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Why Your Kids Should Learn to Diagram Sentences

My 20-year-old son, a graduate of our home school, is in college and he recently turned in a first draft paper to one professor, the final draft being due the following week. He expected a vast number of notes and things he had to change before his final draft. Instead, the professor suggested he move a few sentences around, made no corrections and told my son it was basically ready to be the final draft.

My son was stunned.

I gave him a fist bump and said, "You're welcome!"

He looked at me curiously and I explained, "I made you diagram sentences in middle school, remember? This is the pay off. You're welcome."

He went on to say that when he's writing his papers for school, he's constantly analyzing his sentences, almost automatically.

I told him, "This is memory muscle. It was ingrained in you, through diagramming sentences, to analyze and weigh each word and how it fits into your writing."

Folks, make your kids diagram sentences. Even if their school does not teach this, you need to teach this at home. All eight of my kids are extremely good writers....one has even won an award for her writing. I attribute this partially to learning how to diagram sentences. There really is no substitute.

Not only does sentence diagramming improve your own writing, it helps your comprehension when reading.

Here's a list of the benefits of diagramming sentences:

1. Diagramming sentences improves your writing. It makes your mind search for the right way to say what you want to say in your writing.

2. Diagramming sentences helps your comprehension. By understanding how sentences are put together, you can better comprehend what others are saying.

3. Diagramming sentences helps communication because it reduces confusion and leads to clarity. You are better able to articulate your thoughts if your mind automatically searches for the best way to say things.

4. Diagramming sentences helps produce critical thinking because it requires one to stop and think about what they are saying.

5. Diagramming sentences helps language development and comprehension.

Abandoning the diagramming of sentences is doing a disservice to our children, making it difficult for them to succeed. However, teaching our children to diagram sentences gives them an advantage when it comes to communication, articulation, comprehension and success in college and in the world.

Diagram. Give your kids an advantage by teaching them to diagram sentences.

~Tricia
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