HOW DO I TEACH ENGLISH, PART II
This article was
written a long time ago, and I no longer carry all the items discussed, since
many have gone out of print. The prices on many of these items have also
gone up, so please check them before ordering. Items marked with * are short
discount and do not receive an additional 10% discount.
This continuation of How to Teach
English, Part I contains a few more books on composition and usage, and then
moves on to spelling and vocabulary. Since teaching English is one of the most important
tasks teachers have, you need the best available tools to do the job.
One great new writing curriculum I did not have time to
review before the last issue is Writing to
God’s Glory, by Jill Bond (Cat.# 1492, $39.95). This is a comprehensive
writing curriculum that will teach those of primary age and up, even those with special
needs, how to write fiction. This 300+ page book is prepunched for a three-ring binder,
and the teacher’s notes and student pages can be easily removed and distributed as
needed. Because of its flexibility, this course can be used by itself or to supplement
another curriculum. The first part covers the creative aspects of writing, and then the
author goes into the related aspects of grammar and usage. These grammar lessons are not
the usual type that begin by teaching parts of speech. Instead, they all have to do with
making writing more powerful -- a wonderful and practical approach.
The book is divided into five sections. The first, Part A,
explains the mechanics of building a story. It also has lessons dealing with the purposes
of writing, moral issues connected with writing (not stealing another’s words, not
feeding the flesh, etc.), and words of wisdom for those considering writing as a career.
It would be good to integrate this section with a study of short stories in your
literature course, or you could examine a novel or picture book you’re reading in the
light of what you’re learning about writing fiction.
Part B is where you find the grammar and usage lessons.
Some topics included are "More Power (Use Verbs);" "Beware the Bore-bees
(Nix the ‘To BE’ Verbs);" "Time Travel (Tense Agreement)" and
"Capital Idea (When to Capitalize)." These titles will, I hope, give you a
little of the book’s flavor. There are thirty grammar lessons in all.
Part C is the Outlet Journal. In this section students
learn how to evaluate possible sources (such as magazines) that might publish their work.
They also learn to write query letters and keep a journal of their writing submissions.
Part D teaches students how to keep track of their ideas.
The author includes some handy forms to fill in to make this easier. She also includes a
"Writer’s Checklist " to aid in revising one’s writing. This can be
customized by the teacher for different levels of ability.
Part E, the "Favorites" section, is where
students are encouraged to keep track of quotes from writing they really like. Perhaps
it’s the description of a character. Or a unique name. Or words that are unusual. All
these things can be a bank of ideas for future writing.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book for anyone
who has the potential and interest to write for publication or for any child who thinks he
wants to be an author.
Another good book on writing I left out of the last issue
is Advancing Writing Skills by Nancy
Atlee (Cat. #968, $11.66-D. These reproducible lessons for upper elementary and junior high
students provide an ideal framework for teaching writing skills, beginning with choosing a
topic and ending with revision. There are 27 lessons offering instruction in fiction,
poetry and nonfiction. Many of the activities utilize partners or groups, making this an
excellent choice for writing clubs and classroom use, but every lesson also includes
individual activities, so it is equally useful in home schools.
If you yourself need inspiration, try Any Child Can
Write (Cat. #905, $11.95) or If You’re Trying to Teach Kids How to
Write You’ve Gotta Have This Book (Cat. #744, $17.96). In the former, Harvey
Wiener shows you how to encourage your child to write using a program that works from
preschool through high school. He explains how to build the right attitude and provides
simple varied exercises with the written word, which are designed for home use.
In the later, Marjorie Frank presents fresh ideas to get unmotivated writers interested. Beginning with
word play, she covers writing skills, editing and revising, evaluating, exciting things to
do to show off writing when it's finished, and what to do when a child just won't write.
Also available are lesson plans that incorporate the ideas in her book: Complete
Writing Lessons for the Primary Grades (Cat. #1500, $12.56), and Complete
Writing Lessons for the Middle Grades (Cat. #1501, $12.56).Some of you might not
like these books because the author includes such things as ghosts, aliens, bigfoot, and
vampires as components in her assignments.
