1. Happy National Grammar Day!
By Guest Blogger on March 4th, 2013
Im reading this book now and
im in fifth grade do u know if
that was the only book to the
series of JUST AS LONG AS
WE ARE TOGETHER...
Bella on Book Pull: Just as Long
as We’re Together by Judy
Blume
Summary:chuck the evil
sandwich making guy was
almost about to be free to go
from jail, but he had to go to
the bobsperds to stay till four
a clock...
Zakeria on WordGirl’s (M)Arch
Enemy Week!
I watched wordgirl march
enemy week to learn more
go on pbskids.org Thank you!
Zakeria on WordGirl’s (M)Arch
Enemy Week!
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The Minds
It's
reade
reading
It’s National Grammar Day! To
celebrate we have a very
special blog post from CM
Reedy, a former English
teacher and current intern in
the Trade Publicity
Department here at
Scholastic. Take it away,
Reedy!
Today marks National Grammar Day, a day that brings to mind my experiences as an
English teacher. Trying to teach English to young students can be difficult, but getting them
to understand grammar can be even worse. As a teacher, I often looked for ways to trick my
students into learning. Candy proved an excellent motivator, but my students’ enthusiasm
only lasted as long as the sugar. The key to long-lasting learning, I discovered, is getting the
kids interested. This National Grammar Day, Scholastic has a selection of books
guaranteed to engage young readers’ minds and turn them into budding grammatists!
From author/illustrator team Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
comes Exclamation Mark (March 2013, ages 4 to 8), a tale of self-discovery. This
illustrated book follows the journey of an exclamation point, hoping to find a way to make his
mark. While this story teaches an important lesson about self-expression, it also shows the
proper use of punctuation marks with bold graphics. The book has already earned three
starred reviews and School Library Journal called a “must have.”
Home Books Education More News
2. Previously On Our Minds...
Art in Writing: Alaya Dawn Johnson talks about The Summer Prince
A recap of World Read Aloud Day
A new look for the Underland Chronicles!
“Ways to Live Forever” gets ready for the big screen…but first, it goes digital!
The minds of On Our Minds say thanks!
Comments
Bree Abel says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:31 pm
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You Are What You Read
Select Month
If you’re searching for a book that packs some serious
syntactical punch, look no further than Super Grammar, by
Tony Preciado and Rhode Montijo (September 2012, ages 7 to
10). Superheroes and supervillains illustrate the DOs and
DON’Ts of grammar in a full-color guide that reads like a comic
book. Inside, readers will find an impressive array of grammar
rules, including the power of pronouns and how to avoid double
negatives. This book proves that bad grammar is a crime. Click
here to view a Super Grammar poster!
There’s also Miss Pell Never Misspells (January 2013, ages 10 to 14), by Steve Martin.
This title serves as a guide that teaches tips and tricks for learning not only grammar, but
trivia across all school subjects! What’s the difference between a clause and a phrase?
What is a “memory palace” and how can it help readers remember important information?
This book contains the answers to these questions and so much more! Itching to become a
spelling whiz? Remember how to spell “broccoli” with a clever sentence: My BROther Can’t
Chew Or Lick It!
To celebrate National Grammar Day we’re doing a giveaway! Let us know your favorite
grammar tips and tricks below to be entered to win a super-awesome Super Grammar pack!
GIVEAWAY RULES: Enter the Nation Grammar Day giveaway for a chance to win a to win
a Super Grammar prize pack. To enter, post your grammar tips and tricks in the comments
below before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time that on March 5, 2013. One winner will be
randomly selected from eligible entries. Read the official rules here. (Giveaway open to
U.S. residents only; must be 18 or older to enter.)
UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed! Congrats to Maria, who was randomly selected to
win! Thanks for participating, everyone.
Posted: March 4th, 2013 under Books, Education, More News. Tags: books, holiday,
just for fun.
54 comments
As an adult I have several favorite grammar books, including Constance
Hale’s Sin & Syntax. It’s wonderful to see so many grammar books for
younger readers and writers!
3. Sarah B says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Holly H says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:36 pm
Amy S says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Heather C says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Lori Brown says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:51 pm
Julie R says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:54 pm
Linda M says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 4:55 pm
To this day I still use “it is more important to know what it is than what it
has” when writing “it’s / its”
I love the book Eats, shoots and leaves…the one for adults and the one for
kids. I don’t know that I have a favorite grammar rule but I know that my 5
year old is having a hard time with the odd spelling issues already (does it
start with a c or a k?) So I’m sure the grammar rules are right around the
corner!
“I before e except after c.” It amazes me to this day how many people don’t
remember this, especially adults!
I am a total word nerd, and love that my 5-year-old is right there with me.
