Friday, July 30, 2010

Topic: The "G-Word."



10-second review: In a letter to the editor of English Journal, Martha Kolln, a retired Assistant Professor of English at Penn State, criticizes the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for a long history of discrediting the teaching of grammar.

Title: “It’s Time to Let Go of the ‘Grammar Bogeyman.’ ” Martha Kolln. English Journal (July 2010), 12-13.

Summary: Kolln gives a history of the NCTE’s negative stance toward teaching grammar, going all the way back to 1963’s “…harmful effects” statement in the NCTE publication, Research in Written Composition. She is referring to the pronouncement that there is no reason to teach grammar to improve writing because research study after research study (many admittedly poorly designed) showed that the teaching of grammar has no effect on the improvement of writing. She asks, “Isn’t it time to let go of this grammar bogeyman and use the word in its true meaning, grammar as the structure of language?”

Because the NCTE does not believe that the teaching of grammar improves writing, Ms. Kolln points out that the NCTE is the only professional organization that is against teaching the technical language needed to understand its subject [as in subjects like math and chemistry]. Because of the NCTEs negative attitude toward the teaching of grammar, Ms. Kolln also blames the closing off of the discipline of linguistics in which new approaches to teaching grammar were being developed.

Comments: Ms. Kolln’s letter is in response to a “Call for Manuscripts” seeking articles on the topic “Beyond Grammar: The Richness of the English Language.” Implied in that topic is the belief that teaching English grammar is a sterile exercise and not a part of the richness of the English Language.

Ms. Kolln has been a staunch advocate of maintaining the teaching of English grammar as part of a balanced curriculum for many years. She has been a person of influence in the NCTE. But even she is an example of what happens when an organization’s activists discredit an idea.

I include on the NCTE’s Verboten list phonics, writing process vs. product and the latest whipping boy, the five-paragraph essay which anyone with any sense should recognize as a model of the structure of an expository essay, not a literal limit of five paragraphs. The articles published in NCTE’s publications are all—almost every one—crafted to conform to the “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them” model, or the five-paragraph-essay model, for organizing expository prose.

Oh, and as a model for how to write, don’t tell the NCTE that their “Standards” drafted a few years ago are poorly expressed. Even the New York Times ridiculed the expression of those standards, saying something to the effect that if that’s the best English teachers can do, no wonder our children cannot write.

Someone once asked me, “What does a knowledge of grammar do in writing?” My answer: understanding sentence structure, punctuation and usage enables me to polish my writing—and that, in my opinion, is a big part of the writing process. Polishing prose enables me to entice the reader into beginning to read and to continue reading, uninterrupted, to the end.

At 76 years old, I have been reading NCTE publications, elementary through college, since my first year of high school teaching in 1956. Through the years, the NCTE has done much good in its articles and recommendations. The existence of this blog is an example of how many of the NCTE’s articles are significant. Unfortunately, the NCTE’s insensitivity to ideas with which it disagrees is regrettable. I remember fondly the statement that used to appear in the early publications of the NCTE: all points of view will be welcome.

And then came the activists. RayS.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Topic: Change in Blog



For quite a while now, I have been giving my readers a step-by-step description of the national standards created by "CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science." March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

In general, I am impressed by these standards. I have noticed particularly that the standards emphasize argumentative, informational and narrative writing. They have broken grammar content into the most significant skills and concepts. A little early, I at first thought, but why not try? They balance the reading of literature and nonfiction.

If I were still a language arts supervisor, K-12, at each level, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11-12, I would meet with each group to answer five questions:

What does each standard say? They are sometimes technical and need to be clarified.
What are the implications of each standard?
What does each standard mean to us at this grade level?
What materials will we need?
How can we fit the standards into a coordinated program? Right now they tend to be isolated skills and processes.

In 1970, in my school district, we started to build a K-12 English/language arts curriculum in somewhat the same way as these standards. We listed K-12 outcomes, what students should know and be able to do by the end of grade 12. Our outcomes were more general than these outcomes. These outcomes, I believe, are more useful than ours were.

From here on in, this blog, “English Updates,” will return to the format I used at its beginning. I will review interesting articles in the journals of the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association, as well as The Writer, one of my favorite magazines written by writers for writers. I will summarize the ideas and then comment on their significance in the teaching of English.

Not long ago, I learned that this blog was listed as one of the top fifty blogs dealing with literacy. I look forward to continuing it.

RayS.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Topic: Standards for Writing, Grades 6 - 12.



