The Grammar Stage Writing Program; Developing the Classical Skills

Great Thought Inspiring Great

Thinkers

Intellect, Character, and Ideals in the Classical Tradition

The Grammar Stage Writing Program; Developing the Classical Skills


Thinkers


The students study, memorize, and practice the structure of good writing, emphasizing:

• Clarity• Vivid impression• Relevance• A relaxed natural style that represents faithfully the thing being described• Systematic organization• Descriptive, not persuasive; no student voice• Correct mechanics, grammar, etc. • Neat presentation (including handwriting)

- From Dr. Whalen

Goal of a Classical Writing Program in the SoG


Thinkers


1. Conventions• Handwriting• Punctuation• Grammar

2. Copia• Clear and beautiful expression of ideas• Ability to “play” with words; just as students know multiple

ways of making 10 in math, they should know multiple ways of stating an idea to be able to find the best way for a given situation.

Basic Skills We Practice


Thinkers


3. Facilitas (the capacity to produce appropriate effective language in any situation)

• Progymnasmata (14 styles of writing)• Students memorize the structure of different styles as they

get older• The goal is to develop the ability to choose the appropriate

writing style for different situations• To begin, students copy and imitate the teacher’s writing;

this gradually becomes guided writing and finally is done independently

• Teachers emphasize listening, speaking, and reading skills that support or stem from writing skills

Basic Skills We Practice


Thinkers


Kindergarten• Handwriting (printing)• Phonograms• Beginning sentence structure (capital letter to start, end

punctuation, space between words)• Retelling stories

Basic Convention Skills by Grade Level


Thinkers


1st Grade• Handwriting (printing)• Sentence structure; declarative, imperative, interrogative• Connecting grammar (nouns, verbs, etc.) to sentence

structure• Capitalization rules• Complex sentences with “and, if, but”.• Introduce paragraphs• Retelling stories• Beginning summarizing (looking for main idea)



Thinkers


2nd Grade• Handwriting (printing)• Sentence structure; simple and compound• Using adjectives and adverbs to create strong sentences• Friendly letter format• Summarizing in paragraph format• Answering questions with complete sentences that use words from the

original question• Simple paragraph format; topic sentence, at least 2 supporting

sentences, concluding sentence• Editing skills; punctuation, spelling, basic grammar



Thinkers


3rd Grade• Handwriting (printing and cursive)• Review correct punctuation and sentence/ paragraph format• Using adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions to create strong

sentences• Editing skills; punctuation, spelling, grammar, clear and accurate

details• Sentence fluency (length, non-repetitive word choice, etc.)• Imitate some historical writing (diary entry, letters, etc.)• Beginning outlining• Introduce essay structure



Thinkers


4th Grade• Handwriting (cursive)• Using adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions to create strong

sentences• Summarizing• Editing skills; punctuation, spelling, grammar, clear and accurate

details• Understanding and showing cause/ effect (using signal words)• Imitate some historical writing (legends, speeches, etc.)• Essay structure• Conducting research before writing an essay; not plagiarizing



Thinkers


5th Grade• Review using adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions to create strong

sentences• Summarizing• Editing skills; punctuation, spelling, grammar, clear and accurate

details, complete thoughts• Understanding and showing cause/ effect (using signal words)• Imitate some historical writing (speeches, etc.)• Essay structure with strong thesis statements and clear supporting

details in all subjects• Conducting research before writing an essay; not plagiarizing



Thinkers


How to Help with Building Convention Skills1. Lots and lots of practice; we aim for authentic

practice, though worksheet exercises are also used for instruction and practice with specific concepts.

2. Writing is strengthened by good reading; emphasize endmarks, paragraph structure, etc.

3. This year we’re starting to do some practice with dictation exercises. Though not every student will do these at school, they’re GREAT for review at home.


