{Previous posts in this series:
Here we all are, trying to get back to our daily routines.
It's actually sunny. Sun on snow makes me super ambitious. I will channel my ambition directly to you, to give you yet another step on the way to teaching your child to write that isn't actually that magical writing curriculum you so desperately want (you know, the one that goes right on the shelf next to the magical science curriculum).
I am reading your mind. Part of you wants to believe me. On the one hand, you know I'm right — that it's just common sense that after all, Laura Ingalls Wilder learned to write and she went to school on a prairie, had one dress and two pinafores, and pretty much only read the Bible.
On the other hand, you are suffering from the undeniable temptation of a big-ticket, complicated, Ph.D-produced package deal that will allow you to hand over the whole enterprise so you can go back to whatever important thing you were doing before you made the dubious decision to let children into your life.
Then you notice (if you're me and kind of a snob about forking out money for magic) a great big whopper of a usage mistake right there in the come-on of the magical curriculum! The very people who want to teach your precious darlings (and take your money) are dangling their participles! How can they expect you to trust them!
You can't escape.
You yourself must know how to write! Uh-huh, yes, you must.
Many teachers, homeschooling and public and private, commit many usage and grammar sins on a regular basis. You will know you are a sinner if you find yourself saying and writing “between John and I” or “laying down with the baby.” There are a lot of other sins. There is a whole world of grammar sins out there. Don't worry about that!
It's because they think they know their subject that they sin. Poor things, they are ignorant. So challenge yourself to write well, in just the way that you will be challenging your children to write well; namely, by studying and by making the daily writing that you must do — and that you want to do — of excellent quality.
For yourself, I highly recommend that you invest in a few books and just keep them nearby, dipping into them occasionally.
These are reference works — by no means the kind of thing that you have to read from cover to cover, although if you are anything like me (and I've been accused of reading the dictionary — you too?), you might not be able to stop yourself.
I'm linking you up to a previous edition, because it's cheaper. It really doesn't matter. Get the oldest one if you want. The main thing is to have this manual handy so that you can answer all your lie/lay comma/semi-colon hyphen/space eldest/oldest etc. questions without resorting to questionable googled answers. This is the — THE — standard.
What it says in the Chicago Manual of Style, goes. When you get a job writing at the New York Times, you can use their manual, but for a number of reasons, you shouldn't be happy about it.
The usage books I want to recommend to you are out of print!
I will tell you what they are in case you happen to see one in a used book sale:
Effective English Prose, by Robert Cluett. You may be able to find one for money, big money, in a dark, dusty corner of the internet. Mine, purchased for me by my prose-master husband because it's what he swears by, is in tatters. The style is no-nonsense and direct. Gold.
English In School and Out, by Roy Davis and William Cunningham. Not available for love or money, as far as I can tell. I got mine from the Chief's mother's attic. She got it from the school she attended. In the twenties. Much more old fashioned and comprehensive than Effective English Prose (it's aimed at high-schoolers, whereas the other is for college students), it nevertheless has the same virtue, namely, extensive examples from real literature. Occasional references to your “wireless machine” and “locomotive travel” shouldn't detract from the overall value.
Anyway, you know me. I like old-fashioned things.
I suspect that you can find many suitable and similar manuals if you look in the right time period. It used to be, I think, that every publisher had a manual of usage, edited by an idiosyncratic, often downright curmudgeonly eminence, chock full of useful advice for proper grammar as well as development of style, which is to say, your own voice.
Start haunting book sales and try to find one. In the meantime, go to your library and hope that they have some good, enjoyable, and handy usage books right there in the 428s. (Instantly become more educated by perusing this guide to the Dewey Decimal System. Then actually go and look at the books on the shelves. I guarantee you'll be invigorated — at least, I hope your library still has good books to invigorate you.)
You could get Sin and Syntax to tide you over, but it's only a stop-gap.
Begin using your newly found usage. Write letters. Make even your emails more “you” yet still correct. Maybe even your grocery lists could be more creative, I don't know! If you have a child old enough to read even a little, start writing notes to him. Start a family journal — an actual notebook of some kind (you know, paper) — and make an example of yourself by jotting things down: funny occurrences, cute things that your kids say, little quotes and poems, prayers.
