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If you’re tired of DOL or concerned that your grammar lessons are boring, then Jane Bell Kiester has.. Review by Karla Spencer

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If you’re tired of DOL or concerned that your grammar lessons are boring, then Jane Bell Kiester has a whole new approach for you! Kiester has come up with a fun and effective way of teaching daily grammar for grades 3-8, based on an ongoing story that students find funny and appealing. It takes no more than five to ten minutes a day, and it covers English skills such as vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, parts of speech, diagramming sentences, and writing.

Caught’ya is a how-to book in two ways: Not only does the Caught-ya method teach students how to master language mechanics, it also shows teachers how to develop an enjoyable rapport with students through good-natured teasing and a soap opera story line. She outlines ten easy steps to implementing this program in your classroom, beginning with choosing a story plot and ending with collecting student work on a weekly basis. It allows any student, whether advanced or struggling, to get an A simply by following along and making corrections.

Research shows that “learning by doing” is more effective than analyzing textbook sentences, and Caught’ya allows students to practice the skills they will later use in their writing. After Kiester presented Caught’ya at a statewide conference, it quickly caught on, and two years later Alachua County (Florida) incorporated this method into the county’s middle school curriculum guide.

I recommend this book to language arts teachers who are looking for innovative and fun ways to liven up what can often be, let’s face it, boring English lessons. Her book is foolproof…it even has the daily exercises in the back that you can copy and use word-for-word, until you get the hang of it and you’re ready to create your own story lines. What could be easier?!

(Posted on 7/24/09)