Left Behind (NCLB) legislation requirements challenge districts to make all teachers, in every discipline, reading teachers to meet the NCLB goals (US Department of Education, 2001). We might want to add that all teachers should be grammar teachers as well –a return to the early years of education.
This is not advocating throwing out creative writing in the pursuit of grammar, but a plea that the public educational system makes certain that grammar is a part of the total education program and not isolated to a class or two. As NCLB requires generalization across curriculum, grammar and spelling should also be taught to that degree. Grammar and spelling should effectively generalize to all areas of education.
Conclusion
For various reasons many college students do not have the necessary skills to be proficient writers. Pre-service teachers have the added responsibility to close this gap because they will be teaching the skills they themselves lack. They will also be role models for students with every word that they speak. A computer-assisted program can play a crucial role in closing this gap while maintaining a student’s dignity.
Let us return to the story of Connie mentioned earlier.
Connie came by to visit me at the end of the semester with a small token of her appreciation. She gave me her gift while saying “Thanks for taking the time and having the patience to help me with my writing and especially my grammar problems,” which became her most appreciated gift of all. She continued by saying, “I wish I had been introduced to this computer program years ago!” She added that she thought with continued work, she would overcome her inadequacies. Then she asked if she could hug me.
And that spoke volumes to me.
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