Frequently Asked Questions

What is Grammar Gallery?
Grammar Gallery is a grammar program delivered via the Internet that is designed to support teachers implementing Systematic ELD or another approach to explicit grammar instruction. The Main Gallery includes 300 structured language practice resources that reinforce language functions and grammatical forms within social and academic topics. The Reading Gallery provides 300 readings for students in grades 2-12 with level-appropriate text that integrates the target topics, grammatical forms, and language functions in the Main Gallery. The wide variety of readings and the comprehension questions at the end of each reading help prepare students for success in mainstream classrooms. The program also includes many other support materials. The materials can be used with all English learners (ELs) at all proficiency levels and grade levels. It can serve as a supplement to any core ELD/ESL/ESOL program or mainsThe materials can be used with all English learners (ELs) at all proficiency levels and grade levels. It can serve as a supplement to any core ELD/ESL/ESOL program or mainstream language arts program.

What are “language functions and grammatical forms”?
Language functions are essentially language tasks-they describe what we use language to accomplish. For example, we use language to name, describe, narrate, explain, compare, and so forth. Each of these is an example of a language function. Grammatical forms are the linguistic constructs we need to accomplish a language task. For example, in order to name objects or ideas, we need nouns (e.g., girl, bedroom, car, dog, freedom, vulnerability). In order to describe things, we need adjectives (e.g., tall, smart, funny, happy, perceptive, cogent). Nouns and adjectives are two examples of grammatical forms. In order to develop full academic language proficiency, research demonstrates that students need explicit instruction in language functions and corresponding grammatical forms. Of course, this instructional focus on grammatical accuracy must be balanced with opportunities for students to engage in meaningful and authentic communication.

How is Grammar Gallery organized?
Grammar Gallery is organized by language level, topic, language function, and grammatical form. It includes 60 resources for each of the five language levels, for a total of 300 resources in the Main Gallery. It also includes 60 texts for each of the five language levels, for a total of 300 readings in the Reading Gallery. Teachers of beginning English learners would access materials from the Level 1“frame” in the “gallery.” Teachers may use resources from lower language levels to review or reinforce forms with students at higher language levels.

What are the five language levels of Grammar Gallery?
Grammar Gallery contains resources for students in the following five language levels:

Level 1
Listening: Does not understand any English words or understands a few words and/or short phrases; may respond to one-step commands, yes/no questions, or simple directions.
Speaking: Does not speak using any English words or says a few words and/or short phrases.
Reading: Does not read any English words or reads only a few words and/or short phrases; may recognize content-area concepts presented in pictures or graphics.
Writing: Does not write in English or writes a few words and/or short phrases.

Level 2
Listening: Understands with some difficulty common social language and some academic language; responds to one-step commands, yes/no questions, or simple directions.
Speaking: Speaks with some hesitancy using common social language and some academic terms related to the content areas.
Reading: Reads a few words and phrases with some hesitancy, but is below grade level.
Writing: Writes a few words and phrases, but is significantly below grade level.

Level 3
Listening: Understands common social language and some general and specific grade-level academic language.
Speaking: Speaks with greater fluency and expanded sentences using common social language, but uses academic language hesitantly.
Reading: Reads sentences with some hesitancy, but demonstrates improved comprehension of academic texts.
Writing: Writes words, sentences, and short paragraphs following a model or with other assistance.

Level 4
Listening: Understands social language and general and specific academic language of the content areas with increasing fluency.
Speaking: Speaks with increasing fluency using common social and general and specific academic language.
Reading: Reads grade-level texts with increasing fluency and good comprehension.
Writing: Writes words, sentences of varying lengths and complexity, and paragraphs with minimal support.

Level 5
Listening: Understands almost all social and general, specific, and technical academic language of the content areas.
Speaking: Speaks with fluency using social and academic language of the content areas at or almost at grade level.
Reading: Reads academic, grade-level texts fluently with excellent comprehension.
Writing: Writes words, sentences of varying lengths and complexity, and paragraphs at or almost at grade-level.

What topics does Grammar Gallery cover?
Grammar Gallery includes a wide variety of high-interest topics that will engage students in the learning process and also address ESL/ELD and mainstream academic standards. The beginning levels cover more general, social topics and the more advanced levels address academic topics. Grammar Gallery topics include:

• Numbers & Shapes
• Transportation
• School
• Animals
• Food
• Electronics & Appliances
• Holidays
• Nature
• Weather & Seasons
• Occupations
• Geography
• Research & Inquiry
• Economics

To view the topics covered at each level, click here.

How many resources does Grammar Gallery provide for each of the five language levels?
The Main Gallery provides 60 resources for each of the five language levels, for a total of 300 resources. The Reading Gallery provides 300 readings for students in grades 2-12 with level-appropriate text that integrates the target topics, grammatical forms, and language functions in the Main Gallery. Teachers may use resources from lower language levels to review or reinforce forms with students at higher language levels.

