Teaching Grammar

Strategies for teaching grammar in the classroom have evolved over time. Although it gets less focus today than in writing classrooms of the past, students still need instruction in basic rules of grammar in order to be able to write, communicate, and understand others effectively. Grammar skills can be divided into several major categories, two of the most important being morphology and syntax.

Morphology

Think of morphology as grammar at the word level. A morpheme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that carries meaning. For example, short words like “cat” and “skip” are morphemes because they do not contain smaller parts that carry meeting. Larger words can also be morphemes themselves if they do not consist of smaller parts that contain meaning. All prefixes and suffixes are also morphemes. Even though they typically can’t stand on their own, they still carry meaning by themselves.

These individual morphemes can combine in almost endless combinations to create new words. The word “jump” can become “jumped,” by adding the morpheme “ed.” The added morpheme (a suffix, in this case) gives the word new meaning. Combining morphemes strategically to create new words is called morphology.

Syntax

Syntax refers to the order and choice of words in sentences. While there are many ways authors can communicate the same thought or idea in writing, they are strategic about the wording they use in order to get across exactly what they want to say in the way they want to say it. Syntax also includes all of the specific rules about word order. In other languages, adjectives sometimes go after a noun, while in English, they always come before a noun. Subjects always come before the verb, and helper verbs always come before the main verb (will go, am swimming, etc.) 

Some other “rules” of English syntax are a bit more flexible. For example, there is flexibility in where we place the adverb in the sentence. We could say “I quickly ran to the store,” or “I ran to the store quickly.” We could even say “I ran quickly to the store.” All of these versions are correct and communicate the exact same idea. This flexibility makes learning English both easy to approximate and difficult to perfect.

Suggestions for Fitting Grammar into Instruction

A common concern in classrooms today is that teachers don’t want to take away valuable instructional time that they should be giving to cognitively rigorous tasks like analyzing the meaning of text, rather than its structure. But there are ways to keep that precious instructional time intact while also giving students the tools and language they need to master these important grammatical concepts. Here are some ideas:

• Teach morphology through phonics. Skills in morphology have a lot to do with phonics. Affixes, for example, are always explicitly taught in phonics programs. Actually teach students the words “morpheme” and “morphology,” as well as what they mean and examples. It won’t take up much instructional time and will help them see the structure of words more clearly.

• Embed small skills into writing workshop. Teaching students about word choice (and that there is a correct word order!) doesn’t have to take up an entire writing block. Integrate small skills in sentence structure into the writing workshop. Choose one or two a week, and take just a few minutes to explicitly name the skill, model it for them, show some examples, and have them try to use it in their own writing. Whether you teach them to capitalize the beginning of their sentences, or to put adjectives before nouns, there are so many ways to incorporate these skills into lessons you are already teaching.

Reading Resources for Bilingual Students

By Ginger Abbot

Working with bilingual students is both challenging and exciting. Second language learners may struggle in school, especially at a young age, but they will reap the reward of speaking two languages for the rest of their life. 

There are many tools available to help you work with bilingual students. Here are five ways you can empower pupils on their bilingual literacy journey: 

1. Visit Spanish Playground

Spanish is the most prevalent second language in the United States, with over 37 million speakers over the age of 5. Because so many young children speak this as their first or second language, free teaching resources for Spanish speakers are invaluable. 
Enter Spanish Playground, an online site full of free resources for teachers and students. It includes free worksheets, instructional videos, and individual sections on topics like poetry and playing Spanish games. 

While engaging with native speakers is the best way to learn, free bilingual reading resources for students like those on Spanish Playground can supplement your curriculum and add a lot of fun to your language lessons. 

2. Check Out Colorín Colorado

While Spanish Playground is geared toward teaching Spanish, Colorín Colorado is a site that focuses on teaching English as a second language. 

You’ll find many free resources for English instructors on this website, including a library search tool to help you locate appropriate reading materials for your students. 

Colorín Colorado offers free support to parents, teachers, and schools through article and video formats. The focus is on encouraging English language learners to read, write and ultimately thrive within their bilingual communities.

3. Research Academic Articles

A lot of teaching techniques are simply common sense: stay curious, be kind and work persistently. Your students will learn something each time they make an effort.

