Teaching grammar in blocks as part of a building activity provides students with an easy to remember image that helps them understand and apply good sentence construction. This building process helps students see how each grammar concept or building block sets the foundation for the next concept or building block; as a result, their confidence in writing grows the more they learn and practice. As the first book of the Building Better series, Building Better Grammar builds students' knowledge of effective sentence construction to get them to the next step of putting sentences together successfully for coherent paragraphs and essays. The Building Better series developed out of a need to help more students succeed in learning to write effectively. This technique of "building writing" makes the writing process a manageable one because it allows students to practice each concept or block separately, to see how it shapes subsequent blocks, and to increase their understanding and confidence along the way. Many writing books present grammar content too complexly without enough opportunities for practice, or present so many topics that simply overwhelm the student. The Building Better series evolved with developmental students in mind; the textbooks are designed to be flexible enough that all college students or writing instructors can use them as a quick reference guide. Instructors looking for a rich focus on sentence construction, simple and brief explanations that are easy to remember, and variety of practice exercises will find it in Building Better Grammar.
