Formal English instruction begins in kindergarten, if not before. It is often referred to as language arts, which provides the most accurate description of the many reading and writing skills that teachers must help their students master. This subject encompasses many skills in reading and writing. Often, the most effective method of instruction is to combine elements of the different skills into unified lesson plans or assignments. Children at all grade levels should learn the mechanics of writing in the context of reading. Knowledge of good writing techniques, and the ability to apply them independently, improves comprehension, one of the main goals of reading instruction.

Teach grammar along with the writing process. For example, when covering the parts of speech, have students write paragraphs, swap papers with classmates, and identify nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs as they read each others' papers. This is a more realistic and engaging exercise than copying sentences from a textbook or labeling parts of speech in sentences on a worksheet.

Demonstrate techniques for writing as your class reads different material in class. Teach descriptive writing while reading poetry. Show students how to write an opinion essay after they read a newspaper or novel. Even children in first and second grade can learn to write short paragraphs about what they read. The more kids become accustomed to writing about literature in elementary school, the more likely they are to be able to produce complex compositions in high school.

Conduct interventions with struggling students. These are 10- to 20-minute sessions in which you work with a student one-on-one or in a small group on a specific skill. This is the appropriate time to isolate and work on skills such as grammar usage and mechanics. Educational Internet sites, such as Web English Teacher, have suggestions for classroom activities that will improve the teaching of many language arts skills.