However, it’s also useful to stay up to date on current teaching methods and philosophies. Second language learning is an exciting and developing field, and you can learn a lot from studying other teachers’ and researchers’ methods. 

Use Google Scholar to search terms like “bilingualism and education” to check up on new research. Also, consider reading academic journals that specifically address bilingual and linguistic education, such as “The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.” 

You never know – what you learn may revolutionize your teaching methods and make a real difference for your students. 

4. Mix up Your Approach

Learning to speak a second language is excellent for brain development and cognition. It enhances memory and strengthens your students’ brains for better focus and increased ability to adapt. 

Language students learn differently depending on their age. Young students tend to learn implicitly, or through exposure. Older students learn more explicitly, by putting effort and thought into studying and practicing a language. 

As a second language teacher, you can combine textbook curriculum, video materials, and contact with native speakers to expose your students to both learning methods. 

5. Preserve Your Students’ First Language

Although Spanish is the most widely spoken second language in America, many bilingual students do not speak it. It is primarily up to their parents to maintain their first language at home. 

A few ways to do this include: 

• Speaking at home

• Engaging with media 

• Reading 

• Spending time with other native speakers

• Playing games or completing activities

Work with your student to make practicing their first language enjoyable and a priority. If one is available, you could also consider sending your student to a bilingual school.

Pursue Bilingual Literacy

Use these five tips to build a language curriculum that will strengthen students’ first and second language skills. 

Reading resources for bilingual students and teachers abound, and many of them can be found for free online. Search for language-specific tools, and don’t hesitate to ask other teachers what works well for them.

The Debate Over How to Teach Reading

You’ve probably heard of the age-old “reading wars.” This refers to the debate around how kids best learn to read. On one side are proponents of the whole-language approach. They believe kids learn how to read best through frequent exposure to various aspects of books and language. In this approach, kids learn words as separate entities, as well as each word’s meaning in the context in which it is used. This camp believes that with enough practice, exposure to, and discussion about text, students just become familiar enough with every word that they eventually become fluent readers.

On the other side of the issue are the defenders of a phonics-based approach to reading instruction. They believe that students should learn how to read by learning letter sounds and all the rules of language that dictate how we pronounce words. This is the way in which students learn how to decode (or “sound out”) text. In recent years, this camp has been backed by an ever-growing body of research called the Science of Reading (also a fascinating podcast--check it out here!) 

The Research

The research included in the Science of Reading movement definitively shows that students become more competent readers when given explicit instruction in how to break the code of written language. So with all this research backing it up, why is there still any question? Because unfortunately, it isn’t that easy.

The Problem

The truth is, some students do learn better through the whole language approach. Those who are quick to pick up words, how to read them, and what they mean don’t necessarily need all of this explicit phonics instruction (although it benefits all students to learn the rules!). In sum, while some students don’t need the explicit instruction in phonics, but benefit significantly from learning the rules, others truly need to this instruction in order to be able to learn how to read. These include students with language-based and/or reading disabilities like dyslexia.

So why doesn’t everyone agree that a phonics-based approach to teaching reading is best for everyone? Because sometimes, the focus lies too much on teaching students how to read a text, and not what the text says. When this occurs, it has the potential to put students who already struggle with comprehension at a disadvantage.

The Solution

The solution: teach students how to read using an explicit, phonics-based approach, AND make sure they receive plenty of instruction in comprehension skills, too. This will ensure that all learners, regardless of which approach to reading instruction is best for them, develop the skills they need in order to not only become fluent decoders, but fluent readers and consumers of literature!

Common Causes of School Anxiety

School anxiety is common, especially this year. Stress over any number of school-related issues may pop up for students at any time. And for the most part, a little bit of stress isn’t something to worry about. But if a student’s stress is chronic or gets in the way of day-to-day tasks, it should be addressed. And in order to address your child's anxiety, it’s important to know the source. Here are some of the most common issues.

Academic Sources of Anxiety

School-related anxiety is often academic, though it can also be social, environmental, or a combination of all three. Some of the most common academic stressors are:

• An emerging or undiagnosed reading or math disability. When students who have otherwise never struggled suddenly have a hard time in school, it can be alarming and confusing. It can also be difficult for adults to pick up on it if the struggle is new. Plus, many children don’t have the tools to communicate when something feels challenging.

