Grammar, Literacy,and

the Common Core

Hi! My name is Louie, and I help Dr. Vavra give presentations.

Who taught you how to

understand English?

You listened, distinguished sounds, began to talk (in very simple sentences), made lots of mistakes, were occasionally corrected, but mastered oral English on your own.

Don’t begin a sentence

with “But”!

Then you went to school.

In the 258 pages of Prejudices: A Selection (NY: Vintage Books, 1955), H. L. Mencken begins sentences with “But” on pages:

5, 7, 8 (2), 9 (2), 11 (2), 14, 15 (2), 16 (2), 20 (2), 22, 23 (2), 25, 26 (2), 27, 28, 30, 31, 35 (3), 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47 (2), 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 (2), 61 (2), 63, 64, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75 (2), 76 (2), 78, 81, 83, 86 (2), 87, 91, 92, 93, 94, 99, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 111, 116, 118, 119, 120 (2), 121, 123, 124, 128, 129 (2), 131, 132, 133, 134 (2), 135 (2), 136, 137, 140, 141, 142, 143 (3), 144 (4), 149, 150 (2), 152, 155 (2), 156, 160, 162 (3), 164 (2), 166 (2), 167 (2), 168, 171, 173, 174, 175 (2), 176, 177, 179 (2), 181, 183, 186, 187, 191, 194 (2), 197, 198, 200, 201, 204, 205, 207, 209, 210 (2), 211, 212, 213, 214, 216, 218, 219 (2), 221, 222 (3), 224, 225, 226, 228, 229, 230, 231, 237 (2), 238, 239, 241, 243, 247, 248 (2), 250, 251 (2),

253, 254, 255, 256, and 257.

On what authority, with what reason(s), are we teaching students not to begin sentences with “But”?

Right here we have a major problem

with the teaching of grammar (and English)

in our schools: poor rules, simplistic

definitions, childish sentences for exercises,

and fragmented instruction.

At a 1990 conference on the teaching of grammar, there were presentations on:

How primary school teachers teach the parts of speech.

How middle school teachers teach the parts of speech.

How high school teachers teach the parts of speech.

How college teachers teach the parts of speech.

We’re doing a good job in our schools, aren’t we?

What should we be doing?

Let’s start with the definition of “grammar.”

In Religio grammatici; the Religion of a Man of Letters, the Classical scholar Gilbert Murray cites Dionysius Thrax to explain that “grammar” derives from the study of grammata—letters.

According to Thrax, grammar has six parts:

1. The first and most essential is reading aloud.

2. Interpretation of figures of speech,

3. Explanation of obsolete words and customs,4. Etymology (the study of the origin of words),5. Grammar in our modern sense, and6. Literary criticism.

Most people do not realize that grammar in our modern sense has several parts. The most important for most of us are Usage and Syntax.

Usage is concerned with etiquette, things like “ain’t” and “Me and Bill went.”

It can be compared to our clothes.

Syntax is the study of how words in sentences fit together to make meaning.

It is comparable to our skeletons.

Which would you rather be without?

How did you learn to write like an educated adult?

The only correct answer to that is by reading,

and reading,

and reading.

Natural Syntactic Development

The following graphs and table are adapted from a table in Walter Loban’s Language Development: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve. Urbana, Ill. 1976, p. 35.

Avg # of Words per Communication UnitRandom Group

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

11.00

12.00

13.00

14.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Oral Written

Avg # of Words per Communication UnitHigh Group

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

11.00

12.00

13.00

14.00

15.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Oral Written

Avg # of Words per Communication UnitLow Group

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

11.00

12.00

13.00

14.00

15.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Oral Written

  Oral Written

Low 10.65 11.24

Random 11.70 13.27

High 12.84 14.06

A Summary of 12th Grade

Who is in the “Low” group?

A Psycholinguistic Model of How Our Brains Process Language

George Miller’s “The Magic Number Seven Plus or Minus Two.”

