1. What Our Students Know About Grammar and How They Learned It Frances Crawford Fennessy Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX

2. Motivating Factors Sparked by the noticeable lack of grammar knowledge and application evidenced in student writing Interested in teaching methods, including grammar and composition, how new teachers are instructed to teach, and the methods that are used in the classroom

3. The Survey

4. The Demographics

5. 50% Caucasian 11% Black 35% Hispanic 4% Asian and others

6. 50% Caucasian 11% Black 35% Hispanic 4% Asian and others 17% Black 6% Asian and others 65% Caucasian 12% Hispanic

7. 18-20 years old

8. The Survey

9. Grammar Assessment

10. The Assessment Overall

11. Parts Of Speech

12. Homonyms

13. Punctuation

14. Verb Usage

15. Parallel Structure

16. Clauses

17. Pronouns

18. Strengths

19. Weaknesses

20. What Our Students Know

21. How They Learned It

22. Most Effective Teaching Method

23. What Does It All Mean? Most of our students do not know basic grammar terms. Using vocabulary, such as independent clause and preposition, will not enhance grammar knowledge. Although infamous as busy work, worksheets and drills are still being used in the classroom, and a majority of students do gain some grammar knowledge from them.

24. Something To Think About One grammar class Linguistic-based course –Struggle to earn a C –Distaste for grammar A feeling of inadequacy An avoidance of grammar A lack of desire to teach grammar