Syntax Matters Developing Sentence Skills for Reading and Writing

Presentation Overview and Introductory Information

• Event Details:

  • Event Name: PaTTAN Literacy Symposium.
  • Session Title: Syntax Matters: Developing Sentence Skills for Reading and Writing.
  • Duration: $75$ minutes.
  • Facilitators: Karen Brady and Sharon Powell.
  • Resource Location: Session handouts are available via the PaTTAN Literacy Symposium Schoology account, organized by date and time slot.
  • Social Media: Information shared via #palitsymposium2020.

• William Van Cleave (Presenter Profile):

  • Profession: Private educational consultant specializing in morphology and written expression.
  • Experience: Internationally recognized speaker and presenter on effective teaching practices since $1995$.
  • Professional Projects:
    • Consulting with three schools as part of a literacy grant in Montana.
    • Member of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) writing standards committee for the state of Pennsylvania.
    • Implementation of multiple trainer-of-trainer projects for sentence structure.
    • Author of Writing Matters and Everything You Want to Know and Exactly Where to Find It.
    • Developer of various educational tools and activity workbooks relating to composition skills.
  • Professional History: Has served as a classroom teacher, tutor, and administrator in private schools.

Conceptual Definitions and Language Framework

• The Problem with the Term 'Grammar':

  • Broad Definition: Refers to the overarching framework of a specific language (e.g., the grammar of English or Spanish).
  • Narrow Definition: Refers to the nitty-gritty labeling, parsing, and identification of parts of speech within sentences.
  • Ambiguity: Using the term 'grammar' is problematic because it can mean two distinct things, potentially causing miscommunication between the instructor and student.

• Syntax Defined:

  • Core Meaning: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.
  • Shorthand: Syntax is essentially word order.
  • Function: It is a system of ordering words that makes communication manageable and effective for speakers, listeners, writers, and readers.

• Cross-Linguistic Syntax Variances:

  • Spanish Example: Often utilizes an "understood subject" where the subject is not explicitly stated.
  • English Example: Only one scenario uses an understood subject: the imperative (command), such as "Go to your room" (understood/implied "You").
  • Linguistic Interference: A native Spanish speaker learning English might drop subjects due to their primary language syntax; conversely, an English speaker may insert unnecessary subjects into Spanish sentences, which is syntactically jarring to native speakers.
  • Translation vs. Syntax: Learning a language involves more than vocabulary (e.g., knowing "table" is mesa); it requires understanding stylistic and structural requirements.

• Louisa Moats' Perspective: The grouping and order of words allow for the understanding of relationships among ideas, specifically the subject-verb-object relationship. English typically follows this subject-verb-object framework.

• The Semantic Impact of Word Order: Small shifts in word placement can dramatically alter meaning. Consider the placement of the word "only":

  • "She told him she loved only him": Indicates he is the exclusive recipient of her love among many people.
  • "She only told him she loved him": Indicates that out of all possible things she could have said, she chose only to state her love.

Pedagogical Approaches: The Three Camps of Instruction

• Camp 1: Traditional/Formal Grammar Instruction:

  • Methodology: Focuses on learning terminology, identifying, and labeling parts of speech in isolation. Often uses repetitive worksheets (e.g., underlining nouns for $50$ pages).
  • Research Findings: Decades of research (nearly half a century) indicate that isolated grammar instruction does not improve writing. Furthermore, students typically develop a fear or loathing of the subject.

• Camp 2: Incidental Grammar Instruction:

  • Methodology: Grammar is taught only as problems arise in student writing. For example, if students write choppy sentences, the teacher holds a mini-lesson on sentence combining using their drafts.
  • Inherent Flaws:
    • Lack of Framework: Students learn concepts in isolation without understanding where they fit in the larger structure of language (comparable to teaching the letter "A" without explaining vowels and consonants).
    • Insufficiency of Practice: Struggling students do not necessarily need a different methodology, but they do require consistent reinforcement, repetition, and extra practice to internalize concepts.
    • No Link to Comprehension: Does not bridge the gap between being a writer and a reader.
    • Lack of Common Vocabulary: Students do not develop a shared language (e.g., subject, predicate, noun) to discuss sentence construction effectively.

• Camp 3: Functional/Applied Syntax (The Recommended Approach):

  • Methodology: Uses the language of syntax to facilitate better reading and writing. Concepts are taught using a logical, sequential approach.
  • Principles:
    • Avoid rote memorization (meaningless or disconnected facts like long preposition lists).
    • Prioritize activities that engage students in genuine reading comprehension and writing.
    • Focus on concepts that have a perceptible impact on making better readers and writers.

• Research Highlights Support of Camp 3:

  • Sentence combining has a strong positive effect on writing quality.
  • Grammar instruction has a strong positive effect when embedded directly into the writing process rather than taught in a vacuum.
  • Syntax study improves reading comprehension at the sentence level.

Functional Parts of Speech (POS)

• Focus on Role and Function: Parts of speech should be defined by the job or role a word plays in a specific sentence rather than a static label. This develops a student's ability to understand how words relate to convey meaning.

• Functional Examples:

  • Man: Can be a noun, a verb ("Man the lifeboats"), or an interjection ("Man, it's hot").
  • Jump: Can be a verb (action) or a noun ("a ski jump").
  • Sock: Can be a noun or a verb ("sock it to me").
  • Smooth: Can be an adjective or a verb ("smooth out the bedspread").

