Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grammar Gallery?
Grammar Gallery is a teacher-delivered instructional program accessed through the Internet. It's the nation's premier web-based grammar program. The Main Gallery - the heart of the program - includes 900 downloadable resources, including:
-300 INTRODUCE resources that focus on oral language. Each of these resources includes a 20-minute lesson plan and everything you need to deliver it - concept pictures, sentence frames, a student worksheet, and background information for the teacher.
-300 REINFORCE resources that focus on reading. Each of these resources includes a 30-minute lesson plan and everything you need to deliver it - a reading, critical thinking questions, a focus on academic vocabulary development, and a comprehension check.
-300 EXPAND resources that focus on writing. Each of these resources includes a 30-minute writing lesson plan and everything you need to deliver it --a student reference sheet on the writing topic and a writing practice worksheet.
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?
Click here for information on the Grammar Gallery levels.
Who determines a student's level in the program?
The teacher determines the student's level in the program. This is usually based on the student's score on the state's approved language proficiency exam. In addition, Grammar Gallery provides a wide range of assessment tools to guide teachers as they gauge student progress and identify areas that need additional focus. Click here for a description of what students should be able to do at each level.
What topics does Grammar Gallery cover?
Click here for information on the Grammar Gallery topics.
How many resources does Grammar Gallery provide for each of the five language levels?
The Main Gallery provides 180 resources for each of the five language levels, for a total of 900 resources.
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. Click here to learn more.
What resources are available for students in Grammar Gallery?
Click here for more information on the Student Gallery.
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 20,000 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 thousands of pictures in the Main Gallery materials, 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 are the program's technology requirements?
Click here for more information on the technology requirements. Click here to learn about ways Grammar Gallery can be used in low tech and high tech educational contexts.
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 school and/or 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!
G R A M M A R G A L L E R Y L I C E N S E
What are the licensing options for Grammar Gallery?
The Teacher Writing Center offers its Grammar Gallery content through a K-12 district or school license program. The license allows all teachers/educators within a school or district to have unlimited use of Grammar Gallery for one or two years. Click here for more information about licensing and costs.
Who is eligible to purchase a Grammar Gallery license?
Grammar Gallery K-12 licenses are available to qualifying, accredited K-12 public and nonpublic school and districts. Contact us if you are not an accredited K-12 public or nonpublic school district and you are interested in a Grammar Gallery license.
Can I duplicate and distribute the materials contained in Grammar Gallery?
Licensed users may print, duplicate, download, and save the materials contained in Grammar Gallery during the license period for the purpose of: i) instructing students enrolled in the district that has purchased a K-12 School District License; and/or ii) training educators employed by the district that has purchased a K-12 School District License. Unless expressly indicated, Grammar Gallery materials may not be used for any other purpose without written consent from The Teacher Writing Center.
Who can use the materials in a licensed site?
A license grants all educators in the school or district access to the Grammar Gallery web site as well as permission to use its downloadable, copyrighted files and other materials for educational purposes. Each teacher using the resources must be employed by a school/district that has purchased a license, and the materials can only be used in the school/district that made the purchase. Teachers employed in more than one school/district may not use the materials in an unlicensed school/district.
Can teachers continue using Grammar Gallery materials after the license period has ended?
No. Licenses must be maintained for continued permission to use Grammar Gallery downloaded, copyrighted files. The Teacher Writing Center monitors its web sites for unauthorized sharing of passwords or downloaded files. Unauthorized sharing of passwords or downloaded files may result in the cancellation of the license without a refund, and users may be subject to retroactive charges.
Do K-12 licenses allow teacher home use?
Yes. A site license icense allows home-use rights licenses for teachers/educators so long as it is used exclusively for teaching purposes related to the teachers' employment within the school/district (such as lesson planning, classroom preparation, and so on).
Grammar Gallery is a teacher-delivered instructional program accessed through the Internet. It's the nation's premier web-based grammar program. The Main Gallery - the heart of the program - includes 900 downloadable resources, including:
-300 INTRODUCE resources that focus on oral language. Each of these resources includes a 20-minute lesson plan and everything you need to deliver it - concept pictures, sentence frames, a student worksheet, and background information for the teacher.
-300 REINFORCE resources that focus on reading. Each of these resources includes a 30-minute lesson plan and everything you need to deliver it - a reading, critical thinking questions, a focus on academic vocabulary development, and a comprehension check.
-300 EXPAND resources that focus on writing. Each of these resources includes a 30-minute writing lesson plan and everything you need to deliver it --a student reference sheet on the writing topic and a writing practice worksheet.
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?
Click here for information on the Grammar Gallery levels.
Who determines a student's level in the program?
The teacher determines the student's level in the program. This is usually based on the student's score on the state's approved language proficiency exam. In addition, Grammar Gallery provides a wide range of assessment tools to guide teachers as they gauge student progress and identify areas that need additional focus. Click here for a description of what students should be able to do at each level.
What topics does Grammar Gallery cover?
Click here for information on the Grammar Gallery topics.
How many resources does Grammar Gallery provide for each of the five language levels?
The Main Gallery provides 180 resources for each of the five language levels, for a total of 900 resources.
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. Click here to learn more.
What resources are available for students in Grammar Gallery?
Click here for more information on the Student Gallery.
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 20,000 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 thousands of pictures in the Main Gallery materials, 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 are the program's technology requirements?
Click here for more information on the technology requirements. Click here to learn about ways Grammar Gallery can be used in low tech and high tech educational contexts.
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 school and/or 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!
G R A M M A R G A L L E R Y L I C E N S E
What are the licensing options for Grammar Gallery?
The Teacher Writing Center offers its Grammar Gallery content through a K-12 district or school license program. The license allows all teachers/educators within a school or district to have unlimited use of Grammar Gallery for one or two years. Click here for more information about licensing and costs.
Who is eligible to purchase a Grammar Gallery license?
Grammar Gallery K-12 licenses are available to qualifying, accredited K-12 public and nonpublic school and districts. Contact us if you are not an accredited K-12 public or nonpublic school district and you are interested in a Grammar Gallery license.
Can I duplicate and distribute the materials contained in Grammar Gallery?
Licensed users may print, duplicate, download, and save the materials contained in Grammar Gallery during the license period for the purpose of: i) instructing students enrolled in the district that has purchased a K-12 School District License; and/or ii) training educators employed by the district that has purchased a K-12 School District License. Unless expressly indicated, Grammar Gallery materials may not be used for any other purpose without written consent from The Teacher Writing Center.
Who can use the materials in a licensed site?
A license grants all educators in the school or district access to the Grammar Gallery web site as well as permission to use its downloadable, copyrighted files and other materials for educational purposes. Each teacher using the resources must be employed by a school/district that has purchased a license, and the materials can only be used in the school/district that made the purchase. Teachers employed in more than one school/district may not use the materials in an unlicensed school/district.
Can teachers continue using Grammar Gallery materials after the license period has ended?
No. Licenses must be maintained for continued permission to use Grammar Gallery downloaded, copyrighted files. The Teacher Writing Center monitors its web sites for unauthorized sharing of passwords or downloaded files. Unauthorized sharing of passwords or downloaded files may result in the cancellation of the license without a refund, and users may be subject to retroactive charges.
Do K-12 licenses allow teacher home use?
Yes. A site license icense allows home-use rights licenses for teachers/educators so long as it is used exclusively for teaching purposes related to the teachers' employment within the school/district (such as lesson planning, classroom preparation, and so on).
Copyright ©2014 The Teacher Writing Center, a division of SG Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved.