Years 6-10 Literacy For Students E-Book
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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
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- Sprache: Englisch
Your tutor in a book! Master the essential literacy skills for success! 'I don't know how to do this' is a refrain heard whilst many a student is doing homework. Parents are increasingly called on for assistance, but are themselves struggling to help their children. Years 6-10 Literacy For Students is a reference guide for both students and parents, aiming to fill the gaps in a student's knowledge base, build confidence and reduce stress. Written with the same friendly, how-to approach of the successful For Dummies books, this new educational reference will empower students and develop their literacy skills for exams, NAPLAN testing and, most importantly, life beyond secondary school. With worries that students are being taught to pass tests at the expense of understanding -- this guide will help students increase their understanding of grammar and writing. * Master grammar and communicate ideas more effectively * Improve writing and comprehension skills * Complete homework and prepare for tests with confidence Save money on expensive tutors. Years 6-10 Literacy For Students empowers students to improve their educational outcomes.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
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Year 6–10 Literacy for Students
Published byWiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd42 McDougall StreetMilton, Qld 4064www.dummies.com
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction
Part I: Understanding Verbs and Sentences
Chapter 1: Why is Grammar Important?
Chapter 2: Vivid Verbs
Chapter 3: Timing is Everything: Understanding Verb Tense
Chapter 4: Completing Sentences
Chapter 5: Peaking with Pronouns
Part II: Adding Detail and Avoiding Common Errors
Chapter 6: Modifying with Adjectives and Adverbs
Chapter 7: Punctuation for Sense
Chapter 8: Apostrophes: They’re There for a Reason
Chapter 9: Choosing Capital Letters and Numerals
Chapter 10: Reporting Speech and Quoting Others
Part III: Polishing Your Writing and Comprehension
Chapter 11: Writing with Cohesion and Coherence
Chapter 12: Building Vocabulary and Comprehension
Chapter 13: Blitzing the Spelling Bee
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Chapter 14: Ten Solutions to the Most Common Grammar Errors
Chapter 15: Ten Things Grammar and Spell Checkers Can’t Do
Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing
Index
Introduction
Literacy and English grammar can be tricky, and they make lots of people nervous. Chances are, you’re reading this now because you’re one of those people. This can be stressful and make you feel self-conscious. And it’s worse if everyone else seems to understand, and knows how to use perfect grammar (even in text messages) or has amazing spelling and vocabulary abilities.
Happily, however, literacy and English grammar are easier than you may think. You don’t have to memorise all of the technical terms, and you’re likely to find that you already know a lot of it anyway. In this book, we tell you the tricks of the trade, and the strategies that help you make the right decision when you’re facing such grammatical dilemmas as how to choose between I and me, whether to say had gone or went, or if you should put the apostrophe in its. And we help you with spelling demons and comprehension clunkers.
Importantly, we explain what you’re supposed to do, tell you why a particular way of doing things is correct or incorrect, and even show you how to revise your sentences if your grammar checker puts a squiggly green line under some part of your sentence. We help you polish your vocabulary and improve your writing, and provide tips on when a particular way of spelling a word is correct (something your grammar checker can’t always help you with). When you understand the reason for a particular choice, you’ll pick the correct option automatically.
About This Book
In this book, we concentrate on the common errors. We tell you what’s what in the sentence, in logical, everyday English, not in obscure terminology. You don’t have to read the chapters in order, but you can. And you don’t have to read the whole book. Just browse through the table of contents and look for things that have always troubled you. For example, if you know that verbs are your downfall, check out Chapters 2 and 3 for the basics. Chapter 12 covers vocabulary and writing techniques such as similes and metaphors. You decide what you need to focus on.
Most chapters in this book introduce some basic ideas and then show you how to choose the correct sentence when faced with two or three choices. If we define a term — linking verbs, for example — we show you a practical situation in which identifying a linking verb helps you pick the right pronoun. The examples are clearly displayed in the text so that you can find them easily. One good way to determine whether or not you need to read a particular section is to have a go at the ‘Have a Go’ tasks that are sprinkled around most chapters. If you get the right answer, you probably don’t need to read that section. If you’re stumped, however, backtrack and read the chapter.
Throughout the book, we’ve used grey text boxes — the sidebars — for information that you may find interesting but isn’t required for your understanding of the subject. Feel free to flick straight past them.