I like the “he vs. him” trick for deciding whether to use “who” or “whom”.
always remember the proper use of your, you’re and it’s and its…. it seems
that contractions are going by the wayside
I have so many favorites! I before e except after c. A lot ….not alot!
RAVEN: Remember Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun! I teach this to my
older elementary students!!
4. Tony Noland says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Maia says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Maria says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:01 pm
ms. Delgado says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:03 pm
Melanie says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Monica says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:06 pm
I’ll do more than leave a comment – I’ll leave a link to a poem (which
appeared on my blog): Ode to the Semicolon
You’re means You Are! Your is possessive!
Last, but not least, knock off the cliches
Greetings from Puerto Rico:
Do you include Puerto Rico in the US residents? We are citizens,
nevertheless some companies do not consider us USA citizens,,,,BUT we
do pay taxes, use US money and most important do serve the ARMY,
NAVY, etc…
Have a nice day!!!!
I’ve got a few:
I like to receive compliments (not to be confused with complements). A
complement completes!
How to remember which Frances/Francis is female/male? Remember the
E in her for the female name; remember the I in his for the male version.
The princiPAL of your school should be a friend (or a friendly person–if you
don’t want to get too close!).
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’d like to have two deSSerts (remember the
two s’s to not confuse it with deserts).
Prepositions take objects, not subjects!
5. Christy says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:10 pm
juliloquy says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Gina says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Erin Brenner says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Candra says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Mary C says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Adding an apostrophe s to a name indicates ownership, adding an just an s
to the end makes it plural. i.e. You say Merry Christmas from the Kings
without an apostrophe to indicate is is from the whole family; if you say
Merry Christmas from the King’s you need to add who or what of the King’s
is wishing you a Merry Christmas or it is an incomplete sentence.
Not really a tip, but the best way for parents to teach correct grammar is by
example. If they are immersed in proper usage and read a lot of books,
kids’ sense of grammar will be automatic.
Also, when in doubt, look it up.
There is no such word as, “alot”.
I have two grammar tricks. First, I let my ear be my guide. We
unconsciously know grammar rules; I try to trust my native English
speaker’s ear. Second, when it sounds wrong, I look it up! A good
dictionary, like American Heritage; a usage guide, like Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary of English Usage; or a copyediting training book, like The
Copyeditor’s Handbook, are excellent resources.
If you are unsure, say it out loud WITHOUT contractions, then take out the
appropriate letters, i.e. “could have” becomes “could’ve”, NOT “could of”.
“most important” (not “most importantLY”)
6. Michelle says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Lissa Probus says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Gary McCormick says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:41 pm
Terry says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Holly A. says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Heather says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Bryan D says...
I like using Mad Libs with my kids for grammar. It can be really fun to have
them create their own for their friends to do!
When in doubt, leave the contraction out.
My bets grammar tip is “Read, read, read!” Read good writing and proper
usage will soak in without the need to memorize rules. When questions
arise, consult guide books, but start from a firm base of ingrained
understanding based on reading.
One that I still use a lot is knowing when to use a comma when joining two
complete sentences: FAN BOYS (for, and, not, but, or, yet, so). If either
part being joined is not a complete sentence (i.e. a phrase or a clause),
then you don’t use a comma.
It’s spelled “restaurant,” not “restauraunt” or “restaraunt,” which you can
remember because it has the word “ant” at the end, and ants like to hang
out at restaurants.
My favourite grammar tip: Proof read. That’ll catch many simple errors,
such as the one in your own article’s final paragraph, “Enter the Nation
Grammar Day giveaway for a chance to win a to win a Super Grammar
prize pack”.
A couple of people have mentioned “I before E, except after C”. As rules
go, this one is pretty weak! For proof, just ask your ‘feisty foreign neighbor
to seize their weird vein!’ If you want more examples, species and science
7. Comment on March 4, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Don from Delaware says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Don from Delaware says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Karol Westbrook says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Victoria says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Amie says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Nicole says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 10:04 pm
G Coco says...
should be sufficient!
A useful erecise is taking an age-appropriate section of the news paper
and going hunting for the first grammar error. One tip – local papers are
generally easier. Younger players can be given points for finding likely
suspects (“is that the right word?”)
Oh my – did a young reader catch my spelling error? I should know better
than writing on the train!
A lot is not a four letter word. Easy. Right?
The Alot Monster on Hyperbole and a Half has taught all of my students to
never write a lot as one word!
A coworker and I have “Grammaropolis” where we pretend we are in a
grammar town. We have songs each lesson, the grammaropolis games,
and constant high engagement to earn grammaropolis medals. The best
part – almost no worksheets!!