GRAMMAR AND USAGE There were also a couple of books
I left out of this section in the last issue,. The first, Easy
English, (Cat. # 1238, $9.95) is an explicitly Christian grammar work/text
designed for individual or classroom use. The author, Dick Bohrer, is a teacher who loves
English grammar and shares it with students in fresh new ways. He uses songs, football
analogies, stories, etc. in his lessons and exercises. His goal is that Christians,
including pastors and missionaries, do not discredit their ministries with educated people
by murdering the English language. His emphasis is on parts of speech and sentences, and
he includes diagramming as a valuable tool. Exams and answers are included.
Safari Grammar
(Cat. #950, $7.95 ) presents grammar through a delightful series of cartoons and dialogues
between Jungle Jack and his entourage of creatures. Each rule is introduced and explained
through a dialogue between the creatures. Then examples are given and rules are set off
from the text for high visual impact. An exericse, to be done on separate paper, is
provided for each grammar point introduced. This can be used with all ages over third
grade and is Ideal for ESL students or English-speaking students who are about to start
learning a foreign language. In Safari Puctuation
(Cat. #951, $7.95), Jungle Jack and his entourage of creatures are back to explore
Punctuation Country. Rules of punctuation are explained through cartoons and dialogues
between the creatures. Short, but effective, exercises are provided to reinforce what
students have learned. It makes a good introduction or review for those at least third
grade and older. 121 pages, including index.
Simply Grammar: An
Illustrated Primer, (Cat. #1493, $24.95) by Karen Andreola, is a revised expanded
version of First Grammar Lessons by Charlotte Mason, beautifully illustrated
with old-fashioned black and white drawings. The layout is easy on the eyes, with lots of
white space. Lessons and exercises are short and can be done orally with many different
grade levels (fourth and up) at once. Emphasis is on thinking through grammar principles
rather than just mindlessly doing exercises. The book is designed to be used for short,
oral lessons where students and teacher interact, and it is compatible with other English
curricula if you wish to use them.
A completely different approach to grammar is found in Rules of the Game: Grammar Through Discovery. This
three-volume set of work/texts is aimed at grades 5-9, and through examples and guided
questions tries to help students arrive at the grammatical rule that governs the examples.
Then, after the student has done his own thinking, the principle is stated and placed in a
box for easy identification. An explanation of how the principle is applied follows, and
then there are exercises which require students both to identify certain words in
sentences and to create their own sentences, applying the principles learned.
The three books (Book ! (Cat. #1495), Book 2
(Cat. #1496) and Book 3 (Cat. #1494) are $7.95 each. Answer Keys (Book 1,
Cat. #1497; Book 2, Cat. #1498, and Book 3, Cat. #1499) are 4.95 each.
If you’re looking for inexpensive books that teach
basic elements of grammar and usage and provide practice, The Straight Forward Series is
just right. These books measure, teach, review, and help students master specific English
skills. Answers to exercises are included. Available titles are Capitalization and
Puncuation, Cat. #1214, $3.95; Nouns and Pronouns, Cat. #1502,
$3.95; Verbs, Cat. #1503, $3.95; Adjectives and Adverbs, Cat. #1504,
$3.95; Sentences, Cat. #1215, $3.95; Prepositions, Conjunctions, and
Interjections, Cat. #1505, $3.95; Clauses and Phrases, Car. #1506,
$7.95; Mechanics, Cat. #1212, $7.95; and Grammar and Diagramming
Sentences, Cat. #1213, $7.95.
An afterthought: if you’d like some interesting
examples of different parts of speech that even the youngest children can understand, try
the following Rookie Readers: Over-Under illustrates the most common
prepositions and adverbs, primarily used as adverbs. A Whisper is Quiet contains
sentences where nouns are tied by linking verbs to adjectives. Two other books in this
series will be useful in illuminating vocabulary words for young children: A Pear by
Itself illustrates the meanings of "pear" and "pair" with
emphasis on the later. One Whole Doughnut, One Doughnut Hole vividly
illustrates the meaning of homophones with humor and cleverness. These are all Cat. # RR,
and are 4.95 each.
VOCABULARY: When it comes to vocabulary, I
haven’t changed my opinion much in the past seven years. I still think Wordly Wise (Original Series,
soon to be out of print, but I have some left) is the most comprehensive
program there is.. I think if everyone started their children on it as soon as they were
at first grade reading level, by the time they take their college entrance exams
they’d be prepared. The first three books, A, B, and C, for grades 2-4, use black and
white illustrations to clarify word meanings for beginning readers. Meanings are also
defined in complete sentences and the words being introduced are used in sentences so that
students can get a feel for them. In books 1-9 for grades 4-12, the pictures are gone, the
lists are a few words longer, and there a is a wider variety of exercises.
