The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7, and 8 is now available for preorder live on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target,. . .
Well: English grammar workbooks for middle school? I sat down and wrote my own. I am extremely fortunate and excited to announce that my first book, a middle school grammar workbook, is live.
Why did you write this English grammar workbook?
For years, I have compiled teaching strategies for complex grammar concepts. Plus, I have been honest that language arts teachers may not have adequate training to teach the complexities of numerous common grammar concepts. This combination led to this book.
Overview of The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7, and 8.
In The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7, and 8, I offer students the flexibility to learn at their own pace while providing the structure they need to successfully retain essential grammar rules such as parts of speech; sentence structure; phrases and clauses; active and passive voice; mood; punctuation; writing style; and more. In addition to lessons that build on each other, the book provides review sections and quizzes with separate answer keys.
The teacher text is not separate; answer keys are at the end.
Each sending has an extra bonus of helpful exercises with unit reviews. Cumulative tests are at the end of the main sections. The outline, yes, is for middle school students, but the material will work for older students who are not familiar with the building blocks of grammar. Material builds in difficulty, creating a helpful roadmap.
The explanations have a friendly tone and concise explanations. It does not read like an old-school technical grammar book that puts a reader to sleep.
Overall, as a teacher and mother of three, I created a book that becomes helpful to middle schoolers and their teachers and adults at home. I also wrote a middle school grammar workbook that I wish I’d had years ago when I taught middle school.
Application to teaching life.
What did I learn from writing my first book? Lots. My newfound knowledge from writing has forever changed my classroom.
Creating a book from scratch takes more than staring down a blank word document. From writing this book, I learned about both grammar and the teaching profession. I worked with a team of linguists and editors who have impressive writing backgrounds. Plus, I learned how other countries teach grammar (hint: not like the USA).
What else did I learn from writing a book?
Follow your passion and find your people.
Years ago when I started Language Arts Classroom, I wrote about what interested me. Sure, I wrote about all happenings in an English class, but if you check the “grammar” tab,” you’ll see pages upon pages of posts.
Grammar is my niche, my jam, my schtick. Sometimes I tell people that I talk and write about grammar for a living, and they turn their heads to the side, trying to understand why anyone does that.
Still, I’ve found my teacher-folk who love grammar as I do. More importantly, I’ve found students who really love grammar. As I created a middle school grammar workbook, I kept those students in mind.
Research, read, and engross yourself.
Have a passion? I filled an entire bookshelf with research about grammar lessons, old grammar textbooks from the early 1900s, and information for best practices.
I experimented. Once, I collected my children’s plastic baby food containers and labeled them with sentence components to practice punctuation rules. Now, I’ve added kinesthetic grammar practice after direct instruction. I’ve grown as a teacher because I allowed myself the opportunity to experiment with grammar lessons and to explore the power of each language element.
I looked at tons of grammar workbooks for middle school, and I realized that metaphors and silliness can help students understand their language.
Believe in your students.
Teachers sometimes confide in me that their students can’t learn grammar or will never use the knowledge. They use a middle school grammar workbook as a bell-ringer, and they never connect ideas to other parts of class for students.
I disagree. From a cultural and educational perspective, these approaches pain me. This belief won’t foster a growth mindset to model for students.
Grammar, the understanding of one’s language, opens doors for students. Students can understand their language and feel empowered from that knowledge. We, as educators, should never limit a student’s future. What job won’t benefit from strong writers? Eloquent speakers? Expert communicators?
My students can learn grammatical concepts and reap the benefits. Together, we’ll sort through the thorniest grammar rules.
Acknowledge the imperfection.
Grammar is an imperfect, ever-changing, flowing part of language.
Code switching. Slang. Formal writing. Casual conversation.
Compound sentences. Appositive phrases.
These concepts are grammatical terms. Teachers ask students to use their language correctly and in various circumstances. We must provide students with practices and domain-specific vocabulary for what life experiences they may face from the writing section of a standardized test to a courtroom.
As I worked with my team, I learned about the history and nuances of English grammar. These professionals had opinions and disagreements about language. And? The imperfection makes language, grammar, more interesting.
If you teach grammar, struggle with grammar, or are dissatisfied with your current grammar curriculum, take a look at The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7, and 8 and see if this great resource might be right for you and your students.
Would you like more grammar material by Lauralee Moss? Explore worksheets, sample pages, and more.