• Undue pressure from adults. Whether or not they mean to, parents and teachers both sometimes put a lot of pressure on students to succeed. This pressure can be helpful when it motivates a student to go the extra mile with their work. However, more often than not, outside pressure to do well just detracts from the joy of learning. This can actually make it harder for students to excel.

• Public speaking. All grades usually expect a certain level of participation and presentation. As students move up through the grades, these expectations become more and more demanding. Many students develop anxiety around presenting in front of their peers.

• Increased workload & organization. As students move up through the grades, their workload becomes heavier. They also become more independent, requiring them to develop better organizational skills. Many students, especially those with ADHD or other learning disabilities, struggle with organizing both materials and information, making it difficult to get work done on time.

• Lack of support. When students don’t feel they have someone to turn to, or they don’t know how to ask for help, this can lead to feelings of helplessness.

Social Sources of Anxiety

Some school anxiety is caused by social factors. These are most common beginning in middle school, but they can certainly appear in lower grades as well.

• Bullying. Whether they are victims or mere witnesses, bullying behavior is always anxiety-inducing. It can be hard to know what to do or say in either situation.

• Fitting in. The social pressures that begin to pop up around late elementary to early middle school make many students socially anxious. Students dread the possibility of not fitting in with their peers.

• Friend dynamics. The same pressures often exist among friends in the same close social circle. Sources of ‘friend anxiety’ can include conflict, perceived conflict, competition, or just the act of drifting apart.

• Unstructured group work. Lots of kids feel anxiety about having to work with peers on academic projects. In younger grades, these are usually heavily structured by the teacher, which leaves little room for uncertainty. But in the upper grades, these projects are frequent and usually quite open-ended.

• Overloaded schedule. It is important for all kids to have balance in their lives. This balance needs to include school and homework, family time, time with friends, and alone time. When a child's schedule becomes too packed, one or more of these areas does not get its adequate allotment. This often causes students to lose an outlet they may rely on for stress release.

Environmental Sources of Anxiety

For lots of students, especially those with sensory processing issues, the environment plays a huge role in their ability to thrive. Here are the most common environmental stressors at school:

• Noise. This may be an obvious one, but it’s also the most common. Many teachers try to eliminate noise for those students who need quiet. Still, it is simply unrealistic for all sounds to be extinguished during all times when others need concentration. This can be incredibly stressful for those students who really need silence to focus.

• Peer learning dynamics. Some students become distracted or anxious when working with or near certain peers.

• Teaching style. While most teachers do their best to be adaptable and address all students’ needs, sometimes it’s just not a good match. When a teacher’s teaching style does not jive well with a student’s needs, then it’s unlikely that child will have a positive experience in that class. And if the teacher is unapproachable on top of being incompatible with the student, then that’s a perfect recipe for stress.

• Proximity to lesson/teacher/peers. Finally, some students need to be sitting in a certain spot in the room in order to learn best. This might be for reasons as simple as eyesight (they need to be close to the front in order to see the board) or for more complex reasons (like a need to be toward the outside of the room if being in the middle causes feelings of claustrophobia).

If any of these sources of anxiety sound like they could be getting in the way of your child's school success, the best first step is to talk to them about it. Hearing that anxiety and stress is normal and that there are ways to cope with these feelings can go a long way. 

Teacher-Parent Collaboration

Close communication and trust between student, teacher, and parent are always important. This year, however, this trust is more important than ever. As students readjust to school, they need to know that everyone in their educational life is on the same team. When there is a strong connection between home and school, it increases the likelihood that students will develop positive feelings about school, and prevents feelings like anxiety or depression. Students’ motivation, performance, and mental wellness improve. And it all starts with a close and positive relationship between the teacher and the parent.

Keep Each Other in the Loop

It’s impossible for every parent to be kept in the loop about every single thing that happens throughout the day. Conversely, there’s no way to keep your child’s teacher updated on every single detail of what's going on at home. That would be exhausting for both of you! Still, it’s important that you are filling each other in on the big stuff. If you have created a chart at home to keep your child organized and on track, let her teacher know! Send a picture of the chart and briefly explain why you started it and how it’s helping. Information like this is so important for teachers to know!

