ECL310

Assignment 1
Name: Alanah Bresnehan
Student Number: 212210385
Middle Years Learner Profile and Plan.

Introduction
As part of this assignment two students were assessed through different curriculum based
measurements. The two students were Eleanor (aged ) and Meg (aged ). Both assessed on their
reading and writing abilities through Running Records, On Demand reading outcomes, Fountas and
Pinnel Fluency Rubric, their writing samples and the evidence through recordings of their planning
and editing. The two students stated, through the recordings, of their own interests and
multiliterate knowledge.

Learner Profiles
Throughout the use of formal assessment of Eleanor and Meg evidence highlighted the strength
and weaknesses of the two students.
Eleanors Learning Profile:

Skill

Evidence

Link to AusVELS

Strengths

Reading: Evaluating
and extrapolating
additional evidence
not given explicitly in
the text.

In the PROBE Reading

comprehension the
questions, which
focused on the
Evaluation through
the comprehension
analysis, were
answered confidently
and with evidence
from prior knowledge,
as additional
information, and links
within the text. (See
Appendices 7)

Writing:
She uses her
vocabulary to express
her and feelings she

As a persuasive piece
the use of adjectives
to describe feelings
and action of her and

Reading and Viewing:

Level 5:
Use of a variety of
comprehension
strategies to interpret
and analyse
information and ideas;
for example,
reviewing,
summarising, asking
questions or
predicting,
(ACELY1713
Comprehension
strategies)

Writing:
Level 4:
Use vocabulary to
create precise

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Areas of Need

has towards the topic. others at the school is

clear with the use of
words such as,
dictating and
horrendous to
describe the actions
from the school. (See
Apendices 9 & 10)
Reading:
Throughout the
Eleanor needs to slow recording of Eleanor
down her reading in
she stumbled on some
order to sound out
of the bigger words in
larger words correctly. the PROBES
assessment. These
being civilisation,
Spanish adventurer
and occasions, this
could possibly be
because of her rate of
reading as she reads
at a fast rate. The
word in the PROBES
test that was of
emphases the
Vocabulary
comprehension was
also misread as
momentom instead
of momentous. (See
Appendices 7)
Writing:
Eleanor tends to
Eleanor needs work
separate her
on using dependent
independent clauses
clauses.
and dependent
clauses with full stops.
An example is
highlighted in the first
page of her writing
(Appendices 9).
Through the Writing
Assessment Form
found in Winch,
Literacy, 2012. She
was placed on the
three of the form.
With her secretarial
level of style and

meaning, and select

words appropriate to
the context
(ACELA1512
Vocabulary)

Reading and Viewing:
Level 4:
Read different types
of texts by combining
contextual, semantic,
grammatical and
phonic knowledge
using text processing
strategies for example
monitoring meaning,
cross checking and
reviewing
(ACELY1691)
Elaboration: reading
allowed with fluency
and expression

Writing
Level 5
Use the subordinate
clause in complex
sentences to
elaborate, extend or
explain ideas
(ACELA1522 Sentence
and clause level
grammar)

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grammar lacking as
sentence structure
varies a
littleDistracting
grammatical errors.
(Appendices 13).


Meg Learning Profile:

Skill

Evidence

Link to AusVELS

Strengths

Reading:
Meg used additional
information to answer
inference and
evidence questions
about the text.

She inferred extra

information through
her prior knowledge
and allowed
evaluation of the text
using prior experience
of books and
television to aid her in
answering the
questions, Question 4,
7 and 9.
(See Appendices 1)

Writing:
Megs exposition of
the writing piece is
clear and the starting
sentence gives
prominence to the
message she is trying
to convey.

Her persuasive text

shows clear
introductions,
arguments in
paragraphs and also a
conclusion. As
highlighted (pink) in
her persuasive piece
(See Appendices 3)

Reading: Meg needs

to work on her
vocabulary and the
meaning of bigger
words.

The target
comprehension
vocabulary word
plumage was read
incorrectly, but
sounded out
phonetically. Also
when she was asked
the meaning of the
word she struggled in

Reading and Viewing:

Level 4:
Use comprehension
strategies to build
literal
and inferred meaning
to expand content
knowledge,
integrating and linking
ideas and
analysing and
evaluating texts
(ACELY1692)
Writing:
Level 3.5:
Create imaginative,
informative and
persuasive
textsincreasing
control over text
structures and
language features
(ACELY1694 Creating
texts)

Reading and Viewing:
Level 3:
Recognize high
frequency
sight words
(ACELA1486)

Areas of Need

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articulating what the

word meant.
(Appendices 1)
Writing:
Though she tries to
Meg needs to work on work out words
her spelling and
phonetically she has
sentence structure.
trouble spelling them.
This can be seen
through the spelling of
the word manage
(mange), at least
(addlest) and sunshine
(sunsh). (See
Appendices 3) She has
been placed on Phase
3 of the Indicators For
Spelling Development
Continuum.
(Appendices 4) Also
her sentence and
grammatical
structures in her
writing, this has been
highlighted (yellow)
throughout her
writing piece. (See
Appendices 3)
Sentence structure
was weak throughout
the secretarial section
of the Writing
Assessment Form
found in Winch,
Literacy, 2012. Placing
the student at a three
on the form. Stating
that sentence
structure varies a
littleDistracting
grammatical errors.
(Appendices 6).