10-second review: Types and purposes of writing. Production and distribution of writing. Research. Range of writing

Types and Purposes of Writing
.Write arguments to support a substantive claim with clear reasons and relevant and sufficient evidence.
.Write informative/explanatory texts to convey complex information clearly.
.Write narratives to convey real or imagined experiences.

Production and Distribution of Writing
.Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
.Strengthen writing by planning, revising and editing.
.Use technology to produce, publish and interact with others.

Research
.Perform short, focused research projects as well as more sustained research in response to a focused research question.
.Gather relevant information from multiple sources.
.Write responses to literary and information sources.

Range of Writing
.Write frequently for shorter and longer time frames for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences.

Source: "CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science." March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Topic: Reading Standards for Science, Grades 11 and 12.


10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas Range and level of text complexity.
Key Ideas and Details
.Cite specific textual evidence to support important distinctions the author makes between ideas or pieces of information.
.Summarize complex information or ideas presented in a text, paraphrasing it in simpler but still accurate
terms.
.Analyze the causes of the specific results based on information from the text.
Craft and Structure
.Determine the ;precise meaning of key terms and symbols.
.Analyze the hierarchical or categorical relationships of concepts.
.Analyze the scope and purpose of an experiment; determine which related issues remain unresolved or
uncertain.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Synthesize information in different formats (tables, graphs or equations).
. Evaluate the hypotheses, data and conclusions in a scientific text, corroborating them with other sources of information.
.Integrate information from other diverse sources; note discrepancies among sources.
Range and Level of Text Complexity
.Develop a method for reading complex scientific text independently, proficiently and fluently.

Source: "CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science." March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Topic: Reading Standards for Science, Grades 9 and 10


10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas. Range and level of text complexity.
Key Ideas and Details
.Cite specific textual evidence, including precise details of explanations or descriptions.
.analyze the development of a text's explanation of a process or phenomenon, summarizing the central
ideas and supporting details.
.Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments taking measurements.
Craft and Structure
.Determine the meaning of key terms and symbols, noting the relationships among terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).
.Analyze relationships among concepts in a text. .Analyze the purpose of an experiment, including the possibilities ruled out by the experimental results.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Integrate technical information presented graphically with other information in the text.
.Assess the extent to which the evidence in a text supports a scientific claim or a recommendation for
solving a technical problem.
.Compare experimental findings presented in a text to information from other sources noting when the
findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
Range and Level of Text Complexity
.Develop a method for reading complex scientific texts.

Source: "CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science." March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Topic: Reading Standards for Science, Grades 6 - 8.



10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas. Range and level of text complexity.

Key Ideas
.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of scientific and technical texts.
.Summarize the broad ideas and specific conclusions made in a text, based on textual evidence rather than prior knowledge or opinion.
.Follow multistep procedures in carrying out experiments.

Craft and Structure
.Determine the meaning of key terms and symbols used in a science or technical text.
.Analyze how each major part of a text contributes to an understanding of the topic.
.Analyze the purpose of an experiment. Define the problem or question to be resolved.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Integrate information in the text with graphical representations.
.Distinguish facts and reasoned judgments based on research findings from opinions.
.Compare and contrast information gained from experiments.

Range and Level of Text Complexity
.Develop a method for reading difficult scientific or technical material.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Topic: Reading Standards for History/Social Studies, Grades 11 and 12



10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas. Range and Level of text complexity.

Key Ideas and Details
.Connect insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
.Provide a summary that makes clear the relationship between the key details and main ideas.
.Analyze how ideas emerge, develop and influence events, based on evidence in the text.

Craft and Structure
.Describe how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text.
.Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured.
.Evaluate authors’ different points of view on the same historical event.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Synthesize ideas and data presented graphically with the rest of the text.
.Evaluate an author’s premises, claims and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other sources of information.
.Integrate information from diverse sources.

Range and Levels of Text Complexity
.Read informational text independently. Demonstrate the ability to help yourself read difficult “stretch” texts.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Topic: Reading Standards for History/Social Studies, Grades 9 and 10..



10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas. Range and level of text complexity.

Key Ideas and Details
.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. Note date and origin of the information.
. Summarize how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
.Analyze a series of events and the causes that link the events. Were these causes of the events or simply preceded them?

Craft and Structure
.Vocabulary describing political, economic or social aspects of history.
.Explain how an author chooses to structure information.
.Compare the point of view of two or more authors.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Integrate quantitative or technical information presented in maps, time lines, videos with other information in a text.
.Assess the extent to which the evidence in a text supports the author’s claims.
.Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several sources.

