Annotated Table of Contents, Chapters 5-9

Teaching English, How To….
Annotated Table of Contents

Part Two: Assignments
Chapter 5. Reading: What method helps students read difficult
assignments successfully and turns passive readers into active
readers? How many times have you heard your teachers in school
give a reading assignment something like this: “Open your books
to page 35 and begin to read”? In this chapter, I suggest a better way to prepare students for what they are going to read.

Chapter 6. Homework: What is the most effective method for assigning homework? The class period winds down. Typically, as students begin to gather up their books, papers, and other belongings to leave the classroom, the teacher calls out the assignment for homework, almost as an afterthought: “Read chapter 38.” Or, “Write a paper on a topic of your choice.” Or, “We’ll discuss Chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby tomorrow. Be sure to read it.” Homework assignments need to be given with care. Students need to be prepared for them, especially long-term assignments, and students should be asked to evaluate them.

Chapter 7. Modeling Reading, Homework and Writing. Aren’t directed reading assignments, preparation for homework assignments in class and 10-minute writings simply doing the work for the students? What is the purpose for directing reading assignments, beginning homework assignments in class and correcting 10-minute writings? Am I simply doing the work for the students? Or, do I have some deeper purpose?

Part Three: Writing and Speaking
Chapter 8. Teaching Formal Writing: How can teachers use models and modeling to teach writing? In this chapter, I will explain how I taught students to write with confidence.

Chapter 9. Grammar and Composition: Why teach grammar? In my experience, the problem with the teaching of grammar has always been lack of clear purpose. As a result, students may be taught grammar, but they soon forget it because they do not apply it. In this chapter, I will discuss the purposes for teaching grammar in English, and I will explain how a knowledge of grammar can help students polish their written expression.