LITERACY BEGINS WITH THE ALPHABET

English writing is a sound code. The most efficient way to learn to write and read is to learn the sound symbols, i.e., the alphabet.

It is not enough to teach a child to recognize the letters in a book or on a screen. To internalize the connection between sound and symbol, the child learns to form the letter while saying its sound or sounds. 

The mechanical basics of literacy are

THE ALPHABET,  HANDWRITING, PRONUNCIATION,  SPELLING,  and GRAMMAR.

GRAMMAR

A sad fact of primary education is that many students get the idea that grammar is “too hard” for “ordinary” people to learn. This mistaken idea comes from trying to cover too much material too fast. Take one grammar concept at a time. When you understand it completely, go on to the next one. The place to begin is with the Parts of Speech and the Parts of the Sentence. Anyone who masters this information will be able to produce error-free speech and writing.

Parts of Speech

Parts of the Sentence

All teachers are English teachers

Grammar is Glamorous

TV’s war on me and I

Television and the Present Perfect Tense

Grammar easy when taught  in sequence

Sex, Violence, and Bad Grammar