Tuesday, April 29, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
Page 5
ramus won't improve writing
This letter was prompted by the
editorial titled, "Kids Can't
Write; Comprehensive Exams
Are Needed" (Daily Nebraskan, April
24).
The editorial suggested that the
way to improve the writing skills of
students is to administer compre
hensive examinations and to focus
on "the basics," interpreted by many
to mean grammar instruction.
Research indicates that the teach
ing of formal grammar has a "negli
gible" and perhaps even "harmful"
effect upon the improvement of
writing. What is truly needed to
improve the writing of children
(and adults) is more writing. The
Daily Nebraskan's editorial did not
report one of the key findings in the
study quoted, namely that students
reported doing very little writing in
school ("averaging only three to
four papers in a six week period").
It is no wonder then that students
are considered poor writers. They do
not get enough practice to become
truly proficient writers.
Students do need to know some
basic aspects of language. However,
the amount of time spent on gram
mar instruction should not exceed
the amount of time spent on more
important process-building areas,
such as reading and writing. An
integrative approach to reading and
writing as well as listening and
speaking, should be the basis for all
language instruction.
Guest Opinion
Current researchers in the area of
composition are not concerned with
grammar per se. They place more
emphasis on the process of writing
and emphasize the use of writing as
a meaning-based means of expres
sion. Indeed, writing is a unique
process. Lucy McCormick Calkins, a
noted authority on composition in
struction for children, has said:
"English composition is a skill that
can be learned rather than a content
that must be covered. Teaching
English, certainly teaching writing,
must become more like coaching a
sport and less like presenting infor
mation." It now appears that the only way
to really have command of a language
is through constant and meaningful
use of that language, not through
testing and grammar instruction. To
truly improve young children's writ
ing skills, more schools need to
establish writing workshops, writing
projects, peer editing, and com
munities of writers where the
teachers write too.
Grammar instruction is not the
means to the end of improving
students' uses of language. A holistic
approach to language seems to be
the means and the end simultane
ously. Kathy Everts Danielson
graduate student
curriculum and instruction
Every Tuesday is
ROCK HIGH
V
0,
':"
Rock &
Roll
All Night
Long
i
V
"We Rock Lincoln" 9th & "P"
Sacrifices for Prince Charming too costly
GOODMAN from Page 4
their 3 12 decades spent at dinner
parties and travels with pug dogs and
visits to the couturier. Others say they
were devoted; when he died, she kept
his clothes pressed and shoes lined up
in his closet.
But I do know something about how
our love-story scripts have been re
written. In the '30s, tales of romance
were steeped in such sacrifice. The
King of England, David as he was
called, was the shining star of this
period piece, but the cast of the times
measured love through more plebian
sacrifice.
It was routine for women in that era
to give up titles though far less
glittering for love. It was love that
made some guy trade in his independ
ence to support a doll.
Today we are not so sure. Today we
talk about love as something meant to
enhance an individual life. Love, we
say, is a relationship between two
people who are each stronger and
better for it. Love, we declare, makes
me a better person, makes my life
fuller. The dialogue of our modern
romance is less about merger and
submerger than about individual gain.
If David and Wallis were to act out
their pivotal scene now in the '80s,
what would it look like? If David
offered to give up the crown, would
Wallis say, "I don't know if I can handle
that, David." Would David's therapist
encourage him to "become a whole
person" first; "You cannot look to
another person to complete your own
life."
In a half-century, we have become
much more reluctant to ask or even
accept everything of the people we
love. We are far more skittish about
carrying the burden of someone else's
self-sacrifice. Nor do we sacrifice the
way we once did. For every man or
woman who would give up a crown for
love now there are a thousand who are
not sure that they would give up a
transfer to Silicon Valley.
"I have had to live in the knowledge
that ... my every action," wrote this
woman who died at 89 years old, "is
inevitablyjudged against the fact of my
being married to a former king." This
footnote to "The Love Story of the
Century" carries more of a shudder
than a goosebump into our modern
consciousness.
We have learned the costs of sacrifice.
We don't want to lose our own lives in
partnership. The tenuous quality of
today's love stories encourage us to
withhold, keep some part separate just
in case. But this same withholding may
make love more tenuous.
The Duchess referred to the Duke
as "My Prince Charming." Have you
noticed how few lovers believe in fairy
tales anymore?
1986, The Boston Globe Newspaper
CompanyWashington Post
Writers Group
Goodman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning
columnist for the Boston Globe.
MONDAY
MAY
9
f
IS I t ri
IT'S TIME TO TALK CAREERS.
With the US Air Force.
ENGINEERING!
Planning for the Air Force of tomorrow today. If it
has to be designed, built, tested, moved or remodeled,
Air Force Engineers do it!
TECHNICAL
T
Including positions in computer systems, weather,
acquisition programs and communication electronics.
These positions make the Air Force effective, efficient,
and ready to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.
SUPPORT CAREER FIELDS:
Challenging and stimulating positions in aircraft
maintenance, air traffic control and manpower management.
iPILOTNAVIGATORc
Be among the nation' elite. You'll fly with the best . . .
operating offensive and defensive radar, piloting
technical maneuvers and conducting electronic counter
measures.
For more information concerning the
ODDortunities in the Air Force.
contact Major DeBruin at 472-2474
AIR FORCE J
:
MOTC
Gateway to a great way of Ufa
