Humanities › English What Works in Teaching Grammar Constance Weaver's 12 Principles for Teaching Grammar Print Grammar to Enrich and Enhance Writing, by Constance Weaver with Jonathan Bush (Heinemann, 2008). English English Grammar An Introduction to Punctuation Writing By Richard Nordquist Richard Nordquist English and Rhetoric Professor Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester B.A., English, State University of New York Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on April 03, 2017 For many years, when middle and high school English teachers would ask me to recommend a good book for teaching grammar, I'd direct them to Constance Weaver's Teaching Grammar in Context (Heinemann, 1996). Based on sound research and extensive road testing, Weaver's book views grammar as a positive activity for making meaning, not just an exercise in tracking down errors or labeling parts of speech. Read More Why Grammar Is a Timeless Subject to Study and Teach By Richard Nordquist But I've stopped recommending Teaching Grammar in Context, though it's still in print. Now I encourage teachers to pick up a copy of Weaver's more recent book, Grammar to Enrich and Enhance Writing (Heinemann, 2008). Assisted by her colleague Jonathan Bush, Dr. Weaver does more than simply rework the concepts introduced in her earlier study. She delivers on her promise to offer a text that's "more comprehensive, more reader-friendly, and more concretely focused on teachers' practical needs." The fastest way to help you decide whether you'd get along with Dr. Weaver, theoretically speaking, is to reprint her 12 principles "for teaching grammar to enrich and enhance writing"--principles that underlie all the varied activities in her book. Teaching grammar divorced from writing doesn't strengthen writing and therefore wastes time. Few grammatical terms are actually needed to discuss writing. Sophisticated grammar is fostered in literacy-rich and language-rich environments. Grammar instruction for writing should build upon students' developmental readiness. Grammar options are best expanded through reading and in conjunction with writing. Grammar conventions taught in isolation seldom transfer to writing. Marking "corrections" on students' papers does little good. Grammar conventions are applied most readily when taught in conjunction with editing. Instruction in conventional editing is important for all students but must honor their home language or dialect. Progress may involve new kinds of errors as students try to apply new writing skills. Grammar instruction should be included during various phases of writing. More research is needed on effective ways of teaching grammar to strengthen writing. To learn more about Constance Weaver's Grammar to Enrich and Enhance Writing (and to read a sample chapter), visit the Heinemann website. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Nordquist, Richard. "What Works in Teaching Grammar." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/what-works-in-teaching-grammar-1689663. Nordquist, Richard. (2023, April 5). What Works in Teaching Grammar. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-works-in-teaching-grammar-1689663 Nordquist, Richard. "What Works in Teaching Grammar." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-works-in-teaching-grammar-1689663 (accessed March 29, 2024). copy citation