Foolish Assumptions
We wrote this book with a specific person in mind. We assume that you, the reader, already speak English (although you may have learned it as a foreign language) and that you want to speak and write it better. We also assume that you have better things to do than worry about who and whom. You want to speak and write well, but you don’t want to go on to get a doctorate in English grammar in a few years’ time. (Smart move. Doctorates in English don’t move you very far up the salary scale.)
This book is for you if you aspire to
Improving your skills in grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Transferring these improvements to your writing and reading, both for school purposes and for life.
Preparing for the NAPLAN tests.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout this book you can find useful icons to help you note specific types of information. Here’s what each icon means:
Have you ever been confused by the message your grammar checker gives you when it puts a wiggly line under a possible problem and asks you to ‘consider revising’ some part of your sentence? Your days of confusion end here. This little fellow appears at the same points that a wiggly line would appear, and the information alongside it tells you exactly how to revise those troublesome sentences.
Think you know how to find the subject in a sentence, identify a pronoun or spell a tricky word? Have a go at these exercises, located throughout this book, to find out what you know and what you may want to learn.
Wherever you see this icon, you’ll find helpful strategies for understanding the structure of the sentence, choosing the correct word form or improving your writing.
Not every grammar and vocabulary trick has a built-in trap, but some do. This icon tells you how to avoid common mistakes as you unravel a sentence.
Where to Go From Here
Now that you know what’s what and where it is, it’s time to get started. Pick any chapter or specific area you need more help with and jump in. Before you do, however, one last word. Actually, two last words. Trust yourself. You already know a lot. You’d be amazed how much grammar, vocabulary and spelling awareness can be absorbed by osmosis from day-to-day language. If you’re a native speaker, you’ve communicated in English all of your life, including the years before you set foot in school and saw your first textbook. If English is an acquired language for you, you’ve probably already learned a fair amount of vocabulary and grammar, even if you don’t know the technical terms. So take heart. Browse through the table of contents, have a go at a few tasks and dip a toe into the sea of English literacy and grammar. The water’s fine.
Part I
Understanding Verbs and Sentences
In this part …
Understand the difference between formal and informal English — and when each is appropriate.
Work out the building blocks of a sentence and why verbs are so important.
Identify the verb in a sentence — and know what to do with it once you’ve found it.
Discover the subject in a sentence and how to match subjects and verbs so they get along.
Match pronouns with their correct noun, and avoid vague (or just plain incorrect) pronoun use.
Chapter 1
Why is Grammar Important?
In This Chapter
Defining good grammar
Identifying features of accepted Australian English
Understanding the main word classes
Focusing on how parents can help
Good communication and good grammar go hand in hand. The very point of using language is to express and exchange ideas in a way that conveys them clearly, with as few misunderstandings as possible. Sure, an occasional ‘Oh, you know what I mean’ is not going to stop the world from turning or upset your friends and family, but if you need to impress somebody, you need your communication to be accurate. If you want your essay to shine, your history presentation to captivate or (in a few years’ time, perhaps) your application for that part-time job to be successful, using good grammar will help you to achieve these things.
Of course, you probably already have pretty good grammar. Most people learn the basics of language use as if by osmosis, picking it up without necessarily understanding the rules. After all, you’re likely to have been talking almost all of your life and have probably forgotten when and how you first learned to read and write. But the fact that you have this book in your hands means that you have decided that improving your English grade and learning better language skills and grammar is a valuable strategy. Yay you! This book will help you become a better communicator.
In this chapter, we look closely at what constitutes proper grammar and how language use can change, depending on the situation. We also take a trip back in time to revisit probably the first thing you were taught about grammar as we consider the very basic unit of communication: the word.
You may be reading this book for a number of reasons. Perhaps you’re hoping to impress your English teacher or hoping for a good NAPLAN score. If English was your first language, you probably learnt English comprehension and grammar by osmosis, by hearing what others say, which, all too often, means absorbing a fair chunk of incorrect grammar along with the correct bits. If English wasn’t your first language, you’ve likely similarly picked up correct (and incorrect) vocabulary and grammar as you’ve learnt the language.
Whatever your ultimate goal is, you seem to have decided that learning better grammar is a valuable strategy. Good for you! In this chapter, we look a little more closely at why good grammar is so important. We also look at how the definition of better grammar changes according to your situation, purpose and audience. And we provide some tips for parents helping you as you build your skills.
