Grammar and Punctuation: The Iron Pen of Writing

By glancing at the title can you guess what was running through my mind today as I listened to my webinar? I truly felt my mind being split in two as I listened. Although the focus of this webinar was making a read -loud engaging, there were points where I noticed "writing moments" that struck my interest. 

Read-alouds offer many moments to focus on punctuation and even grammar with students. An author's story or information is after all, a work that is given through heightened word choice, dialogue, text-and-graphic features, and carefully managed thoughts. There's no way around composing a book without writing, and its conventions. 

I advocate for using read-aloud time to have open discussions about writing. In order for students to enhance their own writing,  they must see model writing that targets specific skills through relevant examples. I personally use a non-fiction book series called If You Were A_____ (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) by Michael Dahl and Illustrated by Sarah Gray. The amazing thing about these books is that they also include punctuation marks... boom! (mic drop) all the components in writing! 

My second graders love the fun nature and easy approach to grammar these authors infused into the books. As a teacher, I love how the focus is on the part of speech or punctuation, and it's seamlessly woven as the story of the book. The power of pen allows an author to present even a more dry topic for younger learners in a way they can understand. Books like these also fit into my non-fiction unit, and I take the opportunity to present the idea to my class that some books are meant to teach us a skill, strategy, and information so we can become better readers and writers. Indeed, read-alouds are advantageous and permit us to showcase author's craft and navigate the burdensome characteristics of writing. 

In contrast to the read-aloud, I am also a proponent for explicit instruction (with an interactive spin.) I have always used an interactive approach to teaching students grammar and punctuation. Again, modeling is always at the heart of my mini-lesson. I usually begin with a think-aloud on the whiteboard or Smartboard. "Hmm, I wonder how I can make my idea sound better?" is usually one of my go-to phrases I reach for, and my students know that means a new concept is on it's way. I always emphasize that an author's work is never truly done, and we always find nuances we want to fix, better ways to phrase our ideas, and even new ideas to enhance our writing. (Of course at some point we also have to come to a determination that our work will be complete at the moment, and it's our best for now to display.) I will model for them how to create my sentence and check that it's written properly.

What usually comes next is a twist on the customary sentence diagraming. I'll start with a sentence that has words left out, incorrect punctuation, etc. Students take turns teaching each other what parts of speech are missing, locate others that are in the sentence, explain their relevance, and insert punctuation where needed. Using different colored markers and peer support, students are actively engaged with a simple, effective, and fun practice that I can honestly say sticks with them when they go to apply these details to their individual writing. It also serves as a precursor to peer editing, especially in the younger grades. 

Perhaps the overarching point could be termed as this; ideas are the power of our writing, but the mechanics is what makes it run well. You cannot have one without the other! Although I hear the constant reassurance of those who firmly believe that mechanics naturally develop through time with practice and increased stamina in writing, I also believe it is our duty as teachers of ELA to guide our students with the foundational knowledge of grammar and punctuation, and not fear to do this explicitly. It not only serves a purpose in writing, but reading, and clears the murky water of understanding how sentences are constructed (syntax) and guides students to figure out word meanings (semantics) along with supporting their ideas in writing. 

Final thought: The pen is the most powerful, tenacious tool we have, grammar and punctuation are the workings of that pen and veracity it needs, teachers provide their students with the pen, keep giving your students what they need to read and... to write.