How to teach

Grammar
effectively!
 Successful grammar implementation occurs over
time and across varied contexts. Teachers should
allow multiple opportunities for students to make
mistakes, receive feedback, and improve their
skills.
 Every day, teachers should plan to include some
type of try, adjust, and try again feedback loop. A
typical schedule might look like this:
 On Monday, the teacher provides a relevant, real-
world writing prompt to the students. This low-risk
prompt gets students writing. The teacher writes along
with the students in order to model the thinking and
actions behind approaching a writing prompt. Then, the
teacher introduces different ways that the students
might combine sentences. Students choose an approach
and begin re-writing, applying this sentence combining
skill. The teacher walks around the room, confers, and
provides immediate feedback to students.
 On Tuesday, the teacher provides a second relevant,
real-world writing prompt and students apply the
sentence combining skill they practiced on Monday.
The teacher models this for the students and writes
with them. The teacher asks the class to use another
sentence combining skill from Monday and students
begin re-writing, applying the sentence combining
skill. The teacher walks around the room, confers,
and provides immediate feedback to the students. 
 On Wednesday, the teacher provides a third
relevant, real-world writing prompt and has
students apply the sentence combining skills they
practiced on Monday and Tuesday. The teacher
walks around the room, confers, and provides
immediate feedback to the students. 
 By Thursday, the teacher will have a solid
collection of data from students regarding who
does and does not know how to combine
sentences. On this day, the teacher can plan
extension and remediation activities so that all
students are practicing the specific skills with
which they need help.
 Friday can be used for summative assessment. 
 The outcomes: to allow students time to write, to
incorporate both formative and summative
assessment, to have students purposefully practice
a skill, and to provide timely feedback that
students can apply immediately.