Author Kitty Burns Florey says of diagramming: “It was a bit like art, a bit like mathematics. It was a picture of language. I was hooked.”
Did you diagram sentences in school? I remember my only brush with the practice. Mr. Taylor. Eighth grade advanced English class. I felt exactly as did Kitty Burns Florey. It is a bit like playing solitaire. There is something calming and zen-like about getting all the cards in just the right places. I haven’t played in ages, though. Maybe I should try diagramming sentences to clear my mind.
I had to laugh when the author mentioned that the dying art of diagramming sentences is being kept alive by a few home-schooling parents. My poor boys will be subjected to the art.
The teachers I’ve talked to who teach diagramming seem to have found a nice balance: the kids are free to express themselves, but they’re being taught the skills they need–and diagramming is one aspect of that teaching–to express themselves not only freely but also in correct, intelligible English that’s a pleasure rather than a chore to read.
Kitty Burns Florey has written a book that is truly a pleasure to read, even if diagramming sentences isn’t your thing.