Anyway, it's unavoidable. You do a certain amount of writing each and every day. At least make your writing correct, with the goal of attaining your perfection, which is that your writing is your voice. Your grammatically correct voice 🙂
{By the way, right now, go copy down into that notebook all the adorably funny things you've posted on Facebook that your kids have said. Who the heck knows where all that stuff goes! Don't think it matters? Try to find what you posted a year ago! No, it all needs to be in the notebook or somewhere more archival than Facebook.}
{All the posts about teaching children to write are here.}
Anne-Marie says
May I add to the list a copy of Strunk and White (The Elements of Style)? Try to get an older edition, which is more vigorous than the new version updated by someone else–and vigour is that hallmark of E.B. White´s advice!
Margo says
I just consulted my Chicago Manual of Style today! (I'm an editor). Isn't your Chief a writer or editor of some sort?
Before I was an editor, I was a blogger and that is a lovely way to practice the art of writing. I also like to write letters.
My children write constantly and make books and leave notes in all manner of places. It's adorable and I'm not worried about their academic development one bit. I imagine that worry will come later. Right now we're all about manners and kindness.
Becky says
I read advice from Simcha Fisher that said to put a writing style book in the bathroom. The idea is that the bits and pieces are the sort of thing that lend themselves to absorbing in 2 minute intervals but it's not the sort of thing that you would likely walk away with. As my offspring are still as likely to use the book to build a tower as notice that there are words in it, I can't speak from personal experience but it does seem like a good idea. http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/the-…
Maggie says
I have a beautiful illustrated copy of 'The Elements o Style' and now I can't wait to get home and put it in the bathroom.
Angela says
Anything I'd post on FB, I try to record in this book… http://www.amazon.com/One-Line-Day-Five-Year-Memo…
Helene says
Oh lie-lay!!! I hate lie-lay! I ran into it again this very day in the Abeka grammar book I was correcting with my daughter. I have homeschooled for 17 years and STILL don't have it under control. How bad is that? I generally don't have trouble with grammar but LIE-LAY, oh!!! I can sit and study it for a spell and have a mediocre grasp on it but the next time I run into it I am lost all over again! My grammar geek husband claims it's easy as pie, but I am tempted to just SKIP that section from now on. And for this attitude I may deserve a thrashing, but it's getting to the point where I cannot wrap my head around it anymore. The four principle parts of each are just too similar and somehow disturbing! For the record I pretty much hate the metric system, too. I am ok with a meter stick and 100 centimeters in it, but when it comes to dekameters, hekameters, and hexagrams FORGET IT! If my kid wants to be a farmer someday he will learn it right quick….or do they still use bushels and pecks? Don't get me going. Loved this post, Leila, as usual.
Jen says
Of course, this can go too far… http://www.theonion.com/articles/4-copy-editors-k…
Mrs. Pickles says
Ba ha ha ha haaa! This is brilliant! 🙂
Rachelle says
When the answer can't be found in one of the books (or for those without a book collection yet), I've found the Purdue OWL site to be an excellent resource: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
RedTartan says
You've inspired me again. I've decided to read through an old copy of the “Prentice Hall Handbook for Writers” from 1951. I avoid writing because I'm not comfortable doing it. I moved around so much as a child that I missed learning how to use commas! I decided one day in high school to corner my teacher and make her explain it to me once and for all. She said to use a comma whenever you would pause while speaking. 0.o Gee. Could you vague that up for me a bit? I WILL learn how to use commas! Thank you, Leila.
Donna L. says
Thank you SO MUCH for this post! I have been waiting, eagerly, and now I get to do more work! {?} Yes, of course that is the right answer….I simply adore writing and have several journals full of my thoughts, ideas and dreams…my children have just finished “thank you” cards for Christmas presents received, and even though I helped, cheered on, and then, threatened, they did not want to write. Even when it's just for fun, or lists for the market or anything…. I love the mechanics of how to teach writing, might you mention in a short post how to initiate love, bring joy and interest to writing?
Thank you as always,
Donna L.
Nancy says
I also like William Zinsser…WRITING WELL
Bobbie says
Thank you for this. and the sunshine on snow makes me happy too…. of course, I never actually see it but in pictures but it makes me happy to look at it even in pictures!
Glenda Childerc says
It is so good to realize there is no magic curriculum … and do what works for your family. Good practical advice here.
Fondly,
Glenda
Tiffany says
Fantastic post!
