ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES

No, teachers do not need to grade grammar in all student writing. Many kinds of writing such as journals, writing to learn activities, and prewriting may be done with the student as the only audience or for the purpose of thinking rather than communicating. Focusing on grammar in these types of writings may make students apprehensive and less fluid in their thinking.

Even in more conventional compositions teachers can make choices about the extent to which they will evaluate grammar. For example, a teacher may decide to highlight only two or three grammatical features (such as sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and use of semi-colons) to evaluate in a particular composition.

Example
In Technical Math, students keep a learning log which serves as a place for them to keep a record of their understanding of new concepts. These learning logs are considered part of the process of learning and not graded for correctness.

Example
In American History, students complete some prewriting activities which help them make a personal connection to the essay topic of "personal freedoms." When the teacher reviews their work, she evaluates their thinking and talks with them about ideas for elaboration and/or clarification.

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