What does each Grammar Gallery resource and reading include?
Each resource in the Main Gallery includes a lesson plan, overview chart, sentence frames, student worksheet, and background information for the teacher:

LESSON PLAN: A four-step, 20-minute lesson plan
OVERVIEW CHART: Pictures and text the teacher uses to present the target topic, function, and form
SENTENCE FRAMES: Large sentence frames for whole-class oral practice
NOW YOU TRY! Student worksheets for collaborative oral and writing practice
TEACHER TALK: An explanation of the target grammatical form, including what it is, how it's used, examples, how to help students practice it, and special notes

Each reading in the Reading Gallery includes a fiction or nonfiction reading, comprehension questions, and a writing prompt. Model lesson plans to use the readings are provided for each of the five levels.

How do I use Grammar Gallery?
Simply click on the desired resource in the Main Gallery to introduce, reinforce, or review language functions and corresponding grammatical forms. You can print the materials, copy them onto a transparency, or project them on a wall or screen using an LCD projector, document camera, or interactive whiteboard.

After you have covered the content in the Main Gallery, you can pick and choose other resources in the program to support student learning. For example, simply click on the corollary topic/grammatical form in the Reading Gallery to give students more practice. Extend student learning with Extension Activities (under the “Support Materials” tab).

What resources are available for students in Grammar Gallery?
In addition to the resources in the Main Gallery and Reading Gallery (including speaking, reading, and writing activities and worksheets), a special Student Gallery contains resources such as the following:

Grammar Library: This “library” contains specific references for each and every grammatical form students are learning. The references mirror the “Teacher Talk” references from the resources in the Grammar Gallery proper, but the references in this Grammar Library are geared to students. Each student reference also includes oral and written practice activities that students can complete with a partner or in small groups.

Practice Room: The downloadable resources in this Practice Room include the reference portion of the Student Reference Sheets located in the Grammar Library and the "Now You Try!" practice sheets located in the Main Gallery. Adobe Reader will allow students to type on the PDFs and then print them. More advanced versions of Adobe Acrobat will allow students to save the PDF documents on which they have typed. MAC users may need an app in order to type directly on the PDFs.

Virtual Adventures: These adventures offer students a chance to reinforce what they are learning about a wide variety of topics - from subject-verb agreement to homonyms. The virtual adventures also give students a chance to apply their knowledge as they are challenged to answer questions.

Writing Rules: These resources are designed to help students improve their writing. They focus on topics such as capitalization rules, root words, affixes, end punctuation, and tips on writing for effect.

What is the purpose of the Student Gallery?
The purpose of this Student Gallery is to actively involve students in fun, creative activities that further their learning about English grammatical functions and language forms. The Student Gallery also is intended to provide students with access to pertinent reference material related to grammar, writing, and language.

How do you suggest educators use the resources available for students in the Student Gallery?
There are many different ways to use the resources in the Student Gallery to promote students’ learning, including the following:

Independent self-paced instruction in learning centers. Send pairs or small groups to work at computer stations. If you are focusing on subject-verb agreement, for example, assign students to go on the “Let's Agree!” Virtual Adventure. If you have just introduced adjectives, have students review the adjectives reference in the Grammar Library and complete the practice activities in pairs or small groups.

Small group instruction. If you want Level 3-5 students to appreciate why writing well is important, for example, assign students to read “Writing for Effect” in Writing Rules. Have students discuss the reading as a group and then present reasons why writing well is important.

Whole class instruction. If you are introducing nouns, for example, provide students with the student reference sheet, “Nouns,” so that they can refer to that throughout the lesson. Read or call on students to read the information on the reference sheet and then have students complete one of the activities as a class.

Sponge activities/activities for early finishers. If you have a little time left before transitioning to another activity or you have early finishers, assign activities in the Student Gallery to reinforce materials students have been learning.

What kinds of images are used in the program?
Grammar Gallery includes more than 10,000 photographs and illustrations. The authors have taken special care to include a broad diversity of visuals in terms of ethnicity, age, gender, and other significant demographics in order to provide students with instructional materials that are relevant, realistic, and inclusive. In addition to the pictures in the 300 resources in the Main Gallery and 300 readings in the Reading Gallery, Grammar Gallery also includes a set of Picture Prompts associated with each of the 30 topics.

Can I use any of the images to create my own activities?
Educators in licensed districts may use the images contained in the “Picture Prompts” to create oral and/or written practice activities or for evaluation. Note, however, that educators are expressly forbidden from using other images in the Grammar Gallery program to create new activities.

Does the program review vocabulary and grammatical forms after they are presented?
Yes! Vocabulary and grammatical forms are recycled throughout the 60 resources in each frame of the Main Gallery and 60 readings in each frame of the Reading Gallery in order to give students multiple opportunities to practice and internalize the new content they are learning. Language learning is not a linear process, so while each resource focuses on a target form, other forms are being indirectly reviewed and reinforced in each resource.