I like Wordly Wise because it is thorough.
Students see the words in context, learn to use multiple meanings of words, and practice
using the words in sentences. My favorite exercise in books 1-9 is Exercise B, which asks
students to identify the one sentence out of four where the word is used incorrectly. I
love correcting this orally so I can ask the child why he picked the answer he did. Often
it’s wrong because the new vocabulary word is being used as a different part of
speech or it’s being confused with a similar sounding word. I want my child to tell
me that, because some of these sentences sound just like the ones we used to make up with
words on our spelling lists that we didn’t fully understand when we were in school.
To understand why a word isn’t right in a sentence is to learn not to make the same
mistake. The other good point concerning Exercise B is that the student sees the word used
correctly in three different sentences, so its proper usage is modeled. I don’t
often say that one size fits all, but I do think every child should be using Wordly
Wise. Books A-C are 6.95, and Books 1-9 are 8.95. Tests are 2.25, and answer keys
for books 1-9 are 7.25. I don’t really think most people need the keys for books A-C.
For those of you who want to go more into the Latin and
Greek roots, you can supplement Wordly Wise with Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Books A-E,
beginning in grade 7. Each lesson introduces up to 15 words that come from two or more
classical roots. Words are introduced alphabetically in a dictionary-like format that
includes the related forms of the word and sentences to illustrate the word’s correct
usage. A special section provides additional information about etymologies and words that
might be confused. The exercises cover the same kind of information and use the same
format that students will meet again on the SAT test. These books are 9.50 each. Answer
keys are 6.00* each.
If you want to begin studying the classical roots even
sooner, there is another series that begins in the fourth grade. The books in this series are 80 pages long, geared to grades 4-9,
and they are $11.66-D each. Level 1, Word Building:
Learning About Roots and Prefixes (Cat. #939), provides an introduction to the
building blocks of language, covering 30 Greek and Latin roots and prefixes. The exercises
in the Level 2 book, Word Strength: Using Roots and Prefixes (Cat. #940), cover
30 roots and prefixes and promotes decoding of new words based on knowledge of the
building blocks. The Level 3 book, Word Wise: Expanding Vocabulary with Roots and
Prefixes (Cat. #941), has exercises that extend knowledge to decoding
new words. It covers 30 roots and prefixes and reinforces the basic components.
And, of course, no matter which formal program you use to
teach vocabulary, the most effective way to teach it is the informal way. Read aloud a bit
above a child’s level. Talk to him about the story’s content and try to clarify
unfamiliar words as you read them. Let your children in on conversations with adults. My
little nephew, now eight, amazes me with his almost adult vocabulary. His home life is far
from ideal, his mother is hardly ever around, but he is his father’s obvious
favorite. Dad teaches him piano and reading and computer activities to supplement public
school education. So he talks to Dad a lot. Also, at many times in his life he has lived
with grandparents and not seen too much of his peers. I can’t help but believe it is
all that adult attention that has formed the excellent vocabulary,.
If you want to make vocabulary and spelling a little more
fun, Marvin Terban has written a series of books that use
riddles to help students learn the meanings and spellings of often confused words. In the
first, Funny You Should Ask: How to Make Up Jokes and Riddles With Wordplay Cat.
BTH-2751. $7.16-D) you can learn an innovative way to interest your students in vocabulary
exercises. Encourage them to use different kinds of word play to write or speak their own
jokes and riddles, as this book directs. Dove Dove (Cat. #BTH-2758, $7.16-D)
contains riddles like the following: "Divide the costumes into different
piles." To find the answer, one must replace the boldface words with a word that is
pronounced in two diifferent ways: in this case, "separate." (There are some
pictorial clues in the book, but these riddles are challenging enough to use with
secondary students. ) These can make nice puzzles to put on the board for students to
figure out as they come into class, or they could be used as bonus questions on vocabulary
tests. Eight Ate (Cat. BTH-2756, $7.16-D) contains riddles that can be answered
by a pair or trio of homonyms. Example: "What is a large animal with
thick fur but no clothes on?" Give up? It’s a bare bear, of course. Again, the
pictures would have given you visual clues. This book is not quite as challenging as Dove
Dove, so it can be used more easily with junior age children. They could actually
be used as cues for dictations on spelling tests to see if students can use the words
properly, and these riddles should definitely help students remembers the correct spelling
for each use. Other books in this series include Mad as a Wet Hen (Cat. #
BTH-2757, $7.16-D) which explains common idioms, It Figures (Cat. #BTH-2760, $7.16-D)
which explains figurative language and poetic techniques, and Too Hot To Hoot (Cat.
