Quote: “Many rules aren’t useful because there are more exceptions than words that conform” (T, 160).
Comment: I think this is an important reminder of just how difficult the process of becoming literate really is. Students are essentially blank slates, without the years of experience with language that we have. A lot of the ways we use and manipulate language are the result of rules that have become instinctive to us. Were we asked to break them down and define these manipulations, most of us wouldn’t be able to. That is why we end up saying “That doesn’t sound right” without being able to explain why it isn’t right. Remembering that students are working without these instincts will help us be more patient while we try to teach them.
Question: How do we keep the students from getting discouraged when they learn about all the exceptions to the rules?
I think that we should not focus so much on the exceptions to the rules. Teach more about the rules that work first and then the students will have a foundation to learn the exceptions to the rules. However, it is important for the students to know that learning comes a step at a time. They will not know everything after first grade. Let them know that their learning will come eventually. This may help with the discouragement.
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