I recently came across this article by Michelle Navarre Cleary and I just had to share it. I think it’s brilliantly written with astute remarks made throughout. These include:
‘…We know that grammar instruction that works includes teaching students strategies for revising and editing, providing targeted lessons on problems that Students immediately apply to their own writing, and having students play with sentences like Legos, combining basic sentences into more complex ones…’
‘…Students are victims of the mistaken belief that grammar lessons must come before writing, rather than grammar being something that is best learned through writing…’
‘…Once students get ideas they care about onto the page, they are ready for instruction—including grammar instruction…’
‘…If 30 years later, you or your child is still being taught grammar independent of actually writing, it is well past time to demand writing instruction that is grounded in research rather than nostalgia…’
I can highly recommend reading the whole article. You might also enjoy reading our view on grammar teaching and you might be interested in our ebook: Grammar Mini-Lesson For 5-11 Year Olds