Most people would agree that teaching grammar has some value, but as I mentioned in my first post, the how, what, and why of instruction continue to polarize teachers.

As I began my quest to find the answers to these questions, I first focused on research that addressed how to teach grammar. I quickly realized that before I could answer this question of how to teach grammar, I needed to understand why to teach it; the answer to this question determines the rest.

Grammar. Over the last few decades, this simple word has spurred a lot of discussion in the field of education about how to teach grammar, which skills to teach when, and even whether or not to teach grammar at all. These are all issues that have been debated by researchers and teachers alike. Little did I know that I, a humble first-year teacher, would become a part of the discussion.

 When I first started as a language arts teacher, I attended a conference for teachers of reading and writing. During a session break, I happened to overhear a conversation among teachers about the issue of grammar. Curious and eager to gain insight from more experienced teachers, I began to listen intently. I was quite surprised by what I heard.