GRAMMAR WORKSHOP

ACTION-RESEARCH REPORT

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

WRITING NEXT (2007)

WRITING NEXT FOUND THAT TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR INSTRUCTION WAS NOT EFFECTIVE AND CAN EVEN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT WRITING

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONWHAT GRAMMAR STRATEGIES WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT WRITING?

BIG IDEA: TEACH GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT

• ACCORDING TO A STUDY CONDUCTED BY FEARN AND FARNAN (2007), THEY FOUND THAT, “GRAMMAR INSTRUCTION INFLUENCES WRITING PERFORMANCE WHEN GRAMMAR AND WRITING SHARE ONE INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEXT” (P. 78)

• THIS IS ECHOED IN RESEARCH COMPLETED BY WEAVER AND BUSH (2006) AND ANDERSON (2006)

BIG IDEA: USE MENTOR TEXTS• ANDERSON (2006) USES A METHOD THAT HE DESCRIBES AS “ZOOMING IN

AND ZOOMING OUT”. HE EXPLAINS:ZOOMING IN ON A SENTENCE OR PARAGRAPH, I TEACH A CONCEPT

SUCH AS COMMAS IN A SERIES. WE LOOK AT EXAMPLES FROM BOOKS AND STUDENTS’ WRITING. WE PLAY AROUND WITH COMMAS AFTER INTRODUCTIONS IN STUDENTS’ WRITING NOTEBOOKS. THEN WE ZOOM BACK OUT TO THE ESSAY LEVEL ONCE STUDENTS SEE THE PATTERN AND APPLY WHAT THEY KNOW. WE ZOOM IN AND OUT AS NEEDED (P. 29).

BIG IDEA: FUNCTION OVER DESCRIPTION

• FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR TEACHES WHAT GRAMMAR DOES• DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR TEACHES WHAT GRAMMAR IS• WEAVER AND BUSH (2007) TAUGHT FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR THROUGH

STUDYING MENTOR TEXTS. STUDENTS WERE ASKED TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS AND DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF THE GRAMMAR ON THE WRITING.

INVITATION TO GRAMMAR STRATEGY (IGS)• ANDERSON (2006) DEVELOPED IGS AS A WAY TO TEACH GRAMMAR IN

CONTEXT BY FOCUSING ON THE FUNCTION OF GRAMMAR THROUGH THE USE OF MENTOR TEXTS WITHIN A WRITING WORKSHOP MODEL

• INVITATION TO NOTICE• INVITATION TO IMITATE

IGS FORMATDAY 1:INVITATION TO NOTICE: MENTOR SENTENCES ARE COLLECTED FROM SHARED READING, TEACHER OR STUDENT WRITING. STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO NOTICE HOW THE GRAMMAR CHOICES HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE READER. INVITATION TO IMITATE: STUDENTS ARE ASKED IMITATE THE GRAMMAR STRUCTURE. STUDENT SHARE SENTENCES WITH CLASSMATES. WORKSHOP: TEACHER USES STUDENT SENTENCES TO CONFERENCE WITH STUDENTS AS NEEDED

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?1. A. WE FINISHED UP IN THE KITCHEN. WE DRANK COFFEE AND TALKED.

B. “AFTER WE FINISHED UP IN THE KITCHEN, WE DRANK COFFEE AND TALKED.”

Day 1

2. A. I used the phone to call my mom and dad. I got in the car.

B. “Before I got in the car, I used the phone to call my mom and dad.”3. A. I might not become president of the whole fifth grade. Would I ever run my own company, bake cupcakes, or become a millionaire?

B. “If I didn’t become president of the whole fifth grade, could I ever run my own company, bake cupcakes, and become a millionaire”

COMBINING SENTENCES• USE A WORD ON THE LEFT TO

COMBINE THESE SENTENCE

1. THE DOG IS WET. WE WENT FOR A WALK.

2. IT MIGHT BE SUNNY TODAY. WE COULD GO CAMPING.

3. I LOST MY TOOTH THREE DAYS AGO. THE TOOTH FAIRY GAVE ME SOME MONEY.

Day 1

IGS FORMATDAY 2:INVITATION TO NOTICE: MORE MENTOR SENTENCES ARE PRESENTED PERHAPS INCLUDING ANOTHER LAYER OR FUNCTION OF GRAMMAR BEING STUDIED.INVITATION TO IMITATE: STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO IMITATE THE GRAMMAR STRUCTURE WITHIN THEIR OWN WRITING. STUDENT SHARE EXAMPLES WITH WRITING PARTNERSWORKSHOP: ADDITIONAL CONFERENCES AS NEEDED

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?1. IF I HAD THE COURAGE TO MOVE TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY,

CERTAINLY I COULD MUSTER ENOUGH COURAGE TO WALK THROUGH THESE DOORS AND TRY TO MAKE SOME FRIENDS.

2. CERTAINLY I COULD MUSTER ENOUGH COURAGE TO WALK THROUGH THESE DOORS AND TRY TO MAKE SOME FRIENDS IF I HAD THE COURAGE TO MOVE TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

Day 2

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?1. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER, I LOOKED

AROUND FOR A CAT. 2. I LOOKED AROUND FOR A CAT WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE

ANIMAL SHELTER.

