Grammar without Grammar,by Kenneth Dixon

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are solely taught to students in order to better writing skills. Grammar deals with agreement of words, phrases and mainly ensures that sentences are composed correctly. Punctuation ensures that sentences flow and transitions from word-to-word occur in an effective manner. Spelling ensures that words are articulated and written correctly. The above are all components to have effective writing skills according to writer Deborah Dean, the author of the article “Grammar without Grammar: Just Playing Around, Writing”. Deborah Dean is a teacher, who encounters a negative reaction from her pupils’ parents when she follows the school district’s curriculum. The lessons given to her are to teach the identification of adverbs and verbs, as well as diagramming subjects and direct objects. Where Dean goes wrong is when begins teaching verbals with comic strips to a ninth grade honors class. A student’s parents sends a letter stating that his or her child is not learning how to write by doing meaningless exercises that were being administered. From that point on the curriculum is inherently dismantled. Dean, now starting on clean slate, needed to find a way to improve her students writing skills. She basically went back to drawing board. Having difficulties locating various ways to connect her lessons and vocabulary in an effective method to teach the students in her class, Dean spent years strategizing. Little did she know a book would help her improve teaching skills. The new method she learned was incorporated into Dean’s lessons in class and her students began to write. Using similar items and examples used in the book, Dean wrote an example of a sentence and explained to the students to write something similar to the example. The writing thus began and the students writing continued to develop. By teaching and incorporating fun into her lessons, students started enjoying writing. Lessons seemingly became understandable and more students participating. According to the article students generally wrote about things the new or did. Interactions the students had on a daily basis was the topic of the writing. That made it easier to write about for the students. From there the author discusses her discoveries of a wide variety of writings, in example magazines, books, novels, etc. The various writings strengthened Dean’s ideas of writing methods to teach to the students. Writing was becoming more interactive with the children; association of real life concepts and interactions broadened the students’ ideas for writing. Some of the readings included Sports Illustrated, the children’s book Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Valiska Gregory’s Through the Mickle Woods. Good writing examples were used from these articles to aid in the pupil’s learning. The model sentences helped the students overtime in improving their writing. Although their writing was not always perfect, it was a start and a huge development from where the student’s skills began. The knowledge of grammar was finally in their heads from all the model sentences and examples that been given, whether they recognized it or not.