Functioning with Good Grammar
Rightly or wrongly, your audience or readers judge you by the words you use and the way you string them together. Listen to the speech of the people in movies. An uneducated character sounds different from someone with five diplomas on the wall. The dialogue reflects reality: educated people follow certain rules when they speak and write. In fact, people who use language according to formal grammar rules are said to be speaking properly. After you leave school, if you want to present yourself as an educated person, you’ll have to follow those rules too.
Actually, several different types of grammar exist, including historical (how language has changed through the centuries) and comparative (comparing languages). Some English teachers love to complicate things. But don’t worry; we love to keep things simple. In this book, we use the best bits of the two easiest, most familiar ways of presenting the rules of grammar to come up with what’s proper.
Descriptive grammar gives names to things — the parts of speech, or word groups, and parts of a sentence. When you learn descriptive grammar, you understand what every word is (its part of speech) and what every word does (its function in the sentence). Learning some grammar terms has a couple of important advantages — to be clear about why a particular word or phrase is correct or incorrect, and to be able to understand the explanations and advice given by your computer’s grammar checker or in a dictionary or style guide.
Functional grammar tells you how words behave when they’re doing their jobs properly. It guides you to the right expression — the one that fits what you’re trying to say — by ensuring that the sentence is put together correctly. When you’re agonising over whether to say I or me, you’re solving a problem of functional grammar. Most of the grammar we use in this book is functional grammar.
So here’s the formula for better grammar: a little descriptive grammar plus a lot of functional grammar. Better grammar equals better self-expression. And better self-expression equals improved self-confidence. And with improved self-confidence, anything is possible. The news is all good!
Choosing Levels of English
So, using good grammar clearly sounds like a great idea, but you may not always need to use standard English because the language of choice depends on your situation. Here’s what we mean. Imagine you’re out with your friends and realise you’re hungry. How would you invite them back to your house for lunch?
Would you care to accompany me home for lunch?
Wanna come to mine for a bite?
Different levels of English are used in everyday life. We call the first example formal English, and the second example informal English. If you’re like most people, you switch between levels of English without even thinking about it. You choose the most suitable level of language depending on where you are, what’s going on and who your audience is.
Impressing with formal English
Formal English shows that you’ve trotted out your best behaviour in someone’s honour. You may use formal English when you have less power, importance and/or status than the other person in the conversation. Think of formal English as English on its best behaviour and wearing a business suit. If you’re in a situation where you want to look your best, or in which you’re being judged, use formal English.
Situations and types of writing that call for formal English include
Authoritative reference books
Business letters and emails (from individuals to businesses, as well as from or between businesses)
Homework
Important conversations such as job interviews, university interviews, sessions with teachers in which you explain that it wasn’t you who did what they think you did, that sort of thing
Letters to government officials
Notes or letters to teachers
Reports
Speeches, presentations and formal oral reports
Chances are formal English is the one that gives you the most trouble. In fact, it’s probably why you bought this book. So, the grammar lessons you’ll find here deal with how to handle formal English, because that’s where the rewards for knowledge are greatest.
Chatting in informal English
Informal English is casual and often strays from the rules, even breaking some. It’s the tone of most everyday speech, especially between equals. In informal English we take short cuts and combine words: let’s, we’ve, I’ll. Using informal English is fine for conversations, emails to friends or a note to your brother, but not for writing an essay or a presentation.
In the written form, informal English also relaxes the punctuation rules. Sentences run together, dashes connect all sorts of things, and half-sentences pop up regularly. This book is in conversational English because we like to think we’re chatting with you, the reader, not teaching grammar in a classroom. Think of informal English as being like English in jeans and a T-shirt: Perfectly comfortable and presentable, but not suitable as corporate attire.
Specifically, informal English is appropriate in these situations:
Comments made on public internet sites
Communication (including by email or snail mail) with your extended personal community of family, friends and acquaintances
Incidental conversations (but not in writing) with teachers and other school staff
Fiction and memoir writing
Labelling Words
No doubt you’ve been in the frustrating position of having to try to decode what someone is trying to tell you about ‘What’s-her-name … You know … She used to teach that class … She has a sort of large thingamabob’. Without the right words, the correct labels, you cannot understand the message. The same is true when talking about language or, more specifically, about grammar. You don’t need to be an English teacher or a walking dictionary, but you do need to understand the key terms so that we can communicate efficiently. So we’re going to introduce you to (or just reacquaint you with) some of the most important grammar terms, starting with the labels used for word classes or parts of speech. Understanding these is the first step to better grammar.
