The Apostrophe Problem: Can CoolRules.Com Solve it with a Song?

The world is in the midst of an apostrophe crisis. People just don't know how to use apostrophes any more. While that might not seem so urgent to you, an Australian company called Cool Rules Innovative Learning Tools considers it a matter so pressing they've established a website and created a song to get their point across. Their educational style is reminiscent of Schoolhouse Rock from the 70s and 80s.....only..... cooler.

Cool Rules does Schoolhouse Rock one better by offering their Apostrophe Song in four unique versions. All kids don't like the same music, so Cool Rules offers the Apostrophe song in Rock, Hip-Hop, Acoustic and Pop/Dance versions. The Pop version has its own Youtube video. You can hear an audio sample of all 4 styles on their site.

The Apostrophe Crisis?

Perhaps it's all that emphasis on teaching to standardized tests with standardized information. Perhaps teachers just don't have time to teach apostrophes or students don't care to learn. Maybe it's just that no one cares about the lowly apostrophe any more, or any punctuation for all that matter. After all, email ushered in a new all lower-case/all caps communication standard. Punctuation was destined to be the next victim, creating a new apostrophe challenged generation.

Whatever the problem, all those punctuation rules drummed into student skulls for decades are now shamelessly ignored or overlooked. As the Apostrophe Song video points out through lyrics and a series of photos that illustrate awkwardly misplaced apostrophes, the problem is everywhere.

Can the Apostrophe Crisis Be Averted?

The crisis was already in full swing, but Huffington Post Books drew attention to the issue with a tweeted question, "Can 'Apostrophe Song' Cure the Apostrophe Crisis?" Can it?

The answer is maybe. Schoolhouse Rock, despite limited cable access and no digital media to speak of, has young adults and their Baby Boomer parents singing "conjunction, junction, what's your function?" decades later. Those Schoolhouse Rock songs stuck, so perhaps there's hope for curing the apostrophe challenged with a similar musical strategy.

Besides, Coolrules.com has downloadable Iphone/Ipad/Ipadtouch Aps. They've got Youtube and the whole internet to help get their message across. They've even come up with a Cool Rules Schools' Challenge, (notice the proper use of the apostrophe) that encourages students to record and submit their own version of the Apostrophe Song. There's hope for the apostrophe yet.

http://www.coolrules.com/

twitter.com/HuffPostBooks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc2aSz9Ficw&feature=player_embedded

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