Mitcham Hills Levels Language and Partnership Literacy Levels

Mitcham Hills Levels Language and. Partnership Literacy Levels across the Australian Year 3 Teachers Curriculum: EALD students Module 1. 1 Introduction

Background Leaders in the Mitcham Hills local partnership have agreed to focus upon improving students’ writing of expositions. From 2017, Year 3 to 7 teachers in the partnership will mark the expositions written by four of their students (e. g. one high, two middle, one low achievers in their classes). They will use a marking rubric drawn for the Language and Literacy Levels. However, the marking rubric cannot be used to assign Language and Literacy Levels.

The Levels The Language and Literacy Levels reflect the language and literacy that students of any language background need to access the Australian Curriculum across all learning areas from R-10. Therefore, they can be assigned to any student’s work to monitor and track progress and inform teaching and learning. Through descriptions and examples of language and vocabulary, the Levels show the gradual and continual shift required to move across the register continuum expected from year level to year level.

Register Continuum The register continuum The movement from ‘spoken-like’ (everyday, informal) to ‘written-like” (technical, formal) language can be seen as moving along a register continuum. everyday concrete informal personal novice most spoken ‘here and now’ context language with action Expressing and developing ideas –Subject matter What is the topic? How is it treated? Interacting with others – Roles & relationships Who is involved? What are their roles and relationships? Text structure and organisation – Mode of communication How is the message conveyed? How spoken or written-like is it? What technologies are used? technical abstract formal impersonal informed/expert most written generalised context language of reflection

Placing Texts Along the Register Continuum Where would you place Texts A & B on the Register Continuum? Use words from the register continuum (e. g. everyday, expert, language with action) to help explain your choice. Text A Text B A: How about that one? B: Hmmm. A: Ok. What about the grey one? (long silence) A: See the one at the back. B: It’s cute. C: What do you think? B: Can I hold it? (long pause) B: I like this one. A: Ok. I’ll see the guy. I went with my parents to the pet shop near our house. We looked at one kitten but I didn’t like it. Then I saw a cute tabby. I held it and then decided it was the one I wanted. Dad paid the pet shop owner and we took him home.

Placing Texts Along the Register Continuum Where would you place Texts B & C on the Register Continuum? Use words from the register continuum (e. g. everyday, expert, language with action) to help explain your choice. Text B Text C I went with my parents to the pet shop near our house. We looked at one kitten but I didn’t like it. Then I saw a cute tabby. I held it and then decided it was the one I wanted. Dad paid the pet shop owner and we took him home. One of the main reasons that cats make great pets is that they are very affectionate. When they are held, they enjoy the cuddle as much as the person holding them. Their affordable cost is another reason to buy a cat. For example, the cost of a kitten of a common breed from a pet shop is about $60.

Moving Texts Along the Register Continuum Foregrounding (beginning sentences) Text B Text C I went with my parents to the pet shop near our house. We looked at one kitten but I didn’t like it. Then I saw a cute tabby. I held it and then decided it was the one I wanted. Dad paid the pet shop owner and we took him home. One of the main reasons that cats make great pets is that they are very affectionate. When they are held, they enjoy the cuddle as much as the person holding them. Their affordable cost is another reason to buy a cat. For example, the cost of a kitten of a common breed from a pet shop is about $60.

Moving Texts Along the Register Continuum Noun groups (a group of words packed before and/or after the noun that define or describe it) Text B Text C I went with my parents to the pet shop near our house. We looked at one kitten but I didn’t like it. Then I saw a cute tabby. I held it and then decided it was the one I wanted. Dad paid the pet shop owner and we took him home. One of the main reasons that cats make great pets is that they are very affectionate. When they are held, they enjoy a cuddle as much as the person holding them. Their affordable cost is another reason to buy a cat. For example, the cost of a kitten of a common breed from a pet shop is about $60.