Range and Level of Text Complexity
.Read “stretch” texts with help from techniques like the Directed Reading Assignment (DRA), see grades 6-8.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Reading Standards for History/Social Studies, Grades 6 - 8.



10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas. Range and level of text complexity.

Review:
Key Ideas and Details
.Cite specific textual evidence.
.Determine main ideas.
.Summarize the source based on the text rather than on prior knowledge or opinion.
.Identify key steps in the text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Craft and Structure
.Determine meanings of words in a text, including technical terms.
.Identify how a history/social studies text presents information.
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Integrate graphical information with textual information.
.Distinguish fact from opinion.
.Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.

Range and Level of Text Complexity
.Read independently, proficiently and fluently.
.Read “stretch” texts with help, if necessary [i.e., teacher uses the Directed Reading Assignment: Build background information; pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary; survey—title, headings, first paragraph, first sentence of each paragraph, and last paragraph; set purpose by raising questions to read to answer. RayS.]

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Topic: Reading Standards for History/Social Studies and Science, Grades 6 - 12.



10-second review: Key ideas and details. Craft and structure. Integration of knowledge and ideas. Range and level of text complexity.

Review:
Key Ideas and Details
.Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly.
.Make logical inferences.
.Cite specific textual evidence to support conclusions drawn from the texts.
.Determine central ideas or themes of a text.
.Summarize key supporting details and ideas.
.Analyze in detail where, when, why and how events, ideas and characters develop and interact over the course of a text.

Craft and Structure
.Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text.
.Determine technical, connotatative and figurative meanings.
.Explain how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
.Analyze the structure of texts.
.Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
.Synthesize and apply information in order to answer questions, solve problems.
.Evaluate the reasoning and rhetoric within a text.
.Assess whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the text’s claims.
.Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes.
.Compare the approaches the authors take.

Range and Level of Text Complexity
.Read complex texts independently, proficiently, and fluently, sustaining concentration, monitoring comprehension and, when useful, rereading

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Topic: Language Standards Progession



10-seconds review: Language standards summarized, grades 3 through 10.

Grades 3 -5
.Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
.Choose words for effect.

Grades 4 – 8
.Form and use adjectives and adverbs (including comparative and superlative forms),  placing them appropriately within sentences.
.Produce complete sentences, avoiding fragments and run-ons.
.Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., effect/affect, to/too/two).
.Use punctuation for effect.
.Maintain consistency in style and tone.
.Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

Grades 5 – 7
.Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
.Use punctuation to separate items in series.
.Expand, combine and reduced sentences for meaning, interest and style.

Grades 6 – 8
.Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
.Recognize and correct vague pronouns (with ambiguous antecedents).
.Use commas, parentheses or dashes to set off nonrestrictive, parenthetical elements.
.Vary sentence patterns for meaning, interest and style.

Grades 7 – 10
.Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, avoiding misplaced and dangling modifiers.
.Choose words and phrases that express ideas concisely, eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

Grades 8 – 10
.Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.

Grades 9 -10
.Use parallel structure in writing.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Topic: Language Standards, Grades 11 and 12.



10-second review: Observe conventions of grammar and usage. Observe conventions of capitalization, punctuation and spelling. Make effective language choices. Determine words meanings. Understand word relationships.

Observe conventions of grammar and usage
.Understand that usage is a matter of convention and can change over time and is sometimes contested.
.Resolve complex usage issues.

Observe conventions of capitalization, punctuation and spelling
.Using hyphens to join words

Make effective language choices
.Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual.

Determine word meanings
.Use strategies to determine unknown or multiple-meaning words.
.Verify preliminary definition of a word by looking it up in the dictionary.
.Interpret various figures of speech.

Understand word relationships
.Distinguish words with similar meanings, but different connotations.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Topic: Language Standards, Grades 9 and 10.



10-second review: Conventions in writing and speaking. Vocabulary acquisition and use.

Conventions of grammar and usage
.Use parallel structure in writing.
.Use various types of phrases—noun, verb adjective, adverbial, participial, prepositional, and absolute to add variety and interest to writing or presentations.
.Use various types of clauses—independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial to add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

Observe conventions of capitalization, punctuation and spelling
.Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.
.Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.

Make effective language choices
.Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual.

