Chart Contrasting
the Hunter Writing System: Sentence Sense Text* and Traditional (Grammar) Texts
| Feature |
Hunter
System's Way |
Traditional
Grammar Way |
| Goal: |
Aims at ownership &
control--via experiencing--of structure |
Aims at correctness (often
short-lived) via drill with the rules of usage |
| Instruction: |
Doing-based
|
Definition-based
|
|
Sequential
|
Nonsequenced
|
|
Cumulative
|
Compartmentalized
|
| Insightful |
Forgettable |
| Does
not presuppose knowledge of concepts |
Does
presuppose knowledge of concepts--because its definitions are invalid |
| Exercise Material: |
Stresses word-group roles
|
Stresses single-
word roles
|
|
Requires much rearranging
|
Requires little rearranging
|
|
Emphasizes ownership
|
Emphasizes correctness
|
| Discovery-based
|
Prescription-based
|
|
Stresses understanding
|
Stresses memorizing
|
|
Includes complex
sentences--and in paragraph settings
|
Uses simplistic sentences--and
apart from paragraphs
|
| Considered refreshing |
Considered boring |
| Definitions: |
Spoken-English based |
Conceptually based |
| Types of Sentence
Beginnings: |
Instills ownership of twelve of the chief ways sentences
begin |
Presupposes owner-
ship of all of the ways sentences begin |
| Helping Verbs: |
Teaches all of the most common helping verbs |
Omits many of the most common helping verbs |
| Paragraph & Essay Content: |
Progresses from informal to (all)
formal paragraph types
|
[Varies] |
|
Teaches the informative and the
persuasive essay
|
|
Requires an outline--always
|
| Includes innovative ways to achieve
coherence/invention |
| Effects: |
Instills fluency, confidence, accuracy
|
Neglects to teach the system of the
sentence
|
|
Enables skill at revising and editing
|
Omits the foundation for skill at revising and editing
|
|
Fosters retention of rules
|
Hampers retention of rules
|
| Assures focused
and coherent paragraphs
and essays |
Undermines control of structure in more complex kinds of
writing |
