conuly

"I told her outright that the assignment was badly written, there was NO WAY she could've done it with the information she's supposed to have had. Because she was getting every. one. wrong. Of course she was! And I don't want her thinking it's her fault, because it's so not."

That is so, so important. It's difficult for children to grasp the fact that often they're having a hard time because the grown-ups who were supposed to be helping them either didn't know how or couldn't be bothered. They tend to think grown-ups know everything, and actually live by the principles they espouse, and adults are tacitly expected to foster these notions.

What I wonder: how many of the kids in Ana's class also got every. one. wrong. and do think it's their fault, think that they're 'stupid' for not comprehending what they were supposed to do? Worse yet, how many of their parents will look at that assignment, fail to comprehend it, and have their own childhood "I Hate Grammar!" issues triggered like pop-up ads?

Sheesh, it's almost like in Brave New World, where the babies crawl toward the lovely books and are just beginning to enjoy them, when the strip of floor they're sitting on is electrified. The idea is supposed to be to encourage children to like writing, to find it fun and natural, and feel confident in their ability to learn to do it well - not to discourage them by making it a tedious chore full of hidden traps.

Tell you what; a teacher who wants to encourage good writing doesn't have to do much. Assign them to write at least half a page per day on any topic they think worth reading about, so that they write it as well as they're able, in terms of both technical skills and literary style. Provide them with resources, both hard-copy and online, that clearly explain the technicalities of style and usage, and show them how to refer to them as needed. Read to them every day from good writing of all different varieties, and talk with them about what makes it good. Turn them on to all your favorite books, and anything else they might find interesting.

That's pretty much 'it'. And to hell with all 'workbooks', sez me; way to make an otherwise-fascinating subject deadly dull.