Sarah says
Just realised my last post has a jumble of eldest/oldest grammar mistakes! I will have to go and find out which one it should be now:)
I personally like “eats, shoots and leaves” as a fun book on grammar. I also noticed that the British Library has reprints available of Grammarland – no idea if it is any good, but it is old!
You can read a sample of it online (http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/previews/nesbitt_grammar_preview.pdf)” target=”_blank”> http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/previews/nesbitt_grammar_preview.pdf)” target=”_blank”>(http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/previews/nesbitt_grammar_preview.pdf) – but the Baldwin project is working to make it freely available.
Anne-Marie says
We are using Grammarland once a week or so in our homeschool. It teaches the parts of speech in an amusing, narrative format featuring anthropomorphic characters such as Mr. Noun and Serjeant Parsing.
Debbie says
Two things to add here, since teaching students how to write is part of what I do for a living:
1) Purchase a Cambridge or Oxford Grammar of the English Language.
2) Before the writer does anything else, one MUST KNOW WHAT ONE WISHES TO SAY. This means having the student sit with a piece of paper and a pen, and write full and complete sentences, as many as necessary, each conveying one thought and only one (e.g. “One of the images expressing usurpation in Macbeth is the recurrent one of clothing that does not fit”). After the person has written as many sentences as necessary, then one sits and analyzes for common themes and begins subsuming them into a thesis statement.
3) The part that really needs work is the crafting of the thesis statement and the topic sentences, which must indeed be full and complete (and grammatically correct) sentences; do not let them write a full outline until they've gotten tight, logically coherent, perfectly related and formulated thesis statement and topic sentences of the 2 or 3 major sections. By this point, the paper really will write itself.
4) There is no such thing as “good ideas poorly expressed”; as one of my best professors ever once expressed it, “After thirty years of teaching, I know that fuzzy writing is a function of fuzzy thinking.”
5) Related: Students nowadays are taught to be vague and nebulousness. You will have to sharpen their thinking, force them to be more definite and precise (“What do you mean by 'nice'? Do you mean kind and generous? Thoughtful and considerate? Modest and self-effacing?).
It is actually really, really simple to teach people how to write; they cannot believe themselves how easy it is. In fact, I usually do not teach my own children formally at all- but this was one thing I did teach my daughter, and it was not painful if one follows these steps: Sentences stating one's conclusions; crafting of a thesis statement; breaking the thesis statement back down into the subordinate topic sentences conveying the main ideas of the major sections. All the rest is simply elaboration.
Debbie says
Corrigendum: It started out as two things, but grew into 5, as you can see!
carrien says
We have done copy work, that's really all I have tried for at this point, perhaps write a verse and an observational sentence about it when I'm really ambitious. My 11 year old is an excellent reader, he wades through Plutarch and the classics like they are candy, but I cannot get him to sit and copy a simple Bible passage without it taking all day long, literally. He used to be much faster at copying. I tried making the assignments more complex or interesting, that was even worse. I've tried simpler. The main issue I think is motivation but here I admit I feel like I spend hours pulling teeth.
I am going to try dictation though. That's not one I've attempted yet. I may try what Charlotte Mason says about not repeating anything to cultivate attention as well. Perhaps that would help. I welcome any other suggestions you have however. Because this one has me feeling like we're beating our heads against the proverbial wall.
_Leila says
Carrien, remember — a child must obey in many areas before having a will chastened enough for the mind to learn. A child must be asked to sit still under many circumstances — at mealtime, at church, while listening to a story — before he can be asked to sit still for what he does not wish to do. You are at a good moment to work on all this. Good luck and God bless!
carrien says
that comment was meant for the post after this one, as is probably obvious.
Mrs. Pickles says
My mother bought me a copy of Strunk & White when I was learning how to write in high school. I loved poring over it, learning how to do things the RIGHT way. (Yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist.) (And yes, I also love to read the dictionary.) 🙂 I am going right now to dust it off and put it in the bathroom! What a great idea!
wanderingsue says
Sweet Auntie Leila,
Whew, I'm behind the times- just catching up now, and wanted to say, regarding “between John and I,” I think we've lost that one. It makes me nuts, especially when the BBC presenters get it so fabulously wrong, but I have had to make my peace with it. The language has changed, by common usage, for the stupider, and though I won't change with it on that one, I refuse to spare the energy to be bothered by it anymore.
Haven't mentioned lately, love you and your wonderful blog!