tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post2778374402987679440..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: punctuating by breathCatherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-55525422956234324972010-11-04T11:10:51.055-07:002010-11-04T11:10:51.055-07:00The book, The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold...The book, <i>The Grammar of English Grammars</i> by Goold Brown is available free online by Project Gutenberg. <a rel="nofollow">http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11615</a> I'm not sure what's in it, but I heard about it at the International Dyslexia Association conference I just attended.K9Sashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07772723620696175949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-55682318982555877982010-11-03T05:23:37.017-07:002010-11-03T05:23:37.017-07:00As a Latin teacher, I use diagramming more and mor...As a Latin teacher, I use diagramming more and more with the kids and I'm always amazed at how they respond. At first they often are put off by the complexity of it, although that has more to do with the nature of Latin than anything else, but once they see what it allows them to do they rave about it. Often they'll ask to do more than I had planned to. <br /><br />The single biggest thing I notice when using it is how utterly incapable students are today at distinguishing between complex and run-on sentences. They think that a run-on is defined merely by its length; I'll show them bits of speeches George Washington gave and they're aghast at first. But once we diagram a bit of it they see the coordination and subordination of the various thoughts and it starts to sink in that long =/= run-on.<br /><br />Thanks for the book recommendation...I'm always on the hunt for something else to add to the reading pile.MagisterGreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447106786489253060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-33444205769947028072010-11-02T20:03:51.482-07:002010-11-02T20:03:51.482-07:00I am reminded by your post title of the famous and...I am reminded by your post title of the famous and hilarious Victor Borge routine where he illustrated his "phonetic punctuation" technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF4qii8S3gw<br /><br />I first heard this routine as a child, when I was learning punctuation. I have to admit, I sometimes still hear his voice in my ear when I am writing. Perhaps making punctuation more entertaining for students would bring it alive for them. Comma placement does seem capricious at times to me, and most certainly open to interpretation. On the other hand, I see a lot of high school students write run-on sentences, use too many commas, and weirdly place clauses. <br /><br />Sometimes the "formal rules" didn't seem to make as much sense for me when I read out loud, but at least Victor Borge made it fun.Songstresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413996300955347555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-87026143656690255162010-11-02T08:11:19.437-07:002010-11-02T08:11:19.437-07:00I have to say that the way writing is taught in sc...I have to say that the way writing is taught in school now, even more than the math curriculum, is pushing me to consider homeschooling my daughter. Both her dad and I were iffy spellers, and in the free-for-all of writing workshop I don't know that she'll learn anything. I see this in my college students -- they are slow, their handwriting still looks like they are in the sixth grade, and (as you say) they aren't really sure when they have a sentence. Plus, they've done so much navel gazing that when I ask freshmen to write a conclusion paragraph for a lab report, they are likely to tell me what they liked about the lab rather than what they observed.<br /><br />I am increasingly in favor of teaching skills in isolation, especially initially, and I think real grammar instruction is critical to learn to write well (and efficiently).ChemProfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-39452439291990063642010-11-02T07:26:32.720-07:002010-11-02T07:26:32.720-07:00Thank you so much for letting me know about Don Ki...Thank you so much for letting me know about Don Killgallon's "sentence composing" materials- they've been incredible helpful to me in teaching applied grammar/sentence writing in our homeschool. One more reason KTM rocks! :-)Crimson Wifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03254830856234479999noreply@blogger.com