Conjunction Junction flashback

My girlfriend was reading through my blog and she couldn't help pointing out all the grammatical errors. She means well and her corrections help make my blog a more fluent read, so it's a win-win situation. I've always been a good writer in the sense that I like to think about something and put that insight to paper. But grammatical rules can be intimidating so I just end up ignoring the rules and putting thought to paper and hoping my professors weigh the content more than the grammar--so far it's been the case. The other alternative is to write those dinky little sentences that resemble fourth grade writing.


I tried to trace back where my problems with grammar began and I think I got it: Schoolhouse Rock. Yes, Schoolhouse Rock is the root of all my grammatical problems. Well, kind of. I sat down and thought about that period in which all these rules were being taught and incorporated into my schema: elementary school. Yea, school was great and I learned a lot from Mrs. Rosenstock, Mrs. Catarina and Mrs. Friedman but I don't really remember exactly what they taught me but I do remember Schoolhouse Rock. Hits like Conjunction Junction (What's Your Function), or Grammar Rock Verb (I Get My Thing In Action, VERB. To Be, To See, To Feel...) are at the tip of my tongue.

I was surprised when I looked up the videos on YouTube and found myself singing along to songs I hadn't heard in over 20 years. That's powerful. You're probably asking yourself how Schoolhouse Rock could have screwed me when I've been ranting and raving about it for the last 4 sentences. Well, I don't remember Schoolhouse Rock teaching me those pesky little grammatical rules. I know, it's not their fault but it brings me to a great point on how effective they were in the areas they did focus on. I mean, I--and I'm sure many of you who remember the shorts--enjoyed singing along to them and I didn't even realize I was learning in the process.

Here's the YouTube link to Conjunction Junction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo

But did these videos really help me learn what a noun, verb or conjunction was? Probably not by itself but learning it in the classroom and then seeing and hearing it formed some long lasting neural connections. And I think this multi-sensory approach is key to helping kids that have trouble with any subject overcome those hurdles. I believe this is especially true for children with learning disabilities and reading difficulties.


During the years children are learning to recognize print and decode. Some can easily pick up the basic elements of recognizing letters, differentiating letter-sound relationships and begin using those skills to play with words, add sight words to their schema, read stories for meaning. Others can not because they, for one reason or the other, not incorporated those elements. The children in the latter case need a systematic, explicit approach that spells the rules out. This issue has been addressed by phonics programs like Wilson, Orton-Gillingham, and other multi-sensory programs. These programs are not for all children, rather theyre for children who require the additional support.


I know, I know. What website am I reviewing? Reading is something important to me and I felt I needed to put the issue in a way that readers like you can relate with. Schoolhouse Rock was great for us and if you're looking to look back with fond nostalgia, some of the episodes can be found at YouTube.


On my HOMEPAGE (sskariah.homepagestartup.com) I've compiled some great phonics videos that would be a resource for children of most ages--older kids may find it childish but I think it could work for them. On the Phonic Video tab there are links to YouTube videos introducing some welded and short vowel sounds. The videos are great because the lyrics are catchy and simple but the message is driven home by that and the combination of good images and spelled out words. The only thing I wished for was more phonics videos. The number of good phonics videos are limited but I believe this video series can be purchased. And if you're going to use the videos please don't use it in isolation; use it as part of your larger lesson. Also, don't introduce more than one concept or sound at a time.


I'm still learning some of the different phonics programs (Recipe for Reading, Wilson, Glass Analysis) at Hunter and so far my favorite is Recipe for Reading. It's a multi-sensory program developed by Nina Traub. It's a sequential program that is easy and effective.