PAT Punctuation and Grammar NZCERs literacy assessment toolbox

PAT: Punctuation and Grammar

NZCER's literacy assessment toolbox 2/22/2021 2

The importance of punctuation and grammar

What can happen if we don’t get “it” right? 2/22/2021 4

Divider Slide

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Why punctuation and grammar are important: • Knowing how language works is liberating! • Punctuation and grammar play vital roles in conveying meaning of written text. • When writers learn how to use punctuation and grammar for effect, they gain increasing control of the writing process. 2/22/2021 9

Activity: Which sentence below uses quotation marks (‘ ’) to suggest something may not be true? A The park sign read, ‘Please keep to the paths’. B The jury was not fooled by the man’s ‘proof’ of his innocence. C‘Te Aroha’ is one of my grandfather’s favourite songs. D Denis Glover, a New Zealand poet, wrote a poem called ‘The Magpie’. 2/22/2021 10

Activity: Which sentence below is unclear because it has two possible meanings? A Sylvia’s mother is sick, and she can’t come to the meeting. B The boy had to stay home because he had upset his mother. C Our crops will benefit from the rain, even though it has spoiled our picnic. D Winning the relay was our school’s last chance to come first at the carnival. 2/22/2021 11

What punctuation and grammar skills does the NZC expect students to learn? 2/22/2021 12

NZC English Curriculum AOs Literacy Learning Progressions 2/22/2021 13

The PAT: Punctuation and Grammar assessment

How does this assessment approach punctuation and grammar? “Grammar can be thought of as a way of describing [language] patterns. Rather than a set of rules, grammar…provides a way of ‘exploring and analysing how language works’ to create meaning (Myhill, 2011, p. 14). ” “Punctuation works alongside sentence structures and language patterns to create meaning. ” (pgs 8 -9, PAT: Punctuation and Grammar Teacher Manual) 2/22/2021 15

Activity: What are Sam’s learning needs? What are Sam’s strengths? What are Sam’s next steps? 2/22/2021 16

About the new PAT assessment • Multiple-choice questions • Questions assess punctuation, grammar use, and grammar knowledge • Seven tests of increasing difficulty, designed for Year 4 -10 students 2/22/2021 17

Figure 5, pg 33 of Teacher Manual 2/22/2021 18

Activity: 6 5 4 3 2 1 Scale score (patpg ) 2/22/2021 19

This new assessment and reporting • Reports scale scores and stanines See section 4 from pg 19 of Teacher Manual • Student progress report to track progress over time See pg 44 of Teacher Manual and slide 23 • New individual report See Part C of Teacher Manual and next two slides 2/22/2021 20

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Pg 44 of Teacher Manual Y 5 Y 4 + 4. 6 2/22/2021 23

More about this new PAT assessment • Scale descriptions – describe three main question types, and other aspects of each type. • Scale descriptions – show the level of difficulty of questions. 2/22/2021 24

PAT: Punctuation and Grammar scale descriptions: Punctuation overview • Punctuation: to end a sentence • Punctuation: apostrophes • Punctuation: commas Grammar Use overview • Grammar Use: connectives, and phrases and clauses • Grammar Use: verbs • Grammar Use: vocabulary Grammar Knowledge overview • Grammar Knowledge 2/22/2021 25

Part of pg 77 of Teacher Manual 2/22/2021 26

Part of pg 79 of Teacher Manual 2/22/2021 27

How you can use this new assessment to improve teaching and learning

“The primary purpose of assessment is to improve students’ learning and the teachers’ teaching as both…respond to the information that it provides. ” New Zealand Curriculum, page 39 2/22/2021 29

Activity: How could information gained from this assessment be used? 2/22/2021 30

arb. nzcer. org. nz 2/22/2021 31

To have a go using the NZCER Marking Services: www. nzcermarking. org. nz username: admin 777 password: patdemo

Ordering this new assessment from NZCER: http: //www. nzcer. org. nz/tests/patpunctuation-and-grammar

Thank you