When you think about grammar instruction, do you feel excited and passionate or shudder and groan? I find that the topic of grammar elicits very strong and often opposing responses among ELA teachers. Basically, you either love it or you hate it.
When you think about grammar instruction, do you feel excited and passionate or shudder and groan? I find that the topic of grammar elicits very strong and often opposing responses among ELA teachers. Basically, you either love it or you hate it.
For those of you who love grammar instruction, you are in luck because today’s podcast episode is all about how to knock it out of the park in your classroom. And if you currently despise teaching grammar, or just don’t find the time to fit it into your curriculum, this episode is going to give you some fun, simple, and creative ways to incorporate it more.
Lauralee Moss is a bit of a grammar guru, and she takes a wonderfully unique approach to teaching it. She believes that grammar should be more than a ten-minute mini-lesson and practice session each day. She believes in teaching students that grammar is the art of using language precisely, and she weaves it into almost every component of her Language Arts class.
But for all the grammar newbies or haters out there, Lauralee suggests starting simple! Today, she shares several easy ways to get kids thinking about grammatical concepts more often. For example, do a quick review of nouns, then give every student three sticky notes and ask them to label the nouns in the classroom. Hook students with an engaging activity, and then begin to point out grammar concepts they’re familiar with more and more in their writing, the class novel, or posters and signs around the school.
Listen in to hear even more strategies for teaching grammar in the classroom–without a formal plan. Plus, learn why Lauralee believes that teaching grammar helps reach a subset of students in your classes who you may not be connecting with right now.
Today you will hear:
- [01:55] Lauralee Moss’ background
- [03:35] Why grammar is about more than what is wrong with a student’s writing
- [04:15] How Lauralee empowers students with grammar instruction
- [04:50] Why Lauralee doesn’t just teach grammar for 10 minutes a day–and what she does instead
- [08:28] How Lauralee connects grammar to every component of her class
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, we want to encourage you to do that today. We don’t want you to miss a single episode. We add a brand-new episode every week, and if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra awesome today, we would be super grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast, and they’re also so much fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!