Writing:
Level 3.5:
Use a range of
strategies for spelling
words, for example
spelling rules,
knowledge of
morphemic word
families, spelling
generalizations, and
letter combinations
including double
letters (ACELA1779
Spelling)

The overall findings through the assessment of the two students show their strengths and
weaknesses. The assessments of reading allowed for the decision for Eleanor and Meg to both work
on their fluency when reading allowing them to work on sounding out large multisyllabic words

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within a text. This will help them with working through large words and the rate in which they work
through texts. Through the same level of text the two students can work together in order to
understand their rates of fluency. Through their persuasive texts it is clear that both students now
about the structures and construction of arguments in a text. They would, however, benefit on
working on sentence structures through the ability to understand independent clauses and
dependent clauses. This will help them build better descriptions within their writing and also add
information correctly in the writing style.

Mini-Lessons
Reading
Lesson Focus:
In this lesson the focus will be the focus on fluency, rate and sounding out of words; AusVELS
Standard from Level 4: Read different types of texts by combining contextual, semantic,
grammatical and phonic knowledge using text processing strategies for example monitoring
meaning, cross checking and reviewing (ACELY1691) Elaboration: reading allowed with fluency and
expression (AusVELS, Level 4), by reading chorally with a partner to help match and learn from
peers.
This lesson will also be focusing on looking at the meaning of words students may be confused
about. They will use a dictionary to Recognize high frequency sight words (ACELA1486) (Level 3)
and multisyllabic words when reading to allow students to understand what they are reading.

Resources:
Students will be reading the text Ziba Came on a Boat (Lofthouse, 2007). This book was
recommended as a Text to Text book in the list of recommended books in Books to Inspire
(Patrick & Marsha, CloudDeakin). They will also have access to two dictionaries, pencils and paper.
Introduction:
Students will be asked to read the story together at the same time out loud. Firstly, the teacher will
read a page of the story out loud without emotion and at a fast pace. The teacher will then read the
page again but this time with emotion, expression and at a lower rate. After modelling the different
forms of reading the story the teacher will ask students what the difference that they heard
between the first and second reading.
Elaboration:

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Teacher is to model the correct fluency, rate and pace for the reader to reproduce with their
partner. Students are to cooperate with each in a cooperative reading approach. Using their prior
knowledge and shared knowledge from peers students begin to work as a team to decipher words
in the text and rates that will help them with sounding out and reading fluency.
Practice:
In the example Eleanor and Meg will be asked to read the text together at the same rate and
fluency, matching each others expression. The question asked about emotion and expression
should be influencing them to place meaning and expression in their own reading. Listening to each
other should cause them to take note of the pace of their reading. After reading the story through
together, they should then review the text writing down the words they may have found difficult to
read or didnt understand. Teacher can monitor whether students are working on pace by walking
around the pairs and sitting in with students for a few page. The teacher can also assess and check
whether students understand the meaning of the text through what they write down as the difficult
words.
Review:
The students written work can be used for assessment and also help the teacher check whether
they understand the topic, and also give the ability to understand which words the students may
struggle with. This can then also be used in future assessment when looking at students writing and
reading understanding. This can be part of a cumulative assessment file and is formative as the
teacher can give immediate feedback with the work that has been made.

Writing
Lesson Focus:
This lesson will focus on students looking at separate sentences in a section of writing and
determining how they should be fit to make one sentence without removing any information. This
links to AusVELS; Use the subordinate clause in complex sentences to elaborate, extend or
explain ideas (ACELA1522 Sentence and clause level grammar) (AusVELS, Level 5).
Focusing on the use of dependent and independent clauses in writing in pairs, students will be
asked to make one sentence using three sentences provide to make an informative sentence.
Resources:
Students will work together with separate worksheets (Appendices 14) that highlight dependent
and independent clauses to put together on a similar subject matter, the circus. Students will also
need pencils or pens to write down with and spare paper to test their theories. Also an iPad as

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students will watch a YouTube video, called Independent Clauses, Dependent Clauses and
Fragments (June, 2013).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTZ0lJf0jwU

Introduction:
Students will be placed into pairs and work on the worksheet provided. With the iPad students will
watch the video with the teacher explaining clauses. Teacher will do the first one with students
modelling and asking questions about how students will decide the independent and dependent
clauses. The teacher will then leave the students to go on with the rest. Modelling and discussing
with the students will allow them to see how the sentences complete each other.
Elaboration:
Teacher is to instruct and explain the use of independent clauses and model the first one with
students help and opinions. This will allow the teacher to check for students understanding and
skills that may be wrong. This child centred and modelled approach teacher are able to discuss with
students the how and why they do the chosen method.
Practice:
Through the lesson Eleanor and Meg will have to work together to discuss and give reason of how
they construct their sentence structure. Through discussion Meg and Eleanor will be able to
understand how each use the predicate, verb and subject when looking at a dependent clause. This
will influence how each of them look at the structures of each sentence.

