STUDENTS taught grammar in primary school out-perform their peers in national literacy tests, but their advantage is lost once formal teaching of the subject has ceased. An analysis of national literacy test results shows that Year 3 students in NSW scored 13 points higher in the writing assessment than the national average. But by Year 9 this advantage had disappeared, with NSW students performing at the national average. The NSW primary school syllabus is notable for specifying how grammar should be taught...
photo: White House / Shealah Craighead
