Target Writing Feedback 12/9/16

12/9/16

Writing

We do whole week writing and add to it every day.

Trying to focus on oral language based writing. We start with a motivation that the children can see and touch. From this we then do a whole class brainstorm on Monday to get descriptive language from all students. This is good as the children who do not have a lot of oral language hear their peers talking and describing the item. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we do group writing based around the motivation. We do not tell the children what they are to write. Our teaching prompt is “Tell me about this” so we have students writing what they want related to the item. All of our writers are engaged as their is not a lot of fail as they lead their writing. We are getting some amazing descriptive and creative pieces of writing from all students.

Hopefully going to visit Rototuna school next term to observe their writing programme (Pam spoke earlier in the term about it).

Weekly -spelling testing using reading rockets - part of reading and writing rotations independent practise. Testing on a Friday. Children beginning to remember they can use the cards when they do their writing.

Use letter cards to help them sound out unknown words.

They are all expected to “write” from the very first day. Small groups work with the teacher. Teacher aide is used to support the more able writers so the teacher can work with lower writers.

Some of our children’s problem is still formation etc. So something to work on for them is more handwriting.

Want to have an even bigger focus on Oral language next term and extending this - sentences types etc.

Publish writing

Behaviour Changes

This term has had a big focus on behaviour. One particular change we have made to our class programme was splitting reading. We had a lot of problems during the second half of reading time. Since we made the change there has been a big improvement in the data.

Pre-change behaviour graph Weeks 1-3 Term 3

Post-change behaviour graph Weeks 4-6 Term 3

Reading Recovery

One of the biggest difficulties I've had with OL's progress is the speed at which she is able to process even known words. To improve this I have begun reading her known texts with her. This more choral reading type approach means she has to keep up with a more fluent speed and phrasing. She can't keep dropping back and repeating things over and over. This seems to have had a positive impact on her running record text reading also. It seems to be faster and better phrased with less repetition of words or sounds.