Seven colored bars represent the seven slots of STM:

If you want to go to Florida by car, you must plan to drive awhile.

Chunking

Chunking presents non-readers with two main problems.

1.Length:Writers do not have to worry about being

interrupted. They therefore write longer sentences. The following is from "The Wilful Little Breeze," by Thornton W. Burgess:

Now she was coming across the Green Meadows on her way to her home behind the Purple Hills, and as she came she opened the big bag she carried and called to her children, the Merry Little Breezes, who had been playing hard on the Green Meadows all the long day.

People do not normally speak using such sentences, and processing such sentences through a seven slot STM requires practice—and lots of it. Reading provides such practice.

2. “New” constructions:

Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17–, and go back to the time when my father kept the “Admiral Benbow” inn, and the brown old seaman, with the sabre cut, first took up his lodgings under our roof.

KISS GrammarKISS GrammarKISS is a multi-year approach to teaching

grammar. Its objective is not to teach textbook definitions, but to enable students to identify and intelligently discuss the function of almost every word in any sentence that they read or write.

KISS changes the study of grammar from a bunch of isolated definitions and rules into the study of how our brains process language—how they “chunk.”

KISS was originally designed as five “levels.”

KISS Level One: The Basic ConceptsKISS Level One: The Basic Concepts

To illustrate how KISS Works, I’ll primarily use a short text called “Mama Skunk.” I chose it because:

It illustrates how prepositions can function as nouns or pronouns.

It echoes how children learn language.

It’s cute.

Mama Skunk

Mama Skunk was worried because she could

never keep track of her two children. They were

named In and Out, and whenever In was in, Out was

out; and if Out was in, In was out. One day she

called Out in to her and told him to go out and bring

In in. So Out went out and in no time at all he

brought In in.

“Wonderful!” said Mama Skunk. “How, in all

that great forest, could you find him in so short a

time?”

“It was easy,” said Out. “In stinct.”

KISS Level One: The Basic ConceptsKISS Level One: The Basic Concepts

Subjects, Verbs, Complements Prepositional Phrases Adjectives and Adverbs and Coordinating Conjunctions

Mama Skunk was worried because she could never keep track (DO) of her two children. They were named In (RDO) and Out (RDO), and whenever In was in, Out was out; and if Out was in, In was out. One day she called Out (RDO) in to her and told him (IO) to go out and bring In in. So Out went out and in no time at all he brought In (DO) in.

“Wonderful!” (DO) said Mama Skunk. "How, in all that great forest, could you find him (DO) in so short a time?"

"It was easy (PA)," said Out. "In stinct."

Mama SkunkKISS Level 1 – Subjects, Verbs, and Complements

Mama Skunk was worried because she could never keep track (DO) {of her two children}. They were named In (RDO) and Out (RDO), and whenever In was in, Out was out; and if Out was in, In was out. One day she called Out (RDO) in {to her} and told him (IO) to go out and bring In in. So Out went out and {in no time} {at all} he brought In (DO) in.

“Wonderful!” (DO) said Mama Skunk. "How, {in all that great forest}, could you find him (DO) {in so short a

time}?" "It was easy (PA)," said Out. "In stinct."

Mama SkunkKISS Level 1 – Add Coordinating Conjuctions, Adjectives, Adverbs and Prepositional Phrases

KISS Level Two: Expanding the BasicsKISS Level Two: Expanding the Basics

This section includes several parts that textbooks usually ignore. They include things such as:

Varied S/V/C patterns: Long may they live, and happy (PA) may they be.

The “To” Problem: I don't choose to listen {to that tiresome Cricket}.

Palimpsest Patterns: The gates groaned open (PA).

KISS Level Two: Eliminating VerbalsKISS Level Two: Eliminating Verbals

The most important section of Level Two teaches students to distinguish finite verbs from verbals. Verbals are verbs that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

These examples are all from Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty.

His wife was standing {at the gate}, looking very frightened (PA).

Harry came in {after school} to feed me (IO) and give me (IO) water (DO).

