So, we’ve been pointing this out for years! Kids will learn to love writing (and grammar) if you
focus on good literature and lots of writing practice. Studying Grammar is deadly. Don’t take
my word for it. Read the Atlantic Monthly Article…

The Wrong Way to Teach Grammar

A century of research shows that traditional grammar lessons—those hours spent diagramming sentences and memorizing parts of speech—don’t help and may even hinder students’ efforts to become better writers. Yes, they need to learn grammar, but the old-fashioned way does not work.

This finding—confirmed in 1984, 2007, and 2012 through reviews of over 250 studies—is consistent among students of all ages, from elementary school through college. For example, one well-regarded study followed three groups of students from 9th to 11th grade where one group had traditional rule-bound lessons, a second received an alternative approach to grammar instruction, and a third received no grammar lessons at all, just more literature and creative writing. The result: No significant differences among the three groups—except that both grammar groups emerged with a strong antipathy to English.

…read the rest of the article here.

Off to learn,

Fred Ray Lybrand

P.S. Clearly this is why we developed our homeschool writing curriculum. We wanted a writing program that helps kids love to write.