#BTH-2754, $7.16-D) which introduces palindromes -- words or phrases that are spelled the same backwards
as forwards, the best example being: "Madam, I'm Adam." These these are very
challenging..
SPELLING: Again, I sometimes think the best spelling
program is having your child read a lot on his own. My son, who was a horrible speller,
also was the outdoor type who wasn’t into independent reading. But it does rain
sometimes, and I wouldn’t read Boys Life to him. And as he got into his teens
he did begin to read more. That year of eighth grade we didn’t have time to teach
spelling formally, and , frankly, I was beginning to despair. But when the standardized
tests came around at the end of the year, he had progressed more than a year in spelling
with only three weeks of formal instruction at the beginning of the year. He had read
every Lee Roddy book he could get his hands on. He was, after hearing it several times,
beginning to read Little Britches on his own. And
he was beginning to pick and read other books that were lying around the house. I myself
read from the age of three, and I never had trouble with spelling. I attribute this to
being a bookworm.
However, I know this does not work for all children, and
that most of you want to incorporate formal spelling instruction into your curriculum. My
first suggestion would be to get the Natural Speller,
by Kathryn Stout and use it all the way through high school. It has word lists for all
grades through eighth, and they are arranged phonetically. It teaches the teacher how to
teach spelling, and suggests activities to help students practice the words, use the words
to help develop dictionary and grammar skills and to build vocabulary. There are also
writing activities to go with the spelling lists.
The Natural Speller also has a section
devoted to special word lists: abbreviations, calendar and number words, colors,
measurements, contractions, homophones,homographs, irregular verbs, foreign words, and
Latin and Greek roots, Another section contains spelling rules. Lastly, there are hints on
punctuation and capitalization; models for writing letters, and activities for using
prefixes and suffixes. Just about anything related to spelling is in this book. Cat.
#1507, $22.00*.
Edward Fry, PH. D. of Laguna Beach Educational Books had
written many useful books in the field of laguage and reading. His Spelling Book: Words Most Needed Plus Phonics for Grades 1-6 (Cat
#1525, $29.95) contains 35 lessons for each grade level covered (except
grade 1 has only 20), and each lesson has a study sheet which can be duplicated for
students. Lessons include a spelling list of instant words in large,easy-to-read,
bold-face type, a word study related to phoncs, and a list of varient forms of all words
introduced. The appendix contains detailed suggestions on how to teach spelling, spelling
rules, phonics charts, and parent help suggestions. This book is ideal for classroom or
home teachers. One can also obtain individual spelling workbooks for $4.95 each: Level
1-2 (Cat, # 1526); Level 2-3 (Cat. #1527; Level 3-4
(Cat. #1528). Level 4-5 (Cat. # 1529); Level 5-6 (Cat. #1530);
and Level 6+ (Cat. #1531). If you’re only expecting to work with one or
two students in a couple of grades, this may be a more economical way to go. (I
no longer stock the individual grade levels, but am willing to order them if you
would rather use them.)
The Common Sense Spelling Program by Gale Graham, includes
two books. How to Teach Any Child to Spell
($8.00) helps the teacher set up a program to pull a student’s own misspelled
words out of his writing. Then in the student book, Tricks of the Trade
(12.00) the student categorizes and studies his misspelled words. The student book is not
necessary, just convenient.
These reviews and comments are only a drop in the bucket
when compared to all that could be said. But I think I’ve covered some of the most
useful resources, and I hope this helps you plan your year.
This is a reprint of an article from the
July-August 1997 issue of Books, Pens, and People.
Copyright © 1997 by Barbara Radisavljevic
All rights reserved.
Revised on August 28, 2004
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How Do I Teach
English, Part 1
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