Day 2

YOUR TURN•LOOK BACK THROUGH THE

MEMOIRS YOU HAVE STARTED •FIND TWO SENTENCES YOU

CAN COMBINE OR ADD A NEW COMPLEX SENTENCE

Day 2

GRAMMAR TAUGHT• SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS• CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS • COMMAS AND PARENTHESIS TO ADD INFORMATION TO SENTENCES• SEMICOLONS• ELLIPSES

  Grade 3 – Below Standard (1 pt.)

Grade 4 – Approaching Standard (2 pts.)

Grade 5 – Meeting Standard (3 pts.)

Grade 6 – Exceeding Standard (4 pts.)

Avoiding

Run-ons and

fragments

 There are many run-on sentences and/or fragments.

 There are a few run-on sentences or fragments.

 There are almost no run-on sentences or fragments.

 There are no run-on sentences or fragments.

Complex and compo

und sentences

Uses coordinating and subordinating conjunctions to create compound and complex sentences.

Uses coordinating and subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns to create compound and complex sentences.

Uses coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions to create compound and complex sentences. May also use relative pronouns.

Uses a variety of conjunctions and relative and abstract pronouns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.

Punctuation

May have errors using basic end-marks.  May have some significant errors in punctuating complex and compound sentences using coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

Few errors with basic end-marks. May have attempted more complex punctuation to prevent run-on sentences.  May have some errors in punctuation when using coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, or relative pronouns to create complex and compound sentences.

Almost no errors with basic end marks. Attempted to use a variety of punctuation (such as ellipses, parenthesis, commas, and semi-colons) to prevent run-on sentences. Has few errors punctuating compound and complex sentences.

The student successfully uses a variety of punctuation to prevent run-ons.  Has almost no errors punctuating compound and complex sentences; chooses punctuation to have an effect on the reader/listener.

RESEARCH QUESTIONWILL INCLUDING IGS LESSONS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WRITING WORKSHOP IMPROVE STUDENT GRAMMAR CONVENTIONS ON WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS?

DATA ANALYSIS

AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS

PRE-TEST DATA

0 1 2 3 401020304050

Student Performance Pre

Control Focus

POST-TEST DATA

0 1 2 3 4020406080

Student Performance Post

Control Focus

Take Away: Both groups showed growth. Focus group performed better on the posttest compared to control group.

COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES

PRE-TEST DATA

0 1 2 3 40

20

40

60

Student Performance Pre

Control Focus

POST-TEST DATA

0 1 2 3 40102030405060

Student Performance Post

Control Focus

Take Away: Less growth for this criteria than others. Both groups grew. Focus group has about 30% at grade level; control group has about 5% .

PUNCTUATIONPRE-TEST DATA

0 1 2 3 4020406080

100Student Performance Pre

Control Focus

POST-TEST DATA

0 1 2 3 401020304050

Student Performance Post

Control Focus

Take Away: In general, control group maintained scores between pre and post tests. In contrast, the focus group showed growth.

DATA SUMMARY Growth Contr

olFocus

No Growth Negative 27% 13%0 27% 0 %

Low Growth +1 14% 25%Moderate Growth

+2 0% 29%+3 27% 13%

High Growth +4 4.5% 4%+5 0% 8%+6 0% 8%

Control

Focus

No Growth

54% 13%

Low Growth

14% 25%

Moderate Growth

27% 42%

High Growth

4.5% 20%

Total Growth

45.5% 87%Overall, the IGS is an effective strategy for grammar instruction. The grammar instruction transferred to student writing.

IMPLICATIONSAvoiding fragments and run-ons• Both groups grew. Almost 90% of

focus group at or above grade level compared to about 65% for the control group

• IGS effective for this criteriaComplex and compound sentences• Small growth in this area; majority

of students in both groups below grade level

• Break down skill into smaller parts to teach with IGS strategy

Punctuation• Control group maintained scores; focus

group grew• About 50% of students in the focus group at

or above grade level on post test compared to about 12% in the control group

• Small group instruction for punctuation needed for students below grade level

Overall• IGS is an effective strategy for grammar

instruction; grammar instruction transferred to student writing

FEEDBACK AND NEXT STEPS• WHAT ARE SOME WONDERINGS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE DATA SUMMARY AND

THE IMPLICATIONS?• DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL IMPLICATIONS TO ADD? PLEASE EXPLAIN.• WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR NEXT STEPS?• ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

REFERENCESANDERSON, J. (2006). ZOOMING IN AND ZOOMING OUT: PUTTING GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT INTO CONTEXT. THE ENGLISH JOURNAL, (5). 28.

CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK (2007). WRITING NEXT: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE WRITING OF ADOLESCENTS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS. NEW YORK, NY: GRAHAM, S., & PERIN, D.

FEARN, L., & FARNAN, N. (2007). WHEN IS A VERB? USING FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR TO TEACH WRITING. JOURNAL OF BASIC WRITING (CUNY),26(1), 63-87.

WEAVER, C., BUSH, J., ANDERSON, J., & BILLS, P. (2006). GRAMMAR INTERTWINED THROUGHOUT THE WRITING PROCESS: AN "INCH WIDE AND A MILE DEEP". ENGLISH TEACHING: PRACTICE & CRITIQUE (UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO), 5(1), 77-101.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!