Similarly, teachers should be telling parents about whatever is going on in school that specifically involves their child. For example, if a student in your class has just started an incentive system to help increase his or her motivation or improve behavior, their parents should definitely know about it. For younger students, it can be helpful to have some sort of daily report of how it went—nothing complicated, just a sticky note or slip of paper with check marks, tallies, or some other quick system for reporting to parents how their child did that day. 

Bringing the Student into the Fold

While it’s important for parents and teachers to know what is going on in school and at home respectively, the main reason to establish these connections is for the student. When students see that there is close and consistent communication between their teacher and parent, it sends two messages. The first is that you both care enough to have formed a partnership in which your main goal is to help them succeed. Secondly, it adds an element of accountability. It tells them that they won’t get away with doing less than their best, or all of the caring adults in their life will work together to intervene.

In your pursuit to build a collaborative partnership, don’t forget who it’s all about. Your shared goal is success for the student. Of course there will be topics and conversations that you don’t want them to be a part of, especially with younger students. But it’s important to include them in the communication as much as possible. For older students, this should be virtually all the time. It not only shows them that you care, but that you want them to be involved in the conversations about their education. It empowers them and helps them build independence by allowing them to be part of those important discussions and decisions.

Understanding ADHD and Executive Function Skills

Challenges with executive function skills go hand-in-hand with ADHD. These difficulties can impact a chid’s ability to organize resources and information, manage time and tasks, and maintain focus and attention. As a result, many kids with these issues are labeled as “lazy,” “scattered,” or a “space cadet,” when in fact they are doing the best they can but simply need more support.

Given that nearly 10% of kids have ADHD, these challenges impact 1-in-10 kids and families. That’s why Smarten Up and Braintrust CEO and Co-Founder, Mara Koffmann, was so excited to speak with psychologist, Dr. Ami Norris-Brilliant, about ADHD and executive function skills. Dr. Norris-Brilliant, the Clinical Director at the Center for ADHD, LD, and Related Disorders at Mount Sinai Medical Center, discussed the connection between ADHD and executive function skills, the cause of these challenges, and strategies for supporting children who struggle with these skills.

Key Takeaways:

• Approximately 9.4% of children in the United States have ADHD. Boys are far more likely to be diagnosed than girls. That is because ADHD presents differently in these two populations.

  • Boys with ADHD are more likely to be hyperactive and struggle with self-control. This causes them to act in school and at home in ways that are more disruptive.

  • Girls with ADHD are less likely to be disruptive and hyperactive. Instead, they tend to be described as “dreamers” or “absent-minded.” Because they don’t have any problematic behaviors, girls with ADHD tend to be overlooked more often.

• Difficulty with executive function skills is a part of the ADHD profile, but these struggles also impact kids who do not have a disability. Some common signs with this area of learning include distractibility, careless errors, and forgetfulness.

• The frontal lobe controls executive function skills, and this area of the brain doesn’t fully begin to develop until age 8. It then continues to develop well into early adulthood. Accordingly, parents often begin to see signs of ADHD and challenges with executive function skills at specific developmental junctures. It is recommended to seek the support of a specialist when these difficulties interfere with a child’s safety, confidence, or academic success.

  • In early childhood, children with ADHD can make decisions that create cause for concern around safety. They act impulsively and have difficulty following directions on a regular basis.

  • Around 3rd grade, when kids are 8-9 years old, they are expected to complete more complex tasks with greater independence. Kids with executive function challenges and/or ADHD often begin to struggle to make this transition in school.

  • In 5th or 6th grade students transition to middle school where they have to keep track of more complex schedules, materials, and classroom expectations. This juncture is often a challenging one for students who struggle with ADHD and executive function skills.

  • With the transition to high school, students once again have to learn to manage an even more complicated collection of materials, information, expectations, and responsibilities. This is also a point in time when many kids need a new level of support in order to be successful.

• Recommendations for learning:

  • Create a visual schedule to support younger students with expectations for what to expect each school day.

  • Schedule breaks for your child during the day that create opportunities for movement and activity away from the screen. The possibilities are endless, but some ideas to explore include building with Legos or Magna-Tiles, movement games like Simon Says or a scavenger hunt, any sort or arts and crafts activity, a dance break or yoga session, or even a movement game.

  • Schedule time to complete work. Many kids need support and direction when it comes to understanding when to complete work and what needs to be done. Parents can help by printing out assignments and creating set times for completing independent work.

