Giving Language Back:An Argument Against Isolated Grammar Instruction

Giving Language Back:An Argument Against Isolated Grammar Instruction

Who knew that kids liked to read? I certainly didn’t.

Let me qualify that. I have known a few kids that liked reading. My daughter likes to read, but I assumed she would, being the daughter of an obsessive reader and all. I have known other child-readers through the years, but since they were nerds like me, I never guessed that “normal,” MTV-watching, note-writing, gum-popping, 20/20-visioned kids would like to read as well. Fortunately, during my student teaching experience, my classes of seventh-graders proved me wrong.

Before delving further into my experience at Freedom Middle School, it is important to understand the significance of my students’ reactions to good literature and to an isolated, grammar-based unit. In this paper, I will not only relate my personal experiences with the two types of curriculum, but what educators and researchers have said about them. Throughout this exploration of time-tested opinion and heavily researched facts, however, the underlying concern will always be our goal in teaching children. Should we try to force them to be who we think we should be – whether our intentions are based on an allegiance to the superiority of traditional methods or on an assumption of the inferiority of our students? Or should we try our hardest to help the students become their own individuals, only better?

The first few weeks of students teaching went very well. I had few discipline problems, and the students were very engaged during class time. In fact, they seemed eager to come to class! While I could have credited my wondrous teaching style for their interest, I knew that that was not the reason. In reality, their usual Language Arts angst disappeared because they thoroughly enjoyed the novel we were reading in class, The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963.

While I had to wake a few dozers and intercept a few notes here and there, all of the students followed along as I read aloud or we listened to a recording of Lavar Burton reading the novel. I saw at least twelve students that were actually reading ahead of their classmates. And while they probably would have preferred discussing music videos or cars, they eagerly summarized chapters when asked and often told me what they would have done if they had a brother like Byron or visited Birmingham in the 1960s.