Context Is Everything for Effective Grammar Instruction

Looking at writing in meaningful contexts, including cartoons, helps students see how they can apply the
rules of English.

By Shawna Kay Williams-Pinnock

August 12, 2021

High school student reads book out loud to class.

Despite years of research and practice, there is still no definitive blueprint for teaching grammar. The
only thing that remains clear and uncontested is that grammar is most likely to be understood within the
context of authentic reading and writing activities.

However, without knowledge of what meaningful contextualization looks like in practice, many
teachers, particularly new teachers, are bound to continue teaching the rules of English in an isolated,
drill-like manner. So I have a few practical suggestions below to help you support your students.

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Focusing on Science With Elementary Students This Year

Science instruction boosts students’ curiosity and encourages collaboration, which will help them
transition back to in-person school.

By Pam Goodner

August 11, 2021

Elementary students examine a butterfly outdoors

Looking to help students grow academically, engage deeply in their learning, and cultivate critical social
and emotional learning (SEL) competencies after more than a year of virtual and hybrid instruction?
Science—and evidence-based methods for teaching it—can help.

The 2018 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education found that students in grades K–3
were taught science for an average of just 18 minutes a day, compared with 89 minutes for English
language arts and 57 minutes for math. Science instructional time is only marginally greater in the
upper-elementary grades. And those are averages, which means many children go whole days and even
weeks without science instruction. Amid the pandemic, science instruction often has been shoved even
further aside.