Thinkers


How to Help with Building Convention Skills4. Help students edit their own work by looking for

only 1 thing at a time.• Checklists are very helpful.• Encourage students to read their writing out loud or

even listen to someone read their writing out loud.• If students are consistently making (or missing) the

same errors, they haven’t mastered something and need more practice.

• Remember that it is MUCH harder to edit your own writing.


Thinkers


How to Help with Building Copia Skills1. Use accurate and specific language and explain

terms rather than simplifying the language. (“suffix” instead of “word ending”)

2. Encourage synonyms and homonyms and explore how they change the meaning of a sentence.

• This fits well when learning parts of speech in Grammar.

3. Describe people, places, actions, etc.• This is a great way to review in History, Science,

Music, Phy. Ed., and Art.


Thinkers


How to Help with Building Copia Skills3. Older students could try Erasmus’ letter exercises.

• “Your letter pleased me greatly.”• “Your epistle was an incredible joy to me.”

4. Write Grammar “Mad Libs”. Or do any Mad Libs. • My (subject noun) was sleeping quietly.• My dog was sleeping quietly.• My Loch Ness monster was sleeping quietly.


Thinkers


How to Help with Building Copia Skills5. Highlight beautiful writing or language that’s already a part

of your daily life.• Favorite books and poems• Family stories• Common quotes or sayings• Songs


Thinkers


How to Help with Building Copia Skills6. Although it takes time and practice to get students

used to thinking copiously with words, Temperance is also important.

• “The aspiration to copia is dangerous.” – Erasmus• Stop kids who add words just for more words sake.


Thinkers


The ProgymnasmataThe 14 writing styles:• Fable • Narrative (Story)• Chreia (Explanation about a wise person or choice)• Proverb • Refutation (Argue against)• Confirmation (Argue for)• Commonplace (More detailed description of something or

someone, highlighting a virtuous or unvirtuous aspect)


Thinkers


The ProgymnasmataThe 14 writing styles continued…• Encomium (In praise of someone virtuous)• Vituperation or Invective (Against someone unvirtuous)• Comparison• Impersonation (A character monologue explaining a choice)• Ekphrasis (Description)• Thesis or Theme• Defend/ Attach a Law


Thinkers


FacilitasThe knowledge that writing, reading, speaking, and listening

skills are tied to each other. Practice in one area helps all of them; weakness in one area affects all of them.


Thinkers


FacilitasTeachers highlight exactly what they want to see from students

when they listen, speak, read, or write. Some of the most common expectations are:

• Tracking the speaker• Posture• Stand to answer questions• Eye contact with your listener(s) or the speaker• Track text with a finger• “Clock” positions for letter formation• When are students beautifully doing these things? How will

they know?


Thinkers


How to Help with Building Facilitas/ Progym. SkillsRead a lot, talk a lot, listen a lot, and write a lot.

Model what good behavior looks like.

Remember that instruction is imitation and modeling, followed by exercises to built the knowledge, and only then do students begin to compose their own.


Thinkers


In Conclusion…

The Grammar Stage writing program is devoted to teaching and practicing numerous writing skills in every subject to make them as automatic as possible.

The framework of the progymnasmata is used to structure writing and lead to more logical and rhetorical writing in the upper grades.


Thinkers


In Conclusion…to Build Mastery of Writing SkillsThink of practicing writing skills like you think of

practicing basic facts in math:• They must be practiced daily until mastered.• They’re either correct and automatic or they need more

practice.• You don’t practice only addition, just like we shouldn’t

practice only punctuation or other mechanics.• Writing skills go through the same development process

as learning math concepts.• Apply writing skills in all subjects just as you use math

facts in other areas.


Thinkers


In Conclusion…Finally, please don’t hesitate to contact me

if you have questions about the goals of the Grammar Stage writing curriculum.

Becky [email protected]

The Grammar Stage Writing Program; Developing the Classical Skills

Documents

Transcript of The Grammar Stage Writing Program; Developing the Classical Skills