Conference Program

Grammar teaching in Italy has long been characterized by ideological contrasts and pedagogical debates. The X Theses for a Democratic Linguistic Education (GISCEL, 1975) criticized traditional approach focused on norms, correctness and memorization, proposing instead a descriptive, use oriented and metacognitive model. However, this perspective made limited progress in schools as it required greater professional commitment from teachers, most of whom continued to rely on textbooks and the traditional model inherited from classical culture. Recently, the National Guidelines for the First Cycle of Education (MIM, 2025) seem to signal a return to normative, rule‑based grammar, also framed to teach students respect for social norms.

Grammar remains one of the most difficult and least appreciated areas of study. Analyzing the results of INVALSI tests on grammar questions, Lo Duca (2014) noted that both native and migrant students have difficulty completing tasks that require linguistic reflection, perhaps due to mechanical and decontextualized teaching. Moreover, national and international assessments show a connection between grammatical awareness and reading comprehension.

Valency Grammar (VG) offers a response to these persistent challenges. Developed by Tesnière (1959), in the VG the verb is the organizational center of the sentence and attracts other essential elements through a Valence mechanism, explained through chemical and theatrical metaphors. Sabatini’s adaptation for Italian (Sabatini 2004; Sabatini et al., 2011) introduced radial stemmas (GRS), which visually represent deep syntactic relations through shapes and colors, making VG particularly suitable for educational contexts. The model aligns with approaches like Colorful Semantics (Bryan, 1997), which use visual cues to support morphosyntactic development, including for learners with difficulties (De Santis & Bambini, 2023). VG promotes linguistic reflection starting from students’ implicit grammar (Lo Duca, 2018).

Empirical studies (Camizzi eds., 2020) show that VG fosters inquiry‑based and collaborative learning and active manipulation and multimodal representation of sentence. Teachers also reported improvements in student learning in metalinguistic reflection and text comprehension and production strategies.

To more rigorously verify these perceptions, INDIRE and IUSS launched an experimental study in 2023/24 school year. The design includes a pre‑training assessment, a training phase comparing a valency‑based grammar curriculum with a traditional one, a post‑training assessment and a follow‑up 6–12 months later. The research spans all school levels, but this paper focuses on primary school, involving 84 pupils divided into experimental and control groups. A mixed‑methods approach (Trinchero, 2019; Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2008) integrates quantitative results with qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations.

The data show that, although all students improved their grammar during the intervention, only the VG group also achieved improvements in reading comprehension and metalinguistic awareness. Over time, both groups achieved similar levels, but VG appears to have accelerated learning, helping all students achieve the expected skills sooner. Qualitative evidence explains this effect: in VG laboratories, knowledge is constructed through reasoning, dialogue and multimodal manipulation of linguistic structures, which increases engagement and inclusion.

A model of grammar that promotes reflection rather than memorization strengthens text comprehension and critical thinking, essential skills for developing active and conscious citizenship.