Talking {against men} {in such a place} {as this} doesn't seem fair (PA) or grateful (PA).

KISS Level Three: Clauses (Main and Subordinate)KISS Level Three: Clauses (Main and Subordinate)

Clauses are the most important construction that students need to know. KISS introduces “clause” with compound main clauses:

She did the dishes (DO), | and he went

swimming. |

Comma-splices and Run-ons:Clause Boundary Errors

Comma-splice:

She did the dishes, he went swimming.

Run-on:

She did the dishes he went swimming.

Students make these errors because they have not been taught how to identify clauses—and how to punctuate them.

Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes

Semicolons suggest a contrast:

She did the dishes; he went swimming.or cohesion.

Colons and dashes suggest “general/specific”:

He found the house gone to decay—the roof had fallen in, the windows shattered, and the doors off the hinges.

The very village was altered: it was larger and more populous.

[both from Rip Van Winkle]

KISS Level Three: Subordinate ClausesKISS Level Three: Subordinate Clauses

KISS defines “subordinate clauses” as parts of main clauses:

[Before he had entered his thirteenth month

(DO)] he had become the property (PN) {of a

hardware dealer}, [Adj. who was accustomed

to wander {over the land} north and south, {from

the blue sea} {to the green mountains}]. |

Mama Skunk was worried [Adv. because

she could never keep track (DO) {of her two children}]. | They

were named In (RDO) and Out (RDO), | and [Adv.

whenever In was in], Out was out; | and [Adv. if Out

was in], In was out. | One day she called Out (RDO) in {to

her} and told him (IO) to go out and bring In in. | So Out

went out and {in no time} {at all} he brought In (DO) in. |

“Wonderful!” (DO) said Mama Skunk. | "How,

{in all that great forest}, could you find him (DO) {in so short a

time}?" |

[DO "It was easy (PA),“] said Out. | "In stinct." |

Mama SkunkKISS Level 3 – Add Clauses (Subordinate and Main)

There are three and only three types of verbals.

Gerunds are most easily identified by their function as

nouns—they can function in any way that a noun can.

Gerundives always function as adjectives. Like gerunds,

they end in participial forms— “ing,” “-ed,” “-en” and some

irregular.

Any verbal that is not a gerund or gerundive has to be an

infinitive. Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or

adverbs.

KISS Level Four: Verbals

KISS Level Five:Eight Additional Constructions

1. Nouns Used as Adverbs

The plane crashed three miles [NuA] {from here}. |

2. Interjections

Well [Inj], what (DO) are you doing {up here}? |

3. Direct Address

Alice [DirA], you must wake Boy Blue (DO). |

4. Appositives

I am Perseus (PN), the grandson [App] {of this dead man}, the far-famed slayer [App] {of the Gorgon}. |

Students’ Problems with Appositives

{In an article} {by David Glenn}, a senior reporter {for The Chronicle} {of Higher Education}, expresses Dweck’s idea of a growth mindset as thinking about intelligence as “malleable, rather than as properties fixed at birth.”

And with subordinate clauses:

{According to Michelle Trudeau}, [who is a graduate (PN) {of Stanford University} and was a Research Associate (PN) {at the Institute} {of Medicine} {at the National Academy} {of Sciences} {in Washington, D.C.}] reports of a study that proves the same.

Students’ Problems with Grammar

The students who wrote those two sentences both earned an A in my course.

Louie is crying, not because they earned an A, not because some students should fail, but because we have failed to teach students what they need to know.

KISS Level Five:Eight Additional Constructions

5. Post-Positioned Adjectives

Then we found a place (DO) deserted (PPA) and silent

(PPA). |

6. Delayed Subjects and Sentences

It is difficult (PA) to understand [DelS] him (DO). |

KISS Level Five:Eight Additional Constructions

7. Passive Voice

The mysteriousness {of the morning} was explained (P) {to Mary}. |

8. Noun Absolutes

The plane crashed three miles [NuA] {from here}, its tail

pointed back {at the sky}. |

Verbal slide to regular noun:

“the designing of buildings” or “designing buildings”

Gerunds as Nouns Used as Adverbs:

They went fishing.