Nouns
We use nouns to provide a name or label. We have nouns for people (lawyer, Vincent); places (beach, Monkey Mia); objects (pen, bird); feelings (happiness, boredom); concepts (accountability, freedom); qualities (bravery, intelligence); ideas (imagination, notion); and activities (cricket, dancing, shopping). Nouns are rarely troublemakers, but in Chapter 6 we take a peek at how they work in descriptions, while in Chapter 9 the connection between nouns and capital letters is made clear.
Pronouns
The name pronoun makes this part of speech sound either like a highly skilled, professional (pro) noun, or a class of word that is totally in favour of (pro) nouns. While both are possible, neither is entirely correct. A pronoun is a word that can be used in the place of a noun. (See how handy it is to have basic grammar vocabulary at your fingertips? Some parts of speech are defined according to their relationship to other word classes.) Chapter 5 explains how to peak with pronouns, but, in the meantime, here’s an example of how pronouns substitute for nouns to minimise tedious repetition in communication:
With nouns (yawn): If Kelly wants to bring Kelly’s friend, Kelly is welcome to do so.
With pronouns: If Kelly wants to bring her friend, she is welcome to do so.
Also with pronouns: If you want to bring your friend, you are welcome to do so.
Verbs
If you delve back into a dark corner of your brain, you can probably recall chanting the definition, ‘A verb is a doing word’. Powering your language is exactly what the verb is ‘doing’. Verbs refer to actions (eat, write, take), conditions (seem, appear, become) or states of being (am, is, are). They’re also the key to understanding when a sentence is grammatically correct, so these guys deserve close attention. To locate a verb in a sentence, you need to ask yourself these questions: What’s happening? What is? The word that provides the answer is the verb.
Because they change their form and attach to other verbs or other parts of speech to change their meaning, verbs can be tricky. But verbs have power, and understanding how they work is probably the most essential of all grammar essentials. Chapters 2 and 3 take you further into the world of verbs.
Adjectives
When we add more information to a noun or pronoun, the word we use is called an adjective. Adjectives add to, describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They can be found lurking either in front of a noun or pronoun, or after a special kind of verb called a linking verb (you can read all about verbs in Chapter 2). Because adjectives add colour and detail to our language, they’re worth careful consideration, so Chapter 6 provides ample advice but, basically, adjectives work like this:
Before a noun: The sneaky adjective attaches itself to the unsuspecting noun.
Before a pronoun: The noun is the unsuspecting one.
After a linking verb: The adjective is sneaky and the noun is unsuspecting.
Adverbs
Another of those grammar chants you may have learned at one stage goes like this: ‘An adverb adds meaning to a verb by telling us how, when, where or why a thing is done’. While that’s true, it’s only part of the adverb story. Adverbs can also be used to modify adjectives or even other adverbs. Another thing you may vaguely remember is that adverbs often end with -ly. True. But not all adverbs end with those letters, and lovely is an adjective. So, reading Chapter 6 will help you to master adverbs and to write so that your descriptions say precisely what you mean. Here are some adverbs at work:
With a verb: The sun shines brightly.
With an adjective: The day feels unbearably hot.
With another adverb: The sea glistens most enticingly.
Determiners
There was once a word class for just three words: a, the, an. They formed the word group called articles. But what makes those three little words so special? Well … Ummm … Nothing really. They do the same job as lots of other words. So, we now include articles in a word class called determiners. A raft of words that also fit into other classes work extra shifts as determiners. Like articles, determiners go in front of a noun or a group of words that’s doing the work of a noun, and tell you how specific or otherwise something is.
Common determiners are words such as the, both, every, my, his, our, this, that, these, those, each, ten. As you can no doubt see, some of those words look suspiciously like other parts of speech — pronouns, for example (my, his, our), or adjectives (each, both, ten). Different grammar books or teachers may even refer to them as such. What you need to know is that we prefer the simplest, most logical way of explaining language, so throughout this book, we’ll stick with the label determiner.
Prepositions
If all the parts of speech were to form a sporting team, Preposition would be the easy-going one who fills in wherever and whenever required. During the game, Preposition would consistently pass the ball to Noun or Pronoun so they can score the points. Prepositions are unassuming but important contributors to the language game.
