Hi Trent, you’ve brought in some really interesting work here. There are two different things we will be using to measure your progress. The first is called VELS and the second is called the National Curriculum. These are guidelines which tell us what grade 4/5 students are to be learning and ways of expressing the knowledge.
· inclusion of familiar ideas and information for different purposes and audiences in print and electronic texts (VELS)
· Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas. Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. (NC)
The use of familiar ideas is present in the writing about “the cloud” and we are able to see different formats of writing such as creative, narrative, factual, comic style and multimodal. Unfortunately there are no examples of electronic text however the sample of “the cloud” does imply that Trent is confident with technology.
· use of strategies for planning, drafting, proofreading, editing and revising
· They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning. (NC)
Once more the samples we have do not show evidence of this process. There are also some spelling and grammatical errors that may have been picked up if Trent payed more attention to the revision process.
· appropriate vocabulary, punctuation and tense according to context, purpose and audience
· typical features and structures of different texts such as narratives and reports
The two samples show very different writing styles which in turn have altered the writing style. Trent shows that his writing needs to be different for the purpose and audience. The understanding of writing features is also evident in both samples. The Egg- shows use of dialogue, chapters, conflict and resolution. This piece does however show a lack of grammar as you can see by the very long sentences throughout and phrases such as “James and Me”. There is also examples of capital letters used throughout the text when they are not needed. The Cloud shows concise writing with Trent’s stance on the issue which shows his understanding of a persuasive piece. I would however prefer some more detail in this style or the use of some more arguments to really convince the reader that Trent’s idea is right.
· correct spelling of frequently occurring two- and three-syllable words and use of strategies to spell unknown words
Trent’s spelling is very good. He makes minimal mistakes throughout the writing and is also able to use uncommon or longer words throughout his writing. Without seeing Trent physically writing I am presuming that he is using phonics to sound out the words which is a common and very successful strategy.
I would say that Trent is a confident and overall good writer. I would like to see Trent wringing in different formats which will result in him being exposed to a wide variety of texts and therefore continue his understanding of writing features and structures. This is will also be effected by the kinds of texts Trent reads and are studied in class, this belief is also reflected by the Literacy Educators Coalition which believe that reading and writing are not mutually exclusive. Trent seems to enjoy his writing but I believe he may get caught up in the writing and “story telling” and looses focus on the proof-reading and editing stage. This is common for children so I believe it is a reflection of the teaching process- we need to educate the students on the importance of revision and editing so they can see meaning in it. We may have to add some new writing activities to class which focus on this topic. Something that might interest you Trent are these fantastic books I have about punctuation- they are pop-ups are really fun ways of looking at punctuation.
Did you have any questions Mr Golding?
Well yes, I’ve been a bit concerned about how Trent will learn the rules of proper writing when there are so many bad examples out there. You know with mobile phones and Facebook? I’m not sure about texting, like will it have a bad effect on Trent’s writing and spelling? Is that acceptable writing? I’m worried that Trent won’t be able to spell properly. Is this important?
I can understand your concerns however our world is changing and there is really no way to shield children from these writing styles and I don’t believe there is reason to. Throughout history we have all used shorthand to make our lives easier and this has just become a more socially acceptable way of doing this. Having said that this writing style is not acceptable at school or in any formal writing practices and I’m confident that children understand this.
Is Trent’s grammar OK? I’m just not sure what they teach anymore so I’m not sure how to help him.
Grammar has not really changed for a long time and I cannot really see it changing. What you learned at school and what you understand today is still relevant for Trent to understand. I’m sure you agree that there are areas of grammar that Trent should be focusing on more than others and that’s what we will focus on in the classroom. I’d like to think we have developed ways of teaching grammar to engage students more as it can be quite a dull topic but although teaching may have changed the content has not.
Are there any programs or resources I can use to help my child? Especially on the internet?
-just to name a few. The internet is a wealth of knowledge for children and there are countless websites which contain fun games and learning approaches that can be done at home. As I have said earlier it is great for Trent to be exposed to as many different writing styles as possible so conversations over dinner and things like that about writing will give Trent an opportunity to use his knowledge in a different format. Also reading together, noticing the use of writing in the world such as signs, these little things can all have a big impact.
I’m very interested to hear what you think of Trent’s work – I mean I know its good and that he works hard but he still has a long way to go and he has to get ready for high school. I want him to be able to get a better education than I did so he has more choices. It’s hard for me to know what to say but he’ll listen to you if you can suggest the sorts of things that can help him. I don’t mean just homework but are there fun things or just useful things that will give him good experience and confidence?
As I said earlier, I believe that Trent’s confidence and interest in writing has helped his progress and will continue to do so in the future. If we can work on our proof-reading skills and understanding of grammar we will continue to be on the right path with Trent’s literacy development.
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