Teaching English and Grammar

Reasons Why Teaching English and Grammar Is Important

• Language is powerful—it can be both a tool and a weapon. It is important that we use tools proficiently and use weapons responsibly.
• Using correct grammar improves both verbal and written communication, which are essential life skills and kingdom-building assets. Some examples of these life skills include the following:
  • Proficient Bible reading
  • Ability to communicate in relationships
  • Church-building (clear, effective communication with fellow members)
  • Outreach (such as ESL teaching abroad)
  • Committee work (ability to write clear minutes or reports)
• Various studies show that understanding grammar boosts a student’s reading comprehension.
• Understanding the grammar of one’s native language is essential in learning a second or third language. Studying English thoroughly gives a huge gift to students with a future in mission work and Bible translation.

General Advice and Teaching Tips

• If your students are struggling to enjoy grammar class, examine whether you are modeling enthusiasm for the subject. A teacher who shows passion and energy for the subject at hand makes that enthusiasm infectious (even if you are struggling to always feel it).
• Think of teaching English like a jigsaw puzzle, where various topics you teach are different pieces of the puzzle. As students get older, they acquire more pieces of the puzzle and need help to fit those pieces together. When students receive a “new piece,” they need to be shown how it fits into the big picture, or the piece is likely to get lost.
• Make sure your knowledge extends past your students’ knowledge, as you cannot teach effectively from the edge of the cliff of your knowledge. Consider personally working through the books for the next two grades beyond the one you teach to give you a better understanding.
• Mix hands-on activities with lecturing. Be intentional about engaging different learning styles, such as audio or movement.
• Incorporate games and other activities such as the following:
  • Read a story and have students raise their hands when they hear a certain part of speech
  • Do mad libs
  • Make teams and do competitions
  • Play an ongoing “penny, please” game for grammar usage at school
  • Let students identify parts of speech in a funny or interesting paragraph
  • Make up sentences about the students in your classroom or things that happened at school to use for diagramming or finding parts of speech.
• Flowcharts can be an incredibly valuable tool in grammar class. They are a powerful visual that boost comprehension and retention and prevent students from getting stuck.
• Acronyms, mnemonics, or other creative mental pictures help students to remember concepts.

Recommended Resources

• Grammar songs for the elementary classroom:
  • Grammar Songs: Practical Grammar Songs for Grades 3-6 - The Dock for Learning
  • Songs and Chants across the Curriculum - The Dock for Learning
• A recommendation for a grammar curriculum: A Better Grasp of Grammar Use (Curriculum Review) - The Dock for Learning
• Games and activities for grammar class:
  • Ideas on Teaching Grammar - The Dock for Learning
  • The Necessity (and Fun) of Grammar, Part 2 - The Dock for Learning
• Verb tenses handout: Verb Tenses Handout - The Dock for Learning
• Pronouns lesson hook: Pronouns Lesson Hook - The Dock for Learning
• Tips for diagramming: Diagramming Sentences: Strategies for Learning Sentence Structure - The Dock for Learning
• Steps to identify verb tense: Five Questions to Ask a Verb: Straightforward Steps to Identify Verb Tense - The Dock for Learning

Research Papers

• Timing is important. The first two quarters of the year aren’t a good time to begin research papers because students may not yet be proficient in related skills. The last quarter may not be a good time either as students may have spring fever and lower motivation in general. The third quarter is often the best choice.
• For younger students just learning how to write a research paper, it can be helpful to limit their topic options. Perhaps you will give the class three different topics to choose from, and you will provide the same sources to each student. Or perhaps you will give a topic theme based off a book series available to you such as “historical figures” or “countries,” requiring each student to choose a topic that has a corresponding book. These limitations allow you to have a better grasp of the source material each student is pulling from and give guidance to the whole class or to a small group of students all at the same time. You can even complete some parts of the process, such as bibliography entries, together as a group.
• Tackle research papers in small chunks. Make each step due fairly soon, give a grade on each step, and keep your students accountable. Below are examples of schedules you could follow:
  • Guiding Students Through the Process of Writing Research Papers - The Dock for Learning
  • Research Paper Schedule Grades 7-8 - The Dock for Learning
  • 7th-8th Grade Research Project Schedule and Grading Rubric - The Dock for Learning
• Provide folders for students to keep all their materials organized (and not lost in their desk or locker).
• Correctly citing sources is often one of the least-understood parts of writing a research paper. The following article will guide you in helping your students write properly-cited research papers: Writing a Research Paper, Part 3: Citing Sources and Plagiarism - The Dock for Learning
• A good grading rubric is a necessity for research papers. You can also show it to your students so that they know exactly what is expected of them.
  • Guidelines on using and creating rubrics can be found here: Grading with Rubrics in the English Classroom - The Dock for Learning
• For more guidance in facilitating the process of writing research papers, these helpful articles detail the process:
  • How to Write a Research Paper, Part 1: Assigning a Research Paper - The Dock for Learning
  • Writing a Research Paper, Part 2: Intermediate Assignments - The Dock for Learning
  • A comprehensive guide for both the teacher and student: Research Paper Binder - The Dock for Learning
• Other helpful resources:
  • A working bibliography template: Working Bibliography Template for Research Papers - The Dock for Learning
  • Topic selection ideas: Research Paper Topics - The Dock for Learning

Sources

• The Necessity (and Fun) of Grammar, Part 1 by Karen Birt The Necessity (and Fun) of Grammar, Part 1 - The Dock for Learning
• English Class (Or Any Class) Can Be Fun! By Karen Birt English Class (Or Any Class) Can Be Fun! - The Dock for Learning
• Ideas on Teaching Grammar by Kendall Myers Ideas on Teaching Grammar - The Dock for Learning
• Finding Pieces of the Puzzle: Connecting Concepts for Grammar Mastery by Steward Ebersole Finding Pieces of the Puzzle: Connecting Concepts for Grammar Mastery - The Dock for Learning
• Five Helpful Practices for English Class by Deana Swanson Five Helpful Practices for English Class - The Dock for Learning
• Guiding Students Through the Process of Writing Research Papers by Deana Swanson Guiding Students Through the Process of Writing Research Papers - The Dock for Learning
• Why Teach English? By Kendall Myers Why Teach English? - The Dock for Learning
• The English Language Session 3 by Verlin Garber The English Language: Session 3 - The Dock for Learning