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There’s a big difference between “Let’s eat, kids!” and “Let’s eat kids!” As the joke has it, punctuation saves lives. Some of us, myself included, believe good grammar is a critical component of both written and spoken communication. In particular, when writing, “you’re” (cringe!) spelling, structural and punctuation errors leap from the page and slap the grammar fan in the face.
But in the era of rampant text-messaging and communication via virtual walls, bad spellers seem “untied” and grammarians seem fated to go the way of the dodo (2 bad 4 u guyz!!). But at least one school in Missouri is trying to plug the grammar gap.
Summit Christian Academy in Missouri has released a new policy, effective in January, stating that students will have to rewrite their papers if they have more than five grammatical errors. On the rewrite, however, they won’t be able to get anything higher than 75%.
“Students and parents were somewhat shocked to hear these changes,” wrote a Summit Christian Academy student reporter. ”The immediate reaction from the student body was that the changes were too harsh.”
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Do you think Summit Christian Academy's grammar policy is too tough?
“We have some who are thrilled and others who are highly concerned because it’s tied to scholarship dollars,” the academy’s principal, Kim Gill, told media blogger Jim Romenesko.
Do you think the school is being too harsh, or do kids these days need some grammarian tough love?
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Leave a Comment:
Besides (my) being an obsessive grammarian, myself, shaky grammar:
a. causes confusion,
b. suggests illiteracy,
c. became a BIG societal habit LONG before texting was ever invented AND...
d. in my encounters, mostly surfaces in journalists/newspaper reporters/staff writers/editors and advertising/marketing "specialists".
So, PLEASE don't back down! PLEASE include spelling, "to". As much as students and parents might detest it, they'll appreciate it forever after graduation. I also find it intriguing that a Christian school is requiring this! Yay, Christians! Godspeed!
I'm of two minds. As a teacher, I had to read the slovenly written papers for years. Rules of grammar? The students knew none. Deplorable!!
On the other hand, english is a pretty slovenly language. And, the young will make the rules for grammar, spelling, etc for digital communications. They will continue to write as they speak, which is to say, in a pretty haphazzard way. That school has chosen a forlorn task. The tide is flowing the other way, and all the schools in the world are not going to stop it.
To the school, some advice. Pick your battles. Pick a battle you can win. You are just making more work for the teachers. Is this the hill you want to break your teachers' backs on?
As an English teacher reading these comments, I find it slightly awkward that you forgot to capitalize "English."
I applaud the effort, and I absolutely think students need to be held accountable for their grammar (and spelling) errors. The part I disagree with is only being able to receive a %75 on the paper. If the student rewrites the paper, they should be able to receive a grade based on the worth of the paper.
Agreed. If the paper must be rewritten, the rewritten paper should be graded based upon the same rubric as every other paper.
In eighth grade, my English teacher made us rewrite every essay if there were mistakes in the spelling, grammar, or even a scratch-out or erasure. The rewrites had nothing to do with our final grade - having to sit down and repeatedly write a three page essay in cursive until we got it right was enough of a punishment.
I won't self-righteously claim to have emerged from that class with perfect penmanship, but I most certainly benefited from the experience.
I think this rule should be implemented all over the country. Even though we have become a more technologically dependent society that is no excuse to lack in correct grammar in other areas. When it comes to the real world, a kid will not be able to write their report in short hand and think that it is up to standards. Kids also can't depend upon Microsoft word to correct the grammar of a sentence because of the context. I am from the generation where computers were first introduced at first/second grade levels with the Apple II, and we were also taught grammar which didn't stick as much as the technology did. To this day I have a somewhat difficult time being grammatically correct due to the integration of both technology and the usual way of writing papers. Kids need to learn now how to be grammatically correct without the help of computers in order to do well in this world as adults.
While I agree that butchering the English language in an essay should not be tolerated, I do not agree that the re-written essay can only receive a maximum grade of 75%, which, if I remember correctly, is about a "C". Instead of an A+ or an A, the students should be able to receive a maximum of an A- or B+, assuming the essay is otherwise stellar, that is.
Maximum grade of 75 on the re-write is a bit harsh - however, if the children are made aware of this before starting their essay, they will no doubt take the time to make it right the first time. Saves everyone a lot of trouble.
Children in most other countries speak 2 or 3 languages. There's no reason Americans can't at least speak (and write), one with proper grammar. It's not rocket science....it's just English.
Let's be realistic about this. Children,
students who are still learning, will make far more than five
grammatical/punctuation errors in a paper. And whose standard are these student
to comply with? Will they be punished for ending a sentence with a preposition
even though this is descriptively correct in American English? Will prescriptive
rules still apply when students are writing narratives? Will they be required
to put a comma before a conjunction that connects the final element in a
series? These elements are debatable. It is far better to guide students toward
correct form while looking for improvement rather than creating and encouraging
a culture of fear. This rule of five errors could easily result in stilted and
artificial language written in an effort to avoid punishment. After all, the
best writers intentionally break grammatical rules for effect. These rules should certainly be taught and emphasized, not imposed in such a dictatorial fashion.
You're correct. Many of our most celebrated authors intentionally broke grammatical rules. However, one can almost be assured that they first knew the rule before they intentionally broke it.
You cannot allow a student to claim "voice" in writing until you are sure they have learned how to communicate properly first. You must know the rules before you can intentionally break them.
Although I feel the 75% is a bit harsh for young kids on a re-write, I agree with the concept. They don't deserve the full percentage because this is a paper that has already been corrected by the teacher. The teacher has pointed out the mistakes and they are given the chance to fix it. Why should they get the same grade as another student that didn't rewrite? I hope other schools follow suit in expecting the best out of our future leaders.
Shut up and listen to your elders.
hahahaha
i like how those retards in the school systems think theyre so @!$%#ing smart...why the hell would i rewrite my paper for a C? thats crap and should never be implemented into any school system....no wonder all of americas kids are stupid.....