Gerund vs. Noun Absolute”

They watched Tom’s batting.

They watched Tom batting.

Fine Points about Verbals

The Common Core proposes vague “objectives” not

“standards.”

It is highly repetitive (so people will not read it?).

Many of the objectives are silly.

A copy of the English Language Arts document can be retrieved from

http://www.corestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/ELA_Standards.pdf

The Pufferfish Common Core

“Standards” are objectively testable.

On page 56, there is a table of “Language Progressive Skills, by Grade.” There

you will find:

“L.4.1g. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two;

there/their).” This is shaded in for grades four through twelve.

But standard “L.4.3a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas

precisely.*” is shaded in only for grades four through six.

Does this mean that after grade six, students do not need to “choose words

and phrases to convey ideas precisely”?

How is this testable?

Vague “Objectives,” not “Standards”

Let’s look at the “to/too/two; there/their” standard in a little more detail.

(Interestingly, “it’s/its” is not mentioned.)

In the KISS Approach, students learn to identify the functions of all of these words at the latest in Level Two—and this can easily and objectively be tested.

If a standard is objectively testable, why is it repeated in later grades?

If you look at page 56, you will see that most (but not all) of the “standards” are repeated year after year. Isn’t this pure hot air?

Repetitive “Objectives”

Under Conventions of Standard English for Kindergartners (p. 26) Item 1 is “Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.” It has six lettered sub-sections.

“a. Print many upper- and lowercase letters.”

O.K., but how many is “many”? Apparently the

writers of the standards don’t believe that

kindergartners can learn the entire alphabet, but if

that is the case, in a standards’ document

shouldn’t they state which letters?

Silly Pufferfish Repetition

“b. Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.”

This is pure hot air. Is there any four-year old who

does not use “frequently occurring nouns and

verbs”?

“c. Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/

or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs; wish, wishes).” [my emphasis]

Really? How many five-year-olds would say “I saw

two dog”?

Hot Air Pufferfish Repetition

“d. Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who,

what, where, when, why, how).”

Give me (and parents) a break! Three- and four-year-olds

drive parents nuts with these words. My son was three when

we were driving down a road and from the back seat he said,

“Why are there rocks?” As I pondered an answer, he shot out

three more questions.

“e. Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from,

in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).”

What four-year-old does not use these words—and almost

always correctly.

Hot Air Pufferfish Repetition

The more I look at these “standards,” the

more I become convinced that their primary

objective is to present an intimidating mass of

hot air.

But that hot air is, like the pufferfish,

poisonous. It’s costing us billions of dollars,

millions of hours of wasted time, and it is

infecting both the students and the teachers in

our schools.

Poisonous Pufferfish Hot Air

“A just and severe censure has been inflicted on the law which prohibited the Christians from teaching the arts of grammar and rhetoric.”

- Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Vol. 1, N.Y.: Heritage, 1946, p. 686.

For us, the question of a law is irrelevant. Because of these “standards” documents, students simply don’t learn much about grammar (other than to hate it), and what the heck is “rhetoric”?

What Can You Do about It?

1. Study and oppose the Common Core.

2. Publicly raise the question: “Why aren’t students being taught how to identify the subjects and verbs in their own writing?”

3. Use the KISS site and teach children yourself. This can be done with anyyouth or literacy group. (Everythingon the site is free.)

How to Teach KISS Grammar1. There are thousands of exercises and

analysis keys, geared to KISS levels, and organized in several ways, many of them in printable MS doc format.

2. You can delete or add exercises.The texts, except for level of difficulty, are irrelevant. You can replace them (and haveyour students help you do so)with any texts on any subject.

Why aren’t students being taught how to identify the subjects and verbs in their own writing?

P.S. I could use help: local teachers (a local “KISS Grammar Group”); Publicity—a blog?, a “communications” network?;finding and transcribing state standards writing samples;ideas