Teaching primary grammar in context

When teaching grammar, we need to make children alert to the infinite possibilities of the English language – mechanistic tips and tricks are of little use, say David Waugh, Claire Warner and Rosemary Waugh..

What comes into your mind when you hear the word ‘grammar’? Word classes and technical language perhaps? A set of perplexing rules that need to be followed but seem to be designed to catch you out? Or maybe a creeping anxiety that your subject knowledge may need a little updating to cope with the expectations of the 2014 curriculum and the end of KS2 tests?

There is no doubt that the term can be off-putting, even though as experienced and effective users of language we have a strong, implicit knowledge of grammar. As the 2014 National Curriculum states: “The grammar of our first language is learnt naturally and implicitly through interactions with other speakers and from reading.”

Every context in which language is used has its own conventions, but we effortlessly choose and manipulate language to make our speech and writing appropriate for the many different purposes and audiences we encounter. We do this almost unconsciously, switching freely from the informal free-flowing conversation we use when talking with friends over a drink at the weekend, to the more formal conversation with senior colleagues at work. The way we write end-of-year reports – the precise vocabulary we use, the way we construct our sentences and the tone of our writing – will be quite different from the way we text, although punctuating reports with a range of emoticons might make them rather more interesting!

There is general agreement that enabling children to use language in flexible and responsive ways should be an integral part of our role as teachers. Being able to move in and out of different genres confidently and accurately is a key characteristic of successful language users. But what does all this have to do with the teaching of grammar? The answer is that it depends: if we have in mind de-contextualised exercises and formal teaching, then probably very little. Take the example below. You need to fill in the gaps and there are no right answers.

Tara chose a _____ blouse and a _______ skirt.

It isn’t difficult to find words to fit into the spaces. You could happily (or perhaps tediously) complete 20 such sentences. Underlining pronouns, circling adverbs and inserting subordinating conjunctions may possibly have merit for Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation test preparation, but making grammar the focus of study in this way has little intrinsic value. Completing the exercise above would be scant help for understanding and remembering the function of adjectives, or knowing that we need to use adjectives judiciously and precisely. Grammar spotting won’t help children develop the wardrobe of voices they need to communicate in a range of situations (The literate classroom, Lockwood, 2010), or have a positive influence on the quality of their writing.

So where does this leave us? If children have an implicit knowledge of grammar, and formal exercises are almost meaningless, is the only purpose of teaching grammar to fulfil our statutory obligation and to prepare children to pass the Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation test? There is, fortunately, an alternative viewpoint. David Crystal’s explanation may help to provide a way forward. He writes: “Grammar is what gives sense to language. Sentences make words yield up meanings. Sentences actively create sense in language and the business of the study of sentences is the study of grammar,” (Discover Grammar, 1996, Longman).

Myhill, Lines and Watson (Making Meaning with Grammar, Metaphor, 2011) persuasively argue that studying how language works can make children more alert to the infinite possibilities of the English language, allow them to evaluate others’ language use, and be in a better position to use it for themselves. They suggest that: “…a writing curriculum which draws attention to the grammar of writing in an embedded and purposeful way at relevant points in the learning is a more positive way forward. In this way, young writers are introduced to what we have called ‘a repertoire of infinite possibilities’, explicitly showing them how different ways of shaping sentences or texts, and how different choices of words can generate different possibilities for meaning-making”.

Their research provides good evidence that children can develop a knowledge and understanding about language that impacts on their writing when it is taught through meaningful activities. The even better news is that the annex of the 2014 curriculum recognises this, stating:  “Explicit knowledge of grammar is, however, very important, as it gives us more conscious control and choice in our language. Building this knowledge is best achieved through a focus on grammar within the teaching of reading, writing and speaking.”

Here are some thoughts to consider as you review your own teaching of grammar.

Be systematic and focused

Grammar learning is cumulative. Make sure you know what the children you are working with have already learned and what they need to learn now, so that you can link new learning with their prior knowledge. Think specifically about the elements of grammar that will help children become more effective writers of the text type you are focusing on, and narrow the focus of your teaching of grammar accordingly. There is no point asking children to practise their use of complex sentences just for the sake of it or when you are writing Haiku.

Explain through examples

Identify examples of the particular grammatical feature you are focusing on in the high quality texts you are reading with the class, and draw children’s attention to these during shared and guided reading. Make sure you have identified examples beforehand and can talk about them using the correct terms, so that you build up a shared meta-language. Be as clear as you can. For example, we often call adjectives describing words, but this can be unhelpful – words such as cautiously and gently are also descriptive but are of course adverbs. It may be better to say that adjectives give more information about the noun.

Focus on meaning and impact

Make strong links between the grammar being introduced and how it might enhance the writing being tackled. Allow plenty of time for children to imitate and experiment for themselves, taking care not to imply one ‘correct’ way of writing. If you are focusing on modal verbs for example, try using them in relation to a current sporting event. What difference would it make if Alistair Cook said we should/could/may/will/ win to England’s cricket team? Perhaps very little given the five-match defeat in the recent Ashes series, but this kind of approach can encourage critical conversations. This can (or should that be will?) help to strengthen the children’s self-awareness and meta-cognition. 

We can be confident then, that our role as teachers of grammar is not simply to correct mistakes in children’s work, nor is it to pass on tricks and techniques to be replicated in a mechanistic way. It is to make visible what experienced language producers know and do; to help children to control grammar to express increasingly complex ideas; and to extend the range of choices open to them as speakers and writers. It does not need to be dull. It can involve investigation, problem-solving, language play and drama. Taught well, it will not only allow your children to understand more about language and how it works, but will also encourage them to make effective choices from their growing ‘repertoire of possibilities’ (Myhill, Lines, and Watson, 2011, p.3).

David Waugh, Claire Warner and Rosemary Waugh are the authors of Teaching Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling in Primary Schools (SAGE Publications 2013), which provides teachers with the subject knowledge and ideas to teach grammar, punctuation and spelling in a way that sparks children’s interest.

About the authors

David Waugh is director of PGCE at Durham University. Claire Warner was senior adviser for literacy with the National Strategies and is currently an education consultant for Primary English. Rosemary Waugh is a linguist and classics teacher at Queen Margaret’s School, York.