Why Is Grammar Important For Children To Learn?

Over the last decade or so, grammar has been argued to no longer be an important area of study of English language.* Technological aids are being used worldwide in classrooms and workplaces that enable grammar to be corrected at the click of a button (without the user necessarily learning the rules) and there is a greater acceptance of incorrect grammar in both professional and academic settings. At Night Zookeeper, we believe that it remains important for children to learn grammar, and want to share why.

The Britannica Dictionary defines grammar as the “rules of a language governing the sounds, words, sentences, and other elements, as well as their combination and interpretation”. In other words, grammar allows us to effectively communicate with others and share information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and arguments clearly.

The correct use of grammar remains a critical part of English language learning, and this article will explain a few of the many reasons why grammar is important.

Why do we need to learn grammar?

Whether your child is writing a new piece of work or trying to verbalize an idea, thought or opinion, knowing correct English grammar will help them to get all their points across effectively. The use of correct grammar rules will ensure that readers of the piece understand exactly what your child is trying to explain, describe or argue!

This will improve the overall reading experience, as there will be a clear emphasis on the ideas your child discusses in the piece. Whether they’re storytelling or analyzing factual information, applying correct learning grammar principles will allow them to present their thoughts successfully. Using correct grammar results in clear writing.

Why is it important to have good grammar?

The importance of grammar goes beyond academia - it’s something we need and use in our everyday life. In modern language, the purpose of grammar is to support effective communication. Good grammar allows us to express ideas accurately in different contexts, from casual conversations to writing academic texts.

Having good grammar can also boost our credibility as writers and communicators, as it shows attention to detail and respect for the language. In today's digital age, using a grammar checker is second nature to most of us, but knowing correct grammar rules can be invaluable in some situations, particularly at school, where children are not always allowed to use these tools.

Good grammar shows care and interest for the topic at hand

If your child writes adhering to all the appropriate English grammar principles, they implicitly demonstrate interest and care for the topic at hand. It also shows respect and consideration for their readers, including teachers and fellow peers who may be asked to read and provide feedback on their work.

Additionally, good grammar saves time and is a very easy way of making a piece of writing more digestible for whoever is reading it, as there won’t be a need for re-reads or reflection.

When a piece is well-written, it instantly suggests that the author is passionate, and knowledgeable about the themes explored, which in turn exudes a sense of confidence and care for the theme of the piece.

Proper grammar creates a good foundation for academic writing

All academic writing should not only be well-informed and well-researched, but also well-structured, well-paced and logical.

Good grammar helps your child achieve all of the above, adding credibility to their work. It’s important to start teaching grammar to young learners as soon as their academic journey begins, as grasping grammatical concepts is a big part of understanding English language and something that they’ll use for the rest of their lives, whether they choose to carry their studies on to college level or decide on a different career path.

Poor grammar can cause misunderstandings and misinterpretations

Failing to apply correct grammar rules to a piece of writing often results in sharing wrong or even opposing ideas, opinions, or views, which in turn raise issues depending on the topic at hand. Common errors, including using the wrong verb tenses and punctuation marks, can lead to a complete misrepresentation of themes explored, and as a result, in missing assignment requirements, failing to touch on recommended points of discussion, or even raising more serious issues (depending on the purpose of the written piece).

Another scenario which highlights the importance of using correct grammar is when we consider the potential different audiences that could read a piece of writing. For example, for native speakers, whose first language is English, it may be easier to look past grammatical errors and still understand the main topic at hand, as well as the argument the author is trying to share with their readers. On the other hand, we must remember that people who use English as their second language may be used to different grammar rules, as foreign languages, like Spanish or French, have completely different rules to follow, including contrasting sentence structures and word order.

Teaching grammar ensures that your child can successfully create a clear text structure with the aim to provide the audience with the best possible reading experience and an understandable succession of points, to reach a logical conclusion based on the arguments explored. This will allow your child to learn how best to plan and prioritize key points and arguments depending on the purpose of each piece of work completed, while avoiding grammar mistakes and different meaning interpretations.

In summary, good grammar practices will improve the accessibility of your child’s work, making it understandable to a wider audience, including non-native English speakers, and allowing more people to enjoy their writing!

Grammar boosts communication skills and academic confidence

Applying correct grammar rules will help your child build academic confidence!

All the points raised above demonstrate how using correct grammar usage can have a great, positive impact on your child’s writing skills development, and building confidence is an added bonus.

As your child learns about different grammar rules and builds English grammar skills, they’ll start being mindful of the way they organize their thoughts in both written and verbal forms. This will lead to eloquent and confident communication, which also serves as a great opportunity to work on self-expression and reflection. Good grammar will help your child make a great first impression and aid the way they present themselves to others!

Having a strong, informed understanding of how to correctly apply grammar rules to effective communication in written form will do wonders for your learner’s academic confidence, especially as they continue building their writing skills and way of thinking and discussing increasingly complex topics.

How children learn grammar

Learning and understanding grammar rules as a young learner can be challenging, and even frustrating at times. As every child is unique, they each have their own learning style, so it’s important to figure out what your child’s is before starting any type of linguistics teaching. Some children prefer more traditional methods of study, such as using textbooks and worksheets, while others lean towards a more personalized approach, which is something we can help with.

Night Zookeeper is an online learning program that uses gamification to make reading & writing fantastically fun and engaging for children aged six to twelve.

Our award-winning reading & writing program focuses on helping children develop core English skills, including spelling, punctuation and - you guessed it - grammar!

It features a wide variety of different grammar activities, from interactive lessons, to grammar challenges that keep children engaged and entertained as they learn.

Sign up today and get a FREE 7-day trial!

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*References:

Walker, R., 2022. To what extent does grammar teaching help children learn to write?. [online] IOE - Faculty of Education and Society. Available at: <https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2022/mar/what-extent-does-grammar-teaching-help-children-learn-write>

FRIEDMAN, J., 2010. Why I Don't Care About Grammar (and Why You Should Stop Worrying). [online] Writer's Digest. Available at: <https://www.writersdigest.com/general/why-i-dont-care-about-grammar-and-why-you-should-stop-worrying>