ABSTRACT

The biggest myth about writing is that it is linked somehow to grammar. Whenever politicians take notice of writing skills in our schools, they blame poor writing on the failure to teach kids grammar, and they nearly always propose a “back to basics” program that will force schools to teach even more grammar. Ironically, most English textbooks for elementary, middle, and high school students already focus on grammar. For example, a popular text for middle school students, Houghton-Mifflin English, has little in it that isn’t related to grammar in one way or another. And, as a result, most teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools already teach grammar when they work on writing. Nevertheless, ask students what they need to do to improve their writing, and inevitably the answer is “Work on my grammar.” When parents see the low test scores in language arts at their children’s schools, they demand more emphasis be placed on grammar. When politicians turn their attention to writing, their cry is “More grammar.” Not surprisingly, students spend more time on grammar than just about any other unit of study.