The Being Writer, Third Edition program provides instruction in grammar, usage, and mechanics by explicitly teaching the conventions of written English. In grades 1–5, students analyze model sentences from or about the unit’s mentor texts. The students discuss the sentences’ grammatical elements and how they affect meaning and the reader. The students then incorporate what they learn by writing shared sentences as a class and their own sentences with a partner. The skills and conventions taught in these lessons are reinforced through ongoing teacher modeling and class discussions, during individual writing conferences, and, for grades 1–5, throughout the revision and proofreading phases of the writing process. In kindergarten, explicit teaching of age-appropriate grammar and the conventions of written English occurs during discussions of mentor texts and the shared or modeled writing portions of the lessons.
To learn more, read “Teaching Grammar and Conventions” in the Program Overview section of the Implementation Handbook then browse the “Grade [x] Grammar and Conventions” table that follows to see where skills and conventions for your grade level are taught.
If you have a question about a previous edition of the Being a Writer program, please submit a ticket here.