Grammar training manual will show teachers some simple literacy
A manual has been written because many of the state’s 63,000 primary teachers need help, said Education Minister Adrian Piccoli.
NSW
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TEACHERS are being retaught their ABCs.
A how-to-teach grammar manual has been written because many of the state’s 63,000 primary teachers struggle to teach key literacy.
The manual winds back the clock on teacher training to the most basic fundamentals, even explaining to them what makes a sentence, amid concerns thousands of new teachers enter the classroom without a forensic knowledge of grammar, making them ill-equipped to teach it.
Grammar disastrously fell out of favour in schools during the 1980s, creating a generation of students who left school without learning the mechanics of language. Senior educators described it as an “intergenerational problem” that was now affecting teachers and today’s students.
The manual, produced by the Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW, tells teachers of K-6 students about nouns, verbs and pronouns and provides examples of the most common errors.
It includes the definition of a sentence as a “group of words that makes complete sense and is marked by a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark at the end”.
Teachers will be charged $20 a copy.
Public Schools Principals’ Forum chair Cheryl McBride yesterday challenged the need for such a manual.
“The assumption is that primary teachers don’t know (grammar) but they do,” Ms McBride said.
“There are text books, professional development and mentors available to teachers. Teachers can also go on a 10-week course to bring themselves up to speed if they feel they need it.
“This (manual) may be a nice little thing for mums and dads but there are more important programs on the education agenda than a ready reckoner for grammar.”
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said some teachers may need help to become more confident to teach grammar, which was vital to give students the building blocks to speak and write with clarity and confidence.
“Primary teachers are generalists and sometimes are not confident in teaching subjects like maths and science,” he said. “Maths and science teachers, too, may need (the manual) to renew their focus on grammar. This is an additional resource … to prepare lessons and support student learning.”
The Australian Council for Educational Research, which last week released a scathing report about the declining performance of the nation’s 15-year-olds, said professional learning for teachers should address the technical skills of writing as well as literacy skills.
CEO Geoff Masters said: “The goal should be to ensure that teachers have the explicit skills needed to understand and teach students about syntax and grammar, but also spelling, word usage and text organisation.
“We know that teachers are constantly looking for resources … to develop their professional content knowledge and teaching skills.”
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