Moving Texts Along the Register Continuum Text D has the same level of language choices as Text B Text C Text D I went with my parents to the pet shop near our house. We looked at one kitten but I didn’t like it. Then I saw a cute tabby. I held it and then decided it was the one I wanted. Dad paid the pet shop owner and we took him home. One of the main reasons that cats make great pets is that they are very affectionate. When they are held, they enjoy the cuddle as much as the person holding them. Their affordable cost is another reason to buy a cat. For example, the cost of a kitten of a common breed from a pet shop is about $60. I think cats are affectionate. People like to cuddle cats and the cats like it too. Cats don’t cost much to buy. I bought a tabby kitten from a pet shop for $60.

Register Continuum and Levels An understanding of the language contained within the Levels allows teachers to better inform students about the language choices they can make to move their texts across the Register Continuum when the context (e. g. topic, audience, purpose) changes. It allows teachers to be explicit in their feedback to students (e. g. You should move the focus away from people and onto non-human things. You can do this by foregrounding them, putting them at the start of some sentences. ) instead of vague feedback (e. g. It sounds like you speaking. It isn’t formal enough. Too many errors. ). This feedback is essential for any student who has corrected all/most errors (e. g. spelling) but doesn’t know how to make the language choices.

Year Level R R 1 Lang and Lit Level 1 2 3 4 5 Levels 1 -13 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rubrics drawn from Levels 1 -13 will be used to mark expositions written by some Year 3 to 7 students. Levels 1 -13 (red arrow) are more than enough to cover this range of year levels (orange arrow). Most Year 3 students will be between Levels 5 -7 (yellow circle). They should be at Level 7.

Assessment criteria Expositions will be assessed against 11 criteria in the Marking Rubric: • • • Organisational structure Foregrounding Sentence structure Punctuation Verbs Circumstances Noun groups Evaluative language Modality Topic vocabulary Spelling With which of them are you already familiar?

Teacher support To support teachers mark students’ expositions accurately against the criteria: • this professional learning is being offered • resources are available (Marking Rubrics, Glossary, Annotated Texts) • internal and partnership moderation will occur

QUESTIONS

Knowing the criteria Scan the Glossary especially for any criteria that may be unfamiliar. Referring to the Glossary can help you better identify evidence of the criteria in a student’s text.

Knowing the criteria Complete the activities on the Unfamiliar Criteria Worksheet to build your understanding of the less familiar criteria.

Knowing the criteria: Foregrounding

Knowing the criteria: Foregrounding

Knowing the criteria: Sentence Structure (Compound)

Knowing the criteria: Sentence Structure (Compound)

Knowing the criteria: Sentence Structure (Complex)

Knowing the criteria: Sentence Structure (Complex)

Knowing the criteria: Verbs

Knowing the criteria: Verbs

Knowing the criteria: Circumstances

Knowing the criteria: Circumstances

Knowing the criteria: Noun Group

Knowing the criteria: Noun Group

Knowing the criteria: Evaluative Language

Knowing the criteria: Evaluative Language

Knowing the criteria: Modality

Knowing the criteria: Modality

Knowing the criteria Apply your learning about the unfamiliar criteria by finding examples in the following short text.

Knowing the criteria: Foregrounding Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Foregrounding Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Sentence Structure Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Sentence Structure Cats Vs Dogs I reckon (that) dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Verbs Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Verbs Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Noun Groups Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Noun Groups Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Evaluative Language Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Evaluative Language Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Modality Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Knowing the criteria: Modality Cats Vs Dogs I reckon dogs are the very best pets for people. First people get active because dogs want lots of exercise. They also love fetch and other games. They are good eaters. Cats are real picky. A dog guards its owner’s house. Cats are hopeless. So you should buy a dog!

Understanding annotated texts The following slides explain the connection between the annotations in the Annotated Texts and the criteria in the Marking Rubric. It does this by looking at annotations for the first few criteria for the Level 4 text.

