Grammar and usage skills scarce in high school English classes

Amer. School Board Journal ^ | ASBJ

[hsmomx3]

When students enter college, their English instructors want them to have a good grasp of grammar and usage skills. Unfortunately, high school English teachers don't consider those skills important, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

A national curriculum survey by ACT, the company that creates the widely-used college admissions test, found that grammar and usage were the least likely to be taught at the 700 high schools surveyed.

Among the high school teachers surveyed, 90 percent said they taught sentence structure, writing strategy, organization, and style, and 83 percent taught punctuation. Only 69 percent said they taught grammar and usage. College teachers surveyed said that grammar and usage were the most important skills for their classes.

(Digested from the Chicago Sun-Times, April 9, 2003)

[BSunday]

Your a looser! ;')

Yes! A seriesly hugh looser! Butt I bet thay where lead to it by there school principles.

[Destructor]

Dey be lissenin' ta too much rap!

[Stay the course]

Your fighting a loosing battle. Most people, don't even know where to put commas.

[k2blader]

*LOL*

I hear ya.

Just having a bit o' fun here. :-D

[-YYZ-]

Don't forget affect/effect.

Also, a little pet peeve of mine, what's with "orientated"? The dictionary says it's valid, but to me it seems that "oriented" means the same thing and has the advantage of having one fewer syllables. Near as I can tell, through sloppy usage the noun "orientation" has resulted in the bastardized verbs "orientate", probably as a result of management types trying to sound more intelligent by adding syllables to words.

[Aggie Mama]

That's nice to hear. DH and I have been debating whether or not to send our kids to Catholic school. Our first is just about to complete kindergarten in the public school down the street.

The public elementary seems to be a wonderful school, but what worries me is what happens once the kids hit jr. high.

[k2blader]

Your post reminded me...

"too" versus "to"!

[BSunday]

Hey! Don't even start that crap! We had a very lively discussion in the office today about "irregardless" LOL

[Spyder]

Wha?

No go talk stink about da kine. (grin).

[grobdriver]

Effect/Affect and the use of "I" instead of "me"
"Bring a drink for your sister and I" *shudder*

[thetruckster]

"The public elementary seems to be a wonderful school, but what worries me is what happens once the kids hit jr. high."

My kids' friends (who attended Christian schools) told me that drug use, promiscuity, and all other "public" school problems are just as rampant in private/religious schools.

If we are being taxed to pay for public schools, we should hold to the fire the feet of the administrators and bureaucrats. All parents need to be involved and be a presence in any school attended.

[bwteim]

Your you are fighting a loosing losing battle. Most people, no comma needed don't even know where to put commas.
grin

[BSunday]

yah, either that or dont' complane.

[goodnesswins]

Hey...fits right in with the Dimocrat plan....keep 'em dumb and stupid. They'll love their jobs at McD's and working for the Chinese.

[k2blader]

That graphic is hilarious!

[BSunday]

bttt

[k2blader]

'K' den, jus' fo dat, I gon' pos' dis poem. ;-)


DA 'OL TUTU WEN LIVE IN ONE SLIPPAH

Dere waz one ol Tutu
Stay living in one slippah
She get choke kids
Planny braddahs one sistah
She geev um lau lau
But no mo da poi
Den broke dere okoles
And sent dem moi moi

[Spyder]

Cute!

[manatee]

Just one more reason to add to my list for homeschooling my child.

[k2blader]

I suspect some folks use "I" as the default because they think it sounds more "classy"?

e.g. "Dahling, the chandelier will ride in the limo with Wadsworth and I."