GRAMMAR No Labels Renee Tolliver Combs

Why Grammar? If it sounds right, it must be right. Write? Right?

WRONG Your so sweet

Few people speak as correctly as they write Where you goin to? Wha cha doin? TEXTING- new language

Why Grammar? Decipher text Write with confidence Common Core

Grammar and Common Core “ The Common Core Language Standards” in Language Arts are divided into, Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Language Strands”- Grammar and Mechanics

Grammar and Common Core “To build a foundation for college and career readiness in language, students must gain control over many conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics as well as learn other ways to use language to convey meaning effectively.”

But Grammar is difficult and boring! LABELS Nouns Verbs Adjectives Adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Interjections

Really Boring! Indicative Tense Present Progressive Past progressive Present Perfect Past Perfect …

Extremely BORING! Labeling on worksheets handouts

BORING The kiss of death for any lesson! 8 seconds The average (human) attention span as of

But How Can I Hold Their Attention? Engage and Involve ◦“ The ability to control your focus of attention is very valuable in a range of areas of life. At school, students need to focus to learn working memory, the ability to keep several relevant pieces of information in mind at once, is closely related to the ability to control your attentional focus.”

BEST PRACTICE Engage and Involve Set clear Objectives Build on prior knowledge Direct presentation of material Use graphic organizers Do meaningful activities which utilize the four domains In other words………….

SIOP- Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Set clear Objectives Build on prior knowledge Direct presentation of material Use graphic organizers Do meaningful activities which utilize the four domains

Objectives *To understand spoken native English *To speak English like a native *To read English for understanding *To write grammatically correct sentences in English *To use English to learn something new

Direct Presentation Write it Model it Show it in context Sell it Have students write it down/Portfolio NEVER do it for them!

Graphic Organizer Learn to love them Do them together as a class Make it fun/funny

Graphic Organizer Go to the bathroom before the bell

Now/Everyday I ( always, sometimes) go to the bathroom before the bell

Tomorrow I will go to the bathroom before the bell I am going to the bathroom before the bell

Yesterday I went to the bathroom before the bell.

Yesterday Did you go to the bathroom before the bell?

Yesterday If I had gone to the bathroom before the bell…………

Give Hints/ Patterns Ing ending verbs only come after form of “to be” verb: I am going, I was going, I have been going, I will be going….. Past participles ( oh yeah, make them learn them so they can recognize them) only come after- have, has, had, is, was, were, been

MORE HINTS Never : Do + Ing I do going to school/ I don’t going to school Never : No + verb I no go/ she no go

Use an Example in Context I am going to school tomorrow. I don’t like spinach. I have gone to school for three years. She is gone from school now.

Engage and Involve Games Turn everything into a game if possible Take the few lists like past participles, and play a quick game such as- Touch The Board Jeopardy Academic Word Game

Why a Game? It works! “ Using Competition-based Learning to Stimulate Student Motivation and Performance” Juan C Burgillo

In Conclusion LET’S PLAY!!!!!!!!

Academic Word Game (Works with smaller classroom) Need dictionaries and dry erase board Approximately min. Pair less proficient with more proficient student Assign academic words

Academic Word Game Teams of 2 ( self –named) look up definitions, as a team, write a sentence More proficient student writes sentence on board, less proficient, reads it to class

Academic Word Game Points- 1 point- correct definition 1 point- correct pronunciation 2 points- correct usage of academic word 1 point -spelling 1 point -grammar Total points- 6 But……..

If a team fails at any point, Other teams can make points off them!!!!!! Lots of fun!

Touch The Board *Pick a team/ Name team *Stand in a line/ Behind Marker *Teacher will read clue *First person in line will go to board to write answer, raise hand, say answer *If you don’t know the answer, touch the board and then tag the next person in your line

Touch The Board No Yelling out of answers No Running to the Board Absolutely no arguing with the teacher !