Vocabulary acquisition and use
.Clarify meaning of unknown or multiple–meaning words.
.Verify the preliminary determination of a word’s meaning by looking up the word in a dictionary.
.Interpret various figures of speech (hyperbole, paradox) and analyze their role in the text.
.Distinguish between words with similar denotations, but different connotations.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Topic: Language Standards, Grade 8.

Review:
Conventions of Grammar and Usage
.Use verbs in the active and passive voice.
.Use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional and subjunctive moods.
.Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.
.Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.
.Use a comma, ellipsis or dash to indicate a pause.
Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive moods to achieve particular effects.
.Continue spelling program, mult-syllable words and other words likely to be misspelled.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
.Multiple meanings of words.
.Use known roots as clues to the meanings of unknown words.
.Verify preliminary estimates of word meanings through the dictionary.
.Interpret figures of speech.
.Distinguish words with similar meanings but different connotations.
.Emphasize specialized words in various disciplines.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Topic: Language Standards, Grade 7.


Review:
Conventions of Grammar and Usage
.Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general.
.Choose among simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
.Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, avoiding misplaced and dangling modifiers.
.Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
.Spell correctly.

Comment: The following applies to Grade 8 as well.

“Spell correctly.” Easy to say, not easy to do. A coherent spelling program is necessary, beginning with multi-syllable words through other words likely to be misspelled. [i.e., the only word spelled with –sede is supersede. Only three words end in –ceed, proceed, exceed and succeed. All other words ending with the sound of “seed” are spelled –cede, precede, recede, intercede, etc. Except for the word “seed” itself.] Also include how to spot typos and how to proofread by reading from last word to first. RayS.

.Emphasize conciseness in choosing words and phrases. Eliminate wordiness and redundancy.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
.Multiple-meaning words
.Use known roots as clues to the meanings of unknown words.
.Verify estimation of a word’s meaning through use of the dictionary.
.Interpret various figures of speech.
.Distinguish words with similar meanings but different connotations.
.Highlight specialized words in different disciplines.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Topic: Language Standards, Grde 6.



10-second review: Conventions in writing and speaking. Vocabulary acquisition and use.

Conventions in writing and speaking
.pronouns in proper case.
.Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
.Recognize and correct vague pronouns—with unclear or ambiguous antecedents.
.Use commas to set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements.
.Spell correctly.
.Vary sentence patterns for meaning, interest and style.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
.Clarify meanings of unknown or multiple-meaning words, using a variety of strategies, context, etc.
.Use known roots as clues to word meanings.
.Verify word meanings by using a dictionary.
.Interpret figures of speech.
.Distinguish a word from other words with similar denotations but different connotations.
.Use grade-appropriate academic vocabulary and English language arts-specific words and phrases.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Topic: College and Career Readiness Standards for Language, Grades 6 - 12.



10-second review: Conventions in writing and speaking and vocabulary acquisition and use.

Conventions in Writing and Speaking
.Demonstrate a command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.

.Demonstrate a command of the conventions of capitalization, punctuation and spelling.

. Make choices about language, punctuation and sentence structure for meaning and style.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
.Determine the meaning of words and phrases encountered in conversations, reading and media.

.Understand the nuances among words.

,Use grade appropriate vocabulary.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Topic: Speaking and Listening Standards, Grades 11 and 12.



Review:
.Use topics, texts and issues being studied in class.
.Prepare for discussion by evaluating evidence or information about the material under study.
.Cooperate with peers to set goals.
.Determine ground rules for decision-making.
.Ask questions that test the evidence.
.Summarize comments and claims made on all sides of the issue.
.Determine additional information needed.
.Evaluate whether the team has met its goal.
.Integrate multiple data from various mediums.
.Evaluate reliability and credibility  of each source of information.
.Evaluate the rhetoric and reasoning used by a presenter.
.Plan and deliver focused, coherent presentations.
.Adjust presentations to particular audiences and purposes.
.Make use of visual displays of data to enhance understanding.
.Adapt speech to a variety of contexts.
.Demonstrate command of formal English.

Comment: How do I define “formal English?” Eliminating certain characteristics of conversation like needless repetition, especially with words like “it,” “there,” “get,” “thing”; making clear the antecedents of the demonstrative pronouns “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”; eliminating sexist language by using the plural to avoid such constructions as “his and her,” “he and she”; carefully using parallel structure, preferring  the active voice to the passive voice and correcting dangling and misplaced modifiers. RayS.

Source:  “CCSSI (Common Core State Standards Initiative) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science.” March 10, 2010. You will find the standards at http://www.corestandards.org/.