I'm teaching Level 1 students, but I don't know which resource to introduce first.
Grammar Gallery is designed to provide teachers with maximum flexibility so that it can supplement any core ESL/ELD program or ELA program or serve as a stand-alone program. You can start with any resource in each frame of the Main Gallery, but we recommend that you start with the Nouns resource first IF your students are not yet familiar with the topic vocabulary. The nouns presented in the Nouns (or Nouns & Articles) resources are used throughout the other nine resources associated with the topic in the Main Gallery and in the Reading Gallery. Click here for additional guidance on this topic.

Do all the resources include the same lesson plan?
In general, all lesson plans within each level or frame of the Main Gallery follow the same pattern; however, there are slight variations based on the specific function and form being addressed. There are model lessons for each level of the Reading Gallery.

I'm teaching Level 2 students, but they do not know how to use possessive pronouns, which are included in the Level 1 frame.
There's no hard and fast rule that says when each grammatical form can and should be introduced. The authors consulted multiple resources and standards to determine placement of the grammatical forms, but certainly teachers are free to use resources from any frame in order to meet the needs of their student group.

What if I have a question about the content on the site?
Contact us. In most cases, we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

Can I review the Grammar Gallery resources before purchasing a license for my district?
Definitely! Click here to request a review and we'll set up a review of Grammar Gallery for your district. Also be sure to take our virtual tour, which provides an overview of Grammar Gallery and includes a sample resource.

Can Grammar Gallery be used with English-only students?
Yes. Grammar Gallery is designed to support teachers, including teachers in mainstream classes, who are providing explicit grammar instruction. It includes 300 structured language practice resources in the Main Gallery that can be used to introduce, review, and reinforce language functions and grammatical forms within social and academic topics. It also includes 60 texts for each of the five language levels, for a total of 300 readings in the Reading Gallery. Grammar Gallery is very closely aligned to the LANGUAGE strand of the Common Core State Standards. Click here for more information.

Can Grammar Gallery be used in a bilingual setting?
Yes. Grammar Gallery is designed to support teachers in a variety of contexts, including bilingual classrooms, who are providing explicit grammar instruction. It includes 300 structured language practice resources in the Main Gallery that can be used to introduce, review, and reinforce language functions and grammatical forms within social and academic topics. It also includes 60 texts for each of the five language levels, for a total of 300 readings in the Reading Gallery.

Can Grammar Gallery be used with multiple proficiency levels in the same classroom?
Yes. Grammar Gallery is a perfect tool for teachers who have students at multiple proficiency levels in the same classroom. The design and format of the lesson plan and instructional resources make it easy for teachers to introduce a concept to students in lower proficiency levels and at the same time review and reinforce it for students at higher proficiency levels. It includes 300 structured language practice resources in the Main Gallery that can be used to introduce, review, and reinforce language functions and grammatical forms within social and academic topics. It also includes 60 texts for each of the five language levels, for a total of 300 readings in the Reading Gallery.

Can Grammar Gallery be used with ANY instructional program on the market?
Yes! Grammar Gallery is designed to support any instructional program on the market by providing language practice resources and language level-specific readings to reinforce language functions and grammatical forms within a variety of social and academic topics. As such, it is a perfect supplement to any instructional program.

Do I have to start with any particular resource?
Grammar Gallery is designed to provide teachers with maximum flexibility so that it can supplement any core ESL/ELD program or ELA program or serve as a stand-alone program. You can start with any resource in each frame in the Main Gallery, but we recommend that you start with the Nouns resource first IF your students are not yet familiar with the topic vocabulary. The nouns presented in the Nouns (or Nouns & Articles) resources in the Main Gallery are used throughout the other nine resources associated with the topic as well as in the texts in the Reading Gallery associated with the topic. Click here for additional guidance on this topic.

How do you suggest I use the “Now You Try!” worksheets with students who are in the “pre-writing” stage?
The worksheets make a great class activity for students who are not yet writing. Give students a printout of the worksheet or project it on the wall/screen. Call on volunteers to help complete the sheet orally, affirming good work and providing corrective feedback as needed.

What if the content in which a grammatical form appears in our core ESL/ELD program is different from the topics in Grammar Gallery?
A critical aspect of Grammar Gallery is its flexibility. It’s entirely possible that the topics integrated into a grammatical form (e.g., past progressive) in Grammar Gallery could be different from what students find in their core ESL/ELD program, but true mastery of a grammatical form is demonstrated by students’ ability to apply it across topic areas and content areas. Students need opportunities to practice grammatical forms in these different contexts; it’s the rich and varied context Grammar Gallery provides that is one of the program’s greatest strength. In addition, if the teacher wants to focus specifically on a narrow content area, there are many tools in Grammar Gallery to assist with this, including teacher background information (Main Gallery - Teacher Talk), student background information (Grammar Library - Student Reference Sheets), Teaching Tips, Extension Activities, Picture Prompts, and much more!

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