Prepositions show a relationship between a noun and another word. We can relate the two nouns ‘book’ and ‘wombat’ by using various prepositions to express different ideas. The book could be about the wombat, beside the wombat or maybe behind the wombat. This would mean that the wombat was in the book, near the book and in front of the book.
Prepositions (the words in italics in the previous paragraph) come in front of a noun or group of words acting as a noun. That’s why they’re called pre + positions. We provide more details on how prepositions work in Chapter 4.
Conjunctions
The fact that the label conjunction contains the word junction is no coincidence. Just as a junction connects two or more roads, so a conjunction connects two or more words. Common joining words are and, but, because, so, or. That’s pretty straightforward, but conjunctions come in several varieties, which is important to understand when you need to connect whole ideas rather than just individual words. Chapter 4 shows you how important they are for connecting ideas in a logical way.
Articles
As mentioned in the ‘Determiners’ section (earlier in this chapter), just three little words make up the articles. They hardly seem worthy of their own part of speech. Just like adjectives, articles are words that modify nouns and noun equivalents. They are those little words — a, an, the — that sit in front of nouns. In meaning, the is usually more specific than an or a.
The teacher wants the answer, and soon.
Here, the teacher means one teacher in particular. Lots of teachers are in the world, but the sentence is referring to the one who marks your tests. And she wants the answer. Not any old answer, but the right answer.
The teacher wants an answer, and you’d better be quick about it.
We’re still talking about one particular teacher, but this time we’re told that she wants an answer. She’s been waiting for a while, so you’d better come up with some kind of answer ASAP.
The is called the definite article (used definitely for just one specific thing). A and an are called indefinite articles (used for no single thing in particular).
To sum up: Use the when you’re speaking specifically and an or a when you’re speaking more generally.
So what’s the difference between a and an? A apple? An book? A precedes words that begin with consonant sounds (all the letters except a, e, i, o and u). An precedes words beginning with the vowel sounds a, e, i and o. The letter u is a special case. If the letter sounds like you, choose a (a university, for example). If the letter sounds like someone kicked you in the stomach — uh — choose an (as in it was an understandable mistake).
Another special case is the letter h. If the word starts with a hard h sound (as in horse) choose a. If the word starts with a silent letter h (as in hour), choose an.
Turning to Reference Books for Help
Even with all the information and tips we provide in this book, you may still need some extra help to make sure you’re using the best word for your audience and purpose when you write. Two very useful reference tools are the dictionary and the thesaurus.
Digging into dictionaries
What can a dictionary tell you about a word? Well, it not only gives you the meaning or meanings, but also tells you how to pronounce the word and whether the word is a noun or an adjective. A dictionary can also provide alternative words — which can save you time in not needing to refer to a thesaurus. Figure 1-1 shows some sample pages from the Macquarie School Dictionary, which can help you identify the special features of this useful resource.
Using the sample dictionary pages shown in Figure 1-1, answer the following questions.
Which headword comes after Balmain bug?
Is the headword balmy (a) a noun (b) an adjective or (c) a verb?
What is the definition or meaning of the headword banal?
What are some alternative words for band 2?
What is the origin or word history of the word bare?
What word is the opposite of ban?
What is the adjective from bacteria?
FIGURE 1-1
Taking advantage of all the features in a dictionary.
Thumbing through the thesaurus
A thesaurus is essentially a place for finding words, and works in an opposite way to a dictionary. Whereas a dictionary defines the different meanings of words, a thesaurus groups words with similar meanings together.
The words grouped together in a thesaurus have similar meanings, but no two words in the English language have exactly the same meaning — otherwise, we would have no need for two words!
All thesauruses include an explanation in the front of how they are organised, so make sure you read this explanation before proceeding.
Say you want to find another word for big and so look it up in a thesaurus. The word you choose will depend on factors such as audience and purpose. If you were writing advertising copy for a new breakfast cereal, for example, you might choose family sized to describe the size of the packet. If you were writing a new national anthem, you might choose bounteous to describe the size of Australia’s natural riches. Would you use family sized to describe Australia’s natural riches, or bounteous to describe the size of the cereal packet? Why not?
What Parents Can Do to Help
As parents see their children struggling with their English homework, or struggling to improve their marks in English, many want to offer some help and guidance. The following sections show you how to provide this help — without taking over.
Helping your child with homework (without doing the work yourself)
Whatever the standards may be — based on the Australian Curriculum or anything else — most children will be frustrated with a homework assignment from time to time. The advice to you, the parent, doesn’t change.