Review:
As in the reading lesson, the students worksheet can be used as a cumulative assessment. The
formative form of assessment allows the teacher to acknowledge whether a student has learnt
from the lesson. The use of the worksheet allows the teacher to see if the student is learning as
they are in the action. This form of assessment can also be used diagnostically as the teacher can
see if the student had a prior idea or knowledge of the subject as it is testing one aspect of writing.

Rationale:
The two mini lessons conducted with Eleanor and Meg have been chosen to enhance their
understandings of areas that both may find difficult or confusing. The two lessons have been
conducted with the focus of fluency and rate, and also dependent and independent clauses. The

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idea of creating a language program that allows students to integrate in a supportive and
stimulating environment in which independent and reflective critical thinking is crucial, (Winch et.
al. 2012, pp. 13) reflects in these mini lessons.

The reading lesson was conducted through the evidence of Meg and Eleanor both reading at a fast
rate, causing them to stumble on words when sounding them out. Winch highlights that fluent
readers make more effective use of the cue systems (Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 97). These cue
systems can include semantic information, grammatical information, phonological-graphological
information and visual and pictorial information. Through these cue systems Eleanor and Meg have
to combine contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge using text processing
strategies, (AusVELS, 2012). This can be seen on the table above through the area of need. Both
Eleanor and Meg failed to read the target words when reading their PROBE texts (Appendices 1 &
7). I believe this has got to do with the failure of grammatical knowledge [which] gives important
cues to what sentences say and mean (Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 34). A contributing factor to this
however is seen through the rate, phrasing, intonation, pausing and stress placed on the text when
both students read out loud. Through the Scale of Assessing Fluency assessment both students
were placed on a three (Appendices 2 & 8) on the assessment of pausing through guided
punctuation (ibid.). This caused me to create a lesson in which allowed students to model from the
teacher and their own peers. Winch states that modelled or shared reading involves students in
structured demonstrations of what effective readers know and do (Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 151). By
making them read chorally, it causes them to be aware of how they read and how others may read.
The outcome for the teacher is to be aware students learn about conventions from models they
see and practise (Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 383). Therefore, having both students work off each other
and the teacher allows them to have explicit knowledge and skills to interpret a text constructed
by someone else (Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 151).

The writing lesson was based on the assessment of Eleanor and Megs persuasive writing. Both
students worked with using high order vocabulary and also the exposition of each piece was
evident, through the concept maps and also paragraphs formed when writing the text. However,
sentence structure was a contributor to both the students areas of need. As syntax is a part of
grammar and refers to rules that govern how elements of grammar are arranged in a sentence,
(Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 52) it allowed for a connection between the reading and writing fluency

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between the two lessons. However, through the writing lesson it was focussing on the use of
commas to create sentences with relevant information. Wilkinsons model, the Crediton Project,
states that teachers [should] look at the stylistic features and make comments about the surface
features which include the writers awareness of syntaxthe way words are organized (Winch. et.
al. 2012, pp. 274). The use of dependent and independent clauses were evidently confusing when
both students came to writing their pieces. The syntax structures of some of Meg and Eleanors
sentences were jumbled and dependent clauses, such as When sitting on that carpet and puke
green is not a fave, (Appendices 3), were grammatically placed in incorrect positions. This evidence
caused me to focus on the use [of] the subordinate clause in complex sentences to elaborate,
extend or explain ideas (AusVELS, 2012). The lesson was to focus on looking at separate sentences
with similar subjects and making them one, without loosing any information. Having the YouTube
video as an aid the students had the ability to look back and question their grammatical choices.
Along with working together the students had the ability to discuss and reciprocate ideas on how
the dependent clause should act within the sentence.

Both lessons are conducted in order to offer students with a print-rich environment in which to
interact (Winch et. al. 2012, pp. 11), allowing them to be surrounded with engaging and objective
activities to allow for appropriate assessment. Each student will benefit from the activities to better
their reading and writing understandings. The lessons are used to provide the best opportunities
for all students to acquire the skills for effective reading [and writing], (Winch et. al, 2012, pp. 14).

References

AusVELS -VCAA 2014, Standards and Progression Point Examples, retrieved 20th July 2014,
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/documents/auscurric/progressionpoints/ausvels-
englishprogressionpoints.pdf

YouTube, Independent Clauses, Dependent Clauses, & Fragments, accessed on 22nd July
2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTZ0lJf0jwU

Winch, G., Ross-Johnston, R. and Holliday, M. (2012). Literacy: Reading, Writing and
Childrens Literature. 4th ed. Australia: OUP Australia and New Zealand

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Appendices 1:

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Appendices 2:

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Appendices 3:

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Appendices 4

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Appendices 5:

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Appendices 6:

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Appendices 7:

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Appendices 8:

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Appendices 9:

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Appendices 10:

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Appendices 11:

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Appendices 12:

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Appendices 13:

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Appendices 14:

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