Revising to Clarify Meaning Chapter 8

Students need to revise )Revising is the strategies used to review and improve prove language through what is written and comprehended as they read or talk to ensure that the meaning is clear. ) First students must reflect on their global coherence and use their holistic impressions to ensure integration of all that has occurred. )Second they need to examine their serial structure to make their meaning more explicit and to connect their thoughts into inferences for the readers.

Effective Grammar Instruction )Grammar is the description of the structure of the language. )Papers written by students who studied grammar through the traditional worksheets for two years had more errors than students who merely wrote daily. )Students need to self initiate the use of grammar principles to learn them.

Principles of Language Structure )Traditional Grammar )Uses parts of speech )Based on the rules that govern Latin )Inflected language (words signal meaning through the word endings) )Modern English has more that eight categories of words. )Need to teach how sentence patterns, word order, sentence structure, and paragraph organization effect meaning.

Structural or Descriptive Grammar )Helps students understand subtle differences of meanings in our language. )Many words serve more than one function )Introduce word functions within basic sentence structure. )Transcribe an oral story and give to the students. Then distribute a second account of the same story as it would be in printed form. Have students compare grammatical differences in oral and written forms.

Transformational-Generative Approach )It explains what we do when we invent and change sentences and why the same thought tales on slightly different meanings in different sentences. )Sentence have a deep structure and a surface structure. Surface structure helps to convey the deep meaning of the sentence. )Need to use activities that take the same subject and change the sentence different ways to say the same thing.

Sentence-Building and Combining Approach )Goal is to have student to elect to use correct usage. )Increased awareness of what language is and cultivates their flexibility and revising abilities so they make more powerful sentences. )Use student’s writing and talk about what the exact meaning is, )Create selective cloze paragraphs and exchange clozes with another student. Fill it in and discuss how the different part of speech changes the meaning.

)Use chants, choral readings, nursery rhymes, and language experience stories to discover the positions, power, and functions of words. )Teach to combine sentences more effectively. )Write a science report and combine sentences to make it clearer. )Combine sentences in their own writings.

Refining Meaning through Precise Word Choices )Learn to alter and expand sentences patterns to enhance their meaning. )Expand basic sentence patterns in language experience stories. )Older students need to learn to refine their meaning. )Use kernel sentence and expand it. )Teacher copy a page of literature that has a powerful message and discuss grammar used in their favorite parts.

Revising Committees Approach )An impromptu mode of instruction that provides grammatical instruction when needed. )Peer sharing on how they created the sentences. )Grammar will be discussed in revising committees.

All of these approaches need to be combined to have an effective approach to teaching grammar!

Teaching Students How to Revise )Lessons from the textbook should be used on an individual or small group basis and determined by the errors students make in their speaking and writing. )Use textbooks as a reference manual. )Teach a mini lessons and refer to the text for examples. )Have students to use the new principle in their writing.

Oral-Written Grammatical Awareness )The student’s ability to use correct oral and written sentence structures and word choices is important. )Impromptu )Mini lessons on an individualized basis )Reading writings aloud

Recognizing differing points of view )The purpose is )increase student’s sensitivity to point of view )understanding the impact that points of view have )teach strategies to resolve conflicts between different points of view )1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person, and omniscient point of view )Retell story from different points of view )Role play person’s point of view that they are in conflict with

Using your own, famous people, or students revisions as samples )Model your own revisions )Find an author's revisions for them to see )Students can share their own revisions

Teaching idioms, figurative language, metaphors, and similes )Teach within literature context )Chose a book with the devise in it )Put idiom, proverb, or figurative language on the board each day and discuss

Using oral rephrasing to increase written revisions )Observe other student for a week and then write a description of them for other students to guess. )Do same thing with objects )Use discovery discussions )Journal tips to improve their writing and speaking

Integration of the language arts )SSR, DEAR )SSW- use sharing session at end )Author’s theater )Write science fiction

How to teach story grammar )It is the rule system that describes the regularities found in stories. )Need to teach about characters, setting, problem, goal, climax, and outcome. )Types of conflict )Between characters and nature )between main character and society )Between characters )Main characters and themselves

Cultural Sensitivity )Story grammar, grammar, and revision vary in different cultures )Learn English survival words )Must be taught the structure of the English sentence )Use story frames

Group assessment )It is the most effective assessment of drama, dyadic paired learning sessions, and long term projects.

Odds and Ends )Computer grammar programs )Effective feedback )Homework journals )Magazines for students