Off-the-Wall Grammar and Mechanics Instruction
Jeff Anderson · 2023
Mechanics are a visual skill. Kids have to “see” mechanics in action to absorb the patterns and use them. Requisite rules and examples must be in front of students’ faces when they need clarification and stylistic options in the midst of the writing process. Elementary teachers have always known the power of a humble piece of butcher paper and an accessible marker. Word lists and processes cover the walls of most elementary classrooms. Middle school students have the motor skills to actually write their own contributions, and they are still thrilled to see their ideas on the walls. Wall charts and posters should go up not all at once, but one at a time over the first months of school and anytime the people find a new need. These posters and wall charts should be revisited often while reading, while correcting sentences, while drafting, while editing.