Understanding annotated texts Level 4 Text (word processed version of handwritten text) I thing (think) all Cats are my favret (favourite) pets and I donut (do not) like dogs (. ) I thing (think) they donut (do not) brk (bark)(. ) I like My cat sof (soft) all ova (over). Level 4 organisational structure (statement of position and two reasons in three sentences)

Understanding annotated texts Level 4 Text (word processed version of handwritten text) I thing (think) all Cats are my favret (favourite) pets and I* donut (do not) like dogs I thing (think) they donut (do not) brk (bark) I like My cat sof (soft) all ova (over). Level 4 foregrounding (“I” repeated) * foregrounded at clause level

Understanding annotated texts Level 4 Text (word processed version of handwritten text) I thing (think) all Cats are my favret (favourite) pets and I donut (do not) like dogs I thing (think) they donut (do not) brk (bark) I like My cat sof (soft) all ova (over). Level 4 sentence structures (a compound sentence using “and”)

Understanding annotated texts Level 4 Text (word processed version of handwritten text) I thing (think) all Cats are my favret (favourite) pets and I donut (do not) like dogs I thing (think) they donut (do not) brk (bark) I like My cat sof (soft) all ova (over). Level 4 verbs (doing e. g. “bark”, sensing e. g. “think”, “like”, relating e. g. “are” and control of simple present tense)

Understanding annotated texts Scan the remaining annotations about the Level 4 text in conjunction with the descriptions and examples from the matching Levels in the rubric. (NB Evaluative language and Topic vocabulary are at Level 5, but overall most choices in the text were from Level 4. )

Understanding annotated texts Levels 1 -3 are not included in the marking rubric because their criteria are so few and simple. Texts this low can be marked by comparing them to the Levels 13 Annotated Texts.

Using annotated texts Scan your student’s text and two or three similar texts (e. g. Levels 4, 6, 7) in the Annotated Texts. Quickly decide which text/s from the Annotated Texts your student’s text is most like to decide: • which Marking Rubric to use for your student’s text (most likely Levels 4 -9) • which Level (column) to begin looking in to find the descriptions and examples of the criteria that best match the evidence you can see in your student’s text.

How to mark a text Select the appropriate Marking Rubric. Write the student’s name and school on the front.

How to mark a text Work down the criteria (rows) one at a time. Work across the Levels (columns) to compare each of the descriptions and examples with the evidence for this criteria in the student’s text e. g. So you should buy a dog! Refer to page 6 in Levels 4 -9 Marking Rubric. Grammar Knowledge Modality o Obligation o Frequency o Certainty o Inclination Level 4 (End of Reception) Level 5 (End Year 1) Level 6 Level 7 Level 8 With some accuracy, uses 1 -2 examples of the most elementary expressions of modality: dogs have to eat; With some accuracy, uses 2 -3 examples of elementary expressions of modality: we should spend more time with them; they need food and water; we always feed them; they bark, but only sometimes, not all the time; they know how to train them; I think we do not want to have them Uses 2 -3 examples of language expressing modality with varying degrees of accuracy: this must be the softest; It never plays with you; you may think; perhaps I could have two animals; would like to own one; I didn’t want to have them as a pet (End Year 2) dogs might bite (Year 3) (Year 4) Level 9 (Year 5) Uses 3 -4 examples of simple modality with greater degree of accuracy and in combination: People might need a dog to protect them; You don’t always need toys for a cat

How to mark a text Record your decision for each criteria by highlighting the Level in the rubric. (NB Highlighting in an agreed colour for the first assessment and a different agreed colour for the second assessment makes it is very clear where a student has not progressed or progressed by more than a Level. )

How to mark a text When complete, look through the rubric to decide from which Level the student made most of their choices. (NB All criteria are equally weighted and students will most likely choose from a range of Levels). If a student has made an equal number of choices from more than one Level, refer to the Annotated Texts to decide which Level it is most like. Record the date and the Level on the front of the rubric.

Mark the text You now have most of the remaining time to mark your student’s text.

Moderation To assist teachers to continually develop the accuracy of their marking, moderation will occur in the school and across the partnership.

Moderation If time permits: with a partner, decide whose mark you will moderate by doing a comparison to the Annotated Texts individually, reflect upon how well the task gave your student the best chance to achieve a high mark

Final Comments and Questions