• Instructional Best Practices for POS:

  • Keep introductions brief and straightforward.
  • Minimize labeling and identification; maximize generating and discussing original examples.
  • For older students, review basic concepts quickly to move onto advanced syntactic awareness.

• Visual Framework for Parts of Speech (Writing Matters Model):

  • Nouns and Pronouns: Interchangeable/replaceable; placed on the left as the core doers.
  • Adjectives: Linked to nouns/pronouns to describe or enhance them.
  • Verbs: Represent the action/go; placed on the right.
  • Adverbs: Linked to verbs to describe or modify them.
  • Prepositions: Used to introduce phrases.
  • Conjunctions: Used to join words and groups together.

The IECC Model for Syntax Lessons

• Step 1: Identify:

  • Traditional labeling of elements in existing sentences. This should occupy a small percentage of instructional time.

• Step 2: Expand:

  • Starting with a bare-bones sentence or phrase and adding descriptors (e.g., adding adjectives to a sentence about a campground).

• Step 3: Combine:

  • Taking short, choppy sentences and merging them into sophisticated structures. This is a research-proven method for improving writing.
  • Example: "My grandfather told jokes at the table. He is friendly. His jokes were funny." can become "My friendly grandfather told funny jokes at the table."

• Step 4: Create:

  • Students write original sentences using the targeted syntactic element.
  • Application: Ideally applied to the text being studied (fiction like Charlotte's Web or Hamlet, or non-fiction).

Sentence Parts: The Subject and Predicate

• Subject: Who or what is doing the action (the "doer").

  • Simple Subject: Usually a single noun or pronoun (e.g., "man").
  • Compound Subject: Multiple doers participating in the action (e.g., "Several boys and girls").

• Predicate: The action or the "do."

  • Simple Predicate: The verb (e.g., "ate").
  • Compound Predicate: Multiple actions (e.g., "ran and skipped").

• Instructional Strategy (Sentence Frames):

  • Use a picture prompt with clear action (e.g., a roaring bear).
  • Have students identify the core: "The bear roared."
  • Use choral repetition to reinforce the structure.
  • Elaborate through questioning: "What kind of bear?" (Ferocious black bear) and "Where/When did it roar?" (At the zoo last night).
  • Encourage academic vocabulary (e.g., substituting "scary" with "ferocious").

Advanced Clause Structure

• Defining the Clause: a group of words containing a subject and its predicate. Clauses are the "Legos" of the language.

• Types of Clauses:

  • Independent Clause: Can stand alone as a complete sentence (e.g., "I painted a picture").
  • Dependent Clause: Contains a subject and predicate but cannot stand alone (e.g., "While I was napping"). It creates an expectation of further information.

• Sentence Classifications:

  • Simple Sentence: Consists of exactly one independent clause. It can be sophisticated and long but contains only one subject-predicate relationship.
  • Compound Sentence: Consists of at least two independent clauses joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Neither clause is more powerful than the other.
  • Complex Sentence: Consists of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. This is the most powerful syntactic structure.

Subordinating and Coordinating Conjunctions

• Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS):

  • Meaning: "Co" means with or together.
  • Function: Keeps two elements on equal footing. Common for very young children (e.g., using "and").

• Subordinating Conjunctions:

  • Meaning: "Sub" means under or beneath.
  • Function: Sets one group of words as subordinate to the main idea. This structure requires more advanced thinking typical of third grade and above.
  • Impact: Changing a subordinating conjunction significantly changes meaning (e.g., comparing "While I studied" vs. "Because I studied").

Adjective Clauses (Relative Clauses) and Comprehension

• Definition: Special relative clauses beginning with pronouns like who, which, or that that immediately follow the noun they describe.

  • Example: "The doctor, who was nearing retirement, still had great skill."

• Comprehension Challenges:

  • Adjective clauses often interrupt the main independent clause, requiring the reader to hold the subject (e.g., "doctor") in their working memory while reading the intervening clause before reaching the predicate.
  • These frequently appear in expository/textbook language (science or history).
  • Cheryl Scott's Research: The further the main subject is from the main predicate, the harder the sentence is to understand. While vocabulary is the number one impact on reading comprehension, syntax is second.

Lesson Design and Resources

• Effective Lesson Components:

  • Concepts introduced clearly and succinctly with visuals.
  • Identification portions are brief ($5$-$7$ examples maximum).
  • Activities include expanding, combining, and unscrambling.
  • Students generate original examples based on text being studied.
  • Systematic sharing/progress monitoring ensures every student understands the content.

• Instructional Materials:

  • Bare Bones Grammar (targeted at primary students).
  • Writing Matters.
  • Professional development: Virtual intensives limited to $25$ people to allow for small lessons and competence building.

Questions and Discussion

• Timing of Instruction: Explicit grammar starts around kindergarten; instructors should use terms like "noun" and "verb" naturally during read-alouds or phonics activities (e.g., identifying nouns that use a target vowel sound). Oral sentence combining is effective for children who cannot yet write.

• Teaching Sequence: Start with subjects and predicates, move to clauses, and then put clauses into varied sentence types. Parts of speech should follow a scope and sequence (like the one available via PaTTAN).

• Hand Gestures for Conjunctions:

  • Two fists held side-by-side represent a coordinating conjunction (equal footing).
  • One fist held underneath the other represents a subordinating conjunction (the dependent clause leaning on the main clause for support).

• Certification: Act $48$ credit for Pennsylvania attendees requires attendance during the keynote and a session in each time slot, with verification completed via Schoology by midnight, June $19, 2020$. Presentations are archived on the PaTTAN YouTube channel.