rules. English is viewed by many grammarians and linguists as a difficult language because it has borrowed heavily from other languages. But just as it is necessary for athletes to know the rules of their sport to be successful, language users also must know the rules of their language if they hope to speak and write successfully. All educated Americans need to have a firm understanding of standard English grammar, which is used by the majority of educated people. Grammar education needs to start as young as possible. Correcting incorrect usage in the classroom and in the home lays the foundation for grammar mastery. After standard grammar has been mastered, educated people can become creative in their use of grammar or can engage in excellent debates over what is correct and what is incorrect. For now, WISD needs to ensure that all students learn the rules of the English language. ===================================================================== EDUCATION CONSUMERS CLEARINGHOUSE networking and information for parents and taxpayers on the internet Subscriptions & Archives: http://education-consumers.com or You are currently subscribed to education-consumers as: arthurhu@halcyon.com TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a blank email to leave-education-consumers-989462S@lists.dundee.net ===================================================================== For less mail, click on the following link and choose 1) a daily digest, 2) a daily list of subjects, or 3) no mail (read postings on Web) http://lists.dundee.net/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=education-consumers For more help & info: http://www.lyris.com/help or