Grammar has historically borne a scarlet letter on par with Hester Prynne’s. It walked this world largely alone, with only a punctilious few whose affinity for grammar seemingly began in-utero, as its only champion. The rest of us have ambled through our daily lives, desperately hoping we never encountered these scarlet letters and unwittingly imposed on them our tin ear for language—and their invariable earful about our apathetic destruction of the language they so cherish. Yet as of late, grammar has begun to relinquish its status as a sideshow of education, unshackling itself from its pariah image, and is emerging to be a power player in schools, in educational discourse, and in daily life.
Among the trends that are catalysts to grammar’s newfound image is the significant shift in the content of the dreaded and ever-important SAT and ACT tests. Two-thirds of the newly-revised writing section of the SAT, for instance is littered with need-to-know grammar references. Clearly, a deep understanding of grammar is critical to success on the SAT. But it’s not over once a student manages to secure admission into a university or college. An inappropriate “too” (versus “two” or “to”), possessive apostrophe use, or misplaced semicolon in an email to a professor or prospective employer can quickly undermine a prospective college student’s credibility.
Beyond today’s “go-to” college prep tests and university hallways, in a technologically fast-paced, information-rich and email-friendly world, the ability to communicate effectively is paramount. With so many bloggers, television pundits, “talking heads,” and others vying for airspace and internet attention, those who can write and speak persuasively are those who command an audience. More importantly, even if we aren’t officially trendsetters, we are able to be in contact with an exponentially larger number of people in a techie world.
SO WHY NOT EMBRACE GRAMMAR AS A SUBJECT OF STUDY?
What if we changed our long-held paradigm of grammar as our modern-day Hester Prynne and actually befriended her? Perhaps decided that our tin ear, though potentially rusty, was capable of perfect or near-perfect grammar pitch? I daresay that we might just be BFFLs, “Best Friends For Life.” Here's why.
Grammar isn’t a subject; it’s a means of expression. Sure, grammar has strictures and formulas that need to be followed regularly to communicate effectively, but it is far more powerful and flexible than just a series of rules. In fact, grammar is the very essence of our clarity or our confusion. Whether we are misunderstood, championed, scorned, or followed, rests largely on our ability to communicate our ideas clearly and cogently. What we are trying to say matters very much, but how we say it determines its reception. The placement of a comma, for instance, can entirely change the meaning of a sentence. The placement of a semicolon can change the intimacy between two ideas. When we understand the fundamentals of grammar, we gain the ability to further control our message. Knowing this outcome, we can readily pour the passion we have for what we are communicating into how we communicate it.
GRAMMAR: A HOME SCHOOL FAMILY’S FRIEND OR FOE?
Many of us envision grammarians as wizened old professors who have taken their red pens to the extreme, running amuck in their quest to correct our malapropisms, “undangle” our dangling modifiers, and evaluate whether we truly understand gerunds. We hold a “we versus they” mentality in that we are the plebeians, the appallingly tin-eared, who hold our breath while they, the grammarians, the elite, judge us. But the fact is that we need not fear for ourselves or our children when grammar as a subject is mentioned.
GRAMMARLOGUES: A REVOLUTION IN READING AND WRITING
Grammarlogues, a company founded in 2008 by a former English teacher and an IBM consultant who recognized the value of marrying grammar and technology, is committed to helping homeschooling parents and children harness the power of grammar in their daily lives. Featuring over 200 grammar concepts, Grammarlogues offers a curriculum for sixth through twelfth grade-level students. The program includes a software component that is downloaded onto the family’s computer, and a web-based component that includes diagnostic tests to assess students’ current understanding of grammar as well as hundreds of quizzes of varying difficulty to help students find success.
Parents can choose whether to allow their children to use the program independently or to play a more active role in instruction (the program includes many teacher’s notes with tips on differentiating instruction and making learning fun), assigning practice sets, and monitoring progress (a gradebook captures children’s scores on practice sets).
Importantly, Grammarlogues is based on the idea that grammar is best taught by referencing literary giants from various time periods, genres, and countries. Consequently, each concept is introduced and explained through literary excerpts. Over 1000 authors and literary works are referenced in the software and online components. Grammarlogues reminds us that great writers understand that grammar can be employed with flexibility when done intentionally.
Grammarlogues is an award-winning, affordable, easy-to-use tool that can help homeschool parents confidently bring grammar into their children’s worlds. The grammar ship has sailed, folks, and it is moving to the center stage of education. Join the revolution by purchasing Grammarlogues! Visit www.grammarlogues.com today! ♦