The word “weird” is spelled weirdly because it’s an exception to the rule of
“‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c.’”
I love superlatives. Do you know of any good books for kids teaching
8. Comment on March 4, 2013 at 10:27 pm
Ashley Beauchamp says...
Comment on March 4, 2013 at 11:54 pm
Dylan says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 12:29 am
Sherry says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 7:29 am
Sherry says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 7:32 am
Imperfect but trying… says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 7:37 am
Stemydius says...
superlatives?
I taught English overseas about two years ago and learning a second
language isn’t always fun for a child—especially English grammar. I would
teach the grammar rule first, then play a game to allow them to practice the
grammar rule. I used board games, songs, music, role playing, and much
more; whatever I could find that would be interesting and also educational.
Table charts and diagrams were also very effective in helping to teach the
grammar rules.
Most difficult lesson: Gerunds vs. Infinitives!
This is an awesome article. With each excerpt, I was drawn in and found
myself thinking about grammar nuances that I could remember. It amazes
me what we have learned since our early years of school. More so what we
have chosen to never forget.
When trying to remember if friend is ei or ie, remember, a Friend is a friend
to the end.
To remember how to spell tomorrow, break it into three complete words,
tom or row.
If choosing between “he and I” and “me and him” say the sentence without
the he or him and use the one that makes sense.
He and I went to the store / I went to the store (correct)
Me and him went to the store / Me went to the store (incorrect)
I give my students extra credit whenever they catch me making an error or
9. Comment on March 5, 2013 at 7:47 am
Carol says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 8:18 am
Sonja says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 9:38 am
Sonja says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 9:39 am
Jenny says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 9:39 am
Mindi Shelow says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 10:01 am
Melanie says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 10:36 am
Jennifer says...
typo on the board, or on a test, or in my discussion. They love being
“grammar police.”
I don’t have any grammar rules that haven’t been mentioned. I remember
more spelling rules than grammar.
I love the Words are Categorical Series (A Mink, A Fink A Skating Rink:
What is a Noun?)
I forgot the .
It’s and Its/ Your and You’re are pet peeves of mine. I’m also a sucker for
using good/ well correctly… and probably people think I sound pretentious
because of it Oh well!
If you’re not sure whether to use “I” or “me” take away the other part and
see if it makes sense. Jon and I went to the store. Jon and me (or me and
Jon) went to the store. I went to the store./Me went to the store.
To tell the difference between a simile and a metaphor : simile: the L is for
like. You just have to remember that like or as go together. They are
friends in this case. Metaphors don’t have like or as.
10. Comment on March 5, 2013 at 11:22 am
Darsh says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Wylie Jones says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 1:49 pm
Sarah J. says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Sarah J. says...
Comment on March 5, 2013 at 3:44 pm
casey says...
I enjoy teaching the difference between “me” and “I”. Choose between me
and I by removing the other person from the sentence and then picking the
one that doesn’t sound silly. For example, My friend and I walked to the
park.
My grammar trick is to continually consult the book “Eats, Shoots &
Leaves”; however, in terms of grammar tips I do quite enjoy “How to know
when to use Who/Whom”:
‘Like “whom,” the pronoun “him” ends with “m.” When you’re trying to
decide whether to use “who” or “whom,” ask yourself if the answer to the
question would be “he” or “him.” If the answer is “he”, utilize “who”; if “him”,
utilize “whom.”
Et voila, a simple substitution and you’re on your way to a classy and
grammatically correct sentence
“Don’t Jest Bee Kumputor Littterate.” N.Wylie Jones
http://www.knowords.com. Remember, “Technology Is Plumbing For the
Water Of Words And Ideas.” When looking for scams in the world of
technology they always mention look for grammar mistakes and
missssspellings. Works for me. English teachers never die; we just turn
into a metaphor or perhaps an anecdote. I was one for 30 years and miss
my students every day.
Oh, I would love this! One of my favorite grammar tips is that dessert has
two s’s, because you always want two helpings of dessert! Dessert/desert
are often used incorrectly, so I hope this helps someone out
@Darsh, that book is hilarious! So funny and full of great information.
tHERE — the opposite of HERE
hEAR — what you do with your EAR
11. Comment on March 5, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Margaret says...
Comment on March 6, 2013 at 6:30 am
Laura says...
Comment on March 6, 2013 at 4:31 pm
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What color is Clifford the Big Red Dog? (required) Why ask?
Spelling rule: their, there, they’re all start with the. There is not HERE. The
possessive their has I in it.
I tell my middle school students that we study compound, complex and
compound-complex sentences because they have complex thoughts, and
they need a sentence structure that expresses their complex thoughts! My
young ladies and gentlemen are huge fans of the FANBOYS (For, And,
Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)!
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