Teacher, researcher, and consultant Amy Benjamin challenges the idea
of "skill and drill" grammar in the second edition of this lively,
engaging, and immensely practical guide.
Does grammar instruction have to elicit moans and groans from students
and teachers alike? Only when it's taught the old-fashioned way: as a
series of rules to follow and errors to "fix" that have little or no
connection to practical application or real-world writing.
Benjamin's enlightened view of grammar is grounded in linguistics and
teaches us how to make informed decisions about teaching grammar--how to
move beyond fixing surface errors to teaching how grammar can be used as
the building blocks of sentences to create meaning. By using sentence
patterns, mapping, visuals, and manipulatives, Benjamin presents an
approach to grammar instruction that is suitable for a variety of
student populations.
Although she doesn't advocate for teaching to the test, Benjamin
acknowledges the pressures students face when taking high-stakes tests
such as the SAT and ACT. Included is a chapter on how to improve
students' editing skills to help prepare them for the short-answer
portion of these tests.