  • Use rewards charts! Set experiential rewards that are motivating to your child and directly linked to behavioral expectations.

Online Tools for Reading Comprehension

Kids use their time in the classroom to develop essential skills and gain lifelong knowledge, but sometimes they need more time with specific topics. Younger students may struggle with reading more challenging materials within the timeframe of the school day.

Teachers and education professionals can look into these online tools for improved reading comprehension to offer their students more resources that make reading easier and more fun.

1. The Literacy Shed

Watching videos may seem like the antithesis of helping students read, but it depends on the content. The team behind The Literacy Shed curates “sheds” on their website with short videos that tell a story and allow for in-depth discussions. Visitors can find teaching ideas and discussion questions listed under each video as well.

It’s an excellent way to tackle reading comprehension in remote instruction as well because the site is available to anyone with internet access.

2. Six Word Stories

Some kids don’t do well with reading assignments because they see pages of text and feel intimidated. Six Word Stories is one of the best online reading tools for students because it teaches about topics like themes, characters, and plots without requiring chapters. Use each story as a prompt to discover why it’s a story, what elements make a story, and why it’s effective in communicating its central message.

3. PicLits

Reading becomes easier when words are less of a struggle. PicLits takes a word-based approach to improve reading comprehension. Students can pick an image and peruse lists of words beneath that photo to describe what’s happening within the picture. Educators should note that this is an excellent way to build a student’s knowledge of grammar and story elements, but only if the teacher-student communication flows easily.

Miscommunication due to video lag, internet outages, or missed emails could cause confusion with some online tools. Always maintain your communication across multiple channels to make your reading comprehension tools effective for anyone who has questions or feels confused by the platform.

4. MeMeTales

Sometimes young students improve their reading comprehension in remote instruction with assistance from their parents or guardians. Elementary school students will love using the MeMeTales app to browse free picture books and read with their loved ones.

Every time they finish a new story, readers earn fun stickers and points that unlock story-related games. Kids will start looking forward to practicing their reading skills because each book comes with digital rewards.

5. Vocabulary Spelling City

Vocabulary Spelling City is another one of the many useful online reading tools for students. Readers pick four challenging vocabulary words and improve their literacy skills by playing games to learn definitions, word usage, and even phonics. It’s a helpful site for young readers in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Use Online Tools for Reading Comprehension

These are just a few online tools for improved reading comprehension, but students will have to try each one to discover which one is best for their needs. Whether kids need to expand their vocabulary, dive into thematic story elements, or rediscover why reading is fun, these apps and websites can help them get there with extra practice outside of the classroom.

Sight Words Made Easy

"Orthographic mapping" certainly doesn't flow off the tongue, nor is it a term we hear used very frequently. Yet, it is a process that is central to becoming a confident, fluent reader. That's because once we've orthographically mapped a word, it means we are able to instantly read it without putting effort into decoding. This process is the key to unlocking the magic of books and reading!

And given the importance of this skill, we were so excited to learn strategies for making orthographic mapping more accessible and applicable in the classroom and at home. Listen to Smarten Up CEO and Founder, Mara Koffmann, in conversation with reading expert Heidi Martin, and read on for key takeaways!

Key Takeaways

• Contrary to popular belief, “sight words” are not just high frequency words with irregular spelling. Instead, a “sight word” is any word that we know and recognize by sight. And as adults, we generally have between 30,000 and 70,000 words in our sight word vocabulary.

• Orthographic mapping is a strategy for learning new sight words in order to expand the set of words we can recognize by sight. It is a process that maps phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters) to make it easier to learn the spelling of words. And it is particularly useful to use orthographic mapping to learn high frequency words with an irregular sound spelling.

• Orthographic mapping is far more efficient and effective than simply memorizing words by drilling letters. With rote memorization, it will typically take 5-500 repetitions for kids to learn a new word! With orthographic mapping, kids will typically learn a new sight word after practicing just 1-4 times!

• To orthographically map a word …

  • First, have kids say the word.

  • Then, have them identify the number of sounds in the word.

  • Next, help them identify the letter(s) making each of those sounds.

  • Last, have kids practice reading and writing the word.

