Lessons that were shared

“Lessons to Share on Teaching Grammar in Context” is an interesting book. The information that I have received from it so far though, is very much along the same lines as every other child development/psychology book. The fact that all the information is about children’s language development makes me feel like I am reading all of the same books over and over again. I am sure that farther into the book it will break more out of development into teaching grammar specifically. And I can’t wait for that.
So far the two authors we have read don’t really meet up in their writing at least, at all. In the first book, he immediately dug into why he is different from most grammar teachers, from my grammar authors. He outlines his classroom and the different teaching styles he uses to get his class motivated and involved with their studies. This book begins by outlining where she got het information and her basis for study. This book is much more detailed about the research she bases everything on, citing Chomsky, Wells, Miller and Ervin, Kiel, and Nagy and Herman. She outlines childhood language development and spends time talking about each stage while the other author immediately dove into his specific classroom and what he expects from his students.
Weaver’s in-depth discussion of what we do and don’t know about students as they begin learning is very helpful in getting to know what you can’t expect from each individual student and the overall classroom.
It is interesting to me to see how language develops in a more specific sense, and even more interesting to really look back and realize that language is so ingrained in a child’s mind before they even begin to understand it in print, and way before they begin to understand the conventions and inner-workings of language and how to use it.
I really cannot wait to read farther into this book and learn more about language development and this persons teaching style ideas and guidelines. Woo hoo!