What may have changed since you went to school is the ways children are expected to work on their homework. Teachers may ask their students to practise something they worked on in class, but it may look unfamiliar to you. Productive ways of helping children with their homework are the same, though.
Researchers have found that the human mind is surprisingly lazy. If it can get something done without thinking hard, it will. This research is no surprise to someone who has witnessed a typical 10-year-old child eager to get through her English homework so that she can go outside and play. ‘Is this the right meaning for homophone?’ she asks, hopefully. ‘Is it right now? What about this?’ This routine can quickly devolve into a guessing game rather than a chance to learn anything useful.
An important function of homework is what teachers call formative assessment, which means learning what students understand while they’re still studying it. A classroom full of correct homework papers can signal to a teacher that everyone understands and it’s time to move on. Now imagine if those correct homework papers were the result of parents (or tutors or older siblings) walking these children through the steps of the homework problems. It could mislead the teacher. It’s much better to write a note explaining what the student is struggling with (or to let your child submit some incorrect or incomplete problems) than to let the teacher think that your child understands something that he doesn’t.
Don’t do the homework for your child. Help your child clarify his thinking and identify what he knows and doesn’t know. Monitor the difficulty level to make sure your child has interesting and challenging work, but not work that is far beyond his present abilities. Keep in touch with his teacher if things are out of balance so that you can work together for your child’s benefit.
In the heat of the moment, though, you can easily lose sight of the big picture. So here are three simple tips for productive involvement with English homework and for getting students to think instead of guess and so to learn something rather than just stumble onto a right answer:
Ask, ‘How do you know?’ This question forces students to think about their own thinking, which is an important part of making that thinking better. Ask this question frequently. Question right and wrong answers. Also keep in mind that this question has many variations. ‘How do you know this is right?’, ‘How did you know that was wrong?’, ‘How did you know to do that?’, and so on.
Wait for a response. Ten or 15 seconds seems like a long time to sit silently when you know the correct spelling or word to choose, but it’s not long at all to the person trying to figure the answer out. What goes on in the silent time between asking a question and getting an answer is thinking. One of the most important findings in educational research is that increased wait time — the time between a teacher asking a question and the next time someone speaks — is strongly associated with increased learning. When teachers give their students more time to think about their questions, students learn more. It’s true at home, too.
Share a strategy. After your child explains her thinking, talk about your own. Don’t tell her how she needs to do something; just tell her in the spirit of sharing your own ideas. It’s like being at the dinner table. When you want your child to share something that happened during the day, you model it by sharing your own stories from the day. It’s the same with thinking. If you want your child to engage with English homework, you can model that behaviour by talking about how you think about the problems or the text you’ve just read.
Becoming unstuck: What to do
A few of the more stressful parenting moments include when time is tight and when your child is struggling with a homework assignment. Instead of cursing the heavens, Shakespeare and the originators of homework, you need a strategy. Here is a good one, in three parts:
Listen: Ask your child to tell you what she is supposed to do. If something needs to be done a particular way, listen to what it is. Ask what she knows and doesn’t know and then listen to the response. Don’t try to tell her what to do or show her the way that you remember from school. Just listen.
Help: After you have listened, decide how you can help. Sometimes you may have to show your child the way you learned to do something. Sometimes you may have to look something up online together. Sometimes you may have to phone a friend — your child’s friend who may have an idea about what to do or your friend who may have some expertise. Don’t assume that the way you learned is the best way (nor that it is the worst). An alternate way of working through something may help a child understand the meaning of what she’s reading.
Let it go: You and your child shouldn’t be expected to spend your evenings engaged in tears and combat in the name of grammar facts. As a parent, model good study habits by establishing that some time will be spent doing what is assigned. You also should model good mental health habits by setting limits on that time. When your child is no longer making productive progress, let this homework go. You can write a note to the teacher explaining the decision that you have made and get on with the rest of your evening.
If getting stuck is a rare or occasional thing, letting it go is a good strategy to practice. If your child is regularly getting stuck on her homework and you find yourself letting it go on a regular basis, you probably need to have a conference with your child’s teacher so that you each understand the demands being placed on your child. Frequent homework struggles can be a sign that your child needs something different from what she’s getting at school. In such a case, you and your child’s teacher should figure out how to work together to get her what she needs.