  • *If children haven’t learned the spelling pattern making a particular sound or if letters are making a surprising sound, you can put a heart around those letters to show that the kids have to remember that part of the word by heart. The more that you can talk about and explore these new patterns or surprises as a part of the orthographic mapping process, the better!

• With orthographic mapping, kids can see that most words have predictable spelling pattern. This strategy helps to draw attention to specific parts of words they might need to remember by heart, but highlights that the other letter-sound relationships follow the spelling rules they already know.

• Heidi’s favorite strategies for making orthographic mapping fun and multi-sensory…

  • Use the heart strategy to make irregular spellings really stand out visually.

  • Have kids use popper fidget toys or sound tubes to see and feel each sound in a word.

  • Of course fancy tools aren’t necessary; kids can also use their bodies to jump, punch, or wiggle each sound in a word, or use a spoon or pencil to tap out sounds as well.

The Link Between Reading and Writing

As students develop and hone their writing skills, they become more competent readers. Their ability to think critically about text and interact with it in rich and meaningful ways improves. The opposite is also true. The more we read, the better our writing becomes. That’s because the processes of reading and writing are undeniably connected. One could view them as the inverses of each other, and while they use different skills, growth in one invariably strengthens the other.

“Reading as a Writer”

An effective way to help students see the link between reading and writing is to teach them how to “read as a writer.” This means not only practicing regular reading skills like fluency and comprehension, but actually analyzing how the text itself was written. Students do this by looking for choices the author made, devices they used in their writing, and how they structured their writing. When students read text through this lens, they get more out of their reading, and they deepen their knowledge of choices they themselves can make as a writer.

“Writing as a Reader”

Just like we should read books looking for the writer’s moves, we can also write with our readers in mind. When we “write as a reader,” we keep our focus on how our writing will be received, whether it will make sense, and what message it sends. So often, emerging writers write with one intention, but they end up writing something that has a completely different effect. When writers think about their readers as they write, they are more likely to end up leaving their readers with what they intended.

Writing About Reading

A great way to integrate reading and writing in the classroom is to have students write about the books they read. Writing about one’s reading helps them to process what they’ve read and practice crucial writing skills. There are so many ways to get students to write about their reading:

• Answer open-ended questions/prompts about the text

• Write a sequel/prequel

• Continue the story

• Write a letter or journal entry as a character

• Write a news article about an event (real or imaginary)

• Ask and answer questions as they read

• Teach them how to annotate text

Not only are there lots of ways to integrate reading and writing instruction, but doing so will set your students up for success. They’ll become much more confident and competent readers and writers when the two subject areas are integrated.

The Importance of Multisensory Instruction

Multi-sensory instruction is a teaching methodology in which students have the opportunity to engage with content or activities using more than one sense. It’s a great teaching strategy to increase student motivation, and a highly effective way to make sure every student learns.

Why is Multi-Sensory Instruction So Important?

No two students learn in the exact same way. Some learn best by watching. Others learn best by listening. And many learn best by doing. All of the various ways in which we process new information are made even stronger when they are all available to us at the same time. Offering modes of learning that allow students to engage as many senses as possible ensures the maximum number of students will be able to access the lesson or activity. It also makes it much more likely that everyone will experience more meaningful learning.

What the Research Says

According to Waterford.org, children learn best through “whole brain learning.” This is where multiple areas of the brain are activated at once while the student is learning something new and it is proven to lead to much longer-lasting gains. One study in particular found that students who learned reading skills by simultaneously engaging their visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways experienced more profound reading gains than students who only learned using one method.

Examples of Multi-Sensory Learning

Many teachers become overwhelmed when trying to find ways to make all of their lessons and activities multisensory. But it doesn’t have to require hours of preparation or reinventing the wheel. Here are some simple, low-prep ways to make learning more multisensory for all students:

• Centers are a great way to differentiate what and how students learn. While centers can take some prep time in the beginning, when they are planned strategically and set up in the right way, they can be used and reused all year long!

• Introduce quiet instrumental music during independent work time.

• Give students access to audiobooks they can listen to and follow along with.

• Have students engage all the senses while learning letter sounds by singing songs about letters while making the letters with their bodies and having access to a visual of the letters.

• Let students buddy read with a peer.

• Give students manipulatives and modeling materials to explore concepts in math and other subjects.