Post 486: Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson

 Post 492: Mechanically Inclined Book Review

 

Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson is a wonderful book that gives teachers fun ways to teach grammar. In a recent lesson on complex sentences, I used Anderson's ideas of using visual scaffolds to help students remember their subordinate conjunctions. AAAWWUBBIS (After, although, as, When, While, Before, Because,  Unless,  If and Since. If students can remember AAWWUBBIS, then they can avoid sentence fragments since sentences that begin with these words cannot stand alone.

He also uses his sense of humor to teach grammar, which is usually a very boring topic. For instance, when teaching prepositions, he starts his chapter on prepositions with 'Have I got a preposition for you!" which obviously is a running joke on 'Have I got a proposition for you!". He makes grammar just funny enough for students to pay attention.

Anderson makes the visual scaffolds available for photocopying in the Appendix of his book, so teachers can hand out these visual scaffolds to help them remember the grammar rules. I love using his FANBOYS visual scaffolding for compound sentences when I teach students that commas always go before FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

John studies hard, FOR he wants a good grade.

Jack eats a lot AND he refuses to go on a diet.

I do not want to go to the park NOR do I want to go outside today.

Jack worked hard BUT he still makes very little money.

Wash your feet, Or not have dinner.

Jan is famous, YET she is humble. 

Before teaching a grammar lesson, this is a great reference book to help me give dynamic lectures. Anderson also gives mentor sentences and student error sentences for me to use for each lesson. Then, students can imitate the mentor sentences to write correct sentences of their own in their writing notebooks. The mentor sentences can be used as writing prompts for writing journals. 

The teacher can list the mentor sentences on the board, then ask students what grammar rule is being demonstrated, or the teacher can write Anderson's student error sentence and the teacher can then ask the students what error is in that sentence.  I highly recommend Mechanically Inclined for any writing and grammar teacher to make their grammar lessons come alive.