Author: Jenni Bedford, Breda Matthews
Last updated: February 2018
What are my students’ current strengths and learning needs?
Use previous writing assessments (e.g. asTTle, formative assessments, informal observations, previous ESOL unit standards assessments) alongside The English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) written language matrix to establish the level at which students are working and their current strengths and needs. In order to be successful at level 2 ESOL writing unit standards, students need to be working at ELLP stage 2 (written language) and be familiar with language structures described in ELIP stage 2.
Learning area: English (ESOL)
Links could also be made to the science, environmental education or social studies learning areas.
Focus: Written language: Writing
ELLP: Students will have completed stage 1 and be working at stage 2.
ELIP: The language features and text complexity focussed on relate most closely to ELIP stage 2: Can write an information report (see 20 (c) ‘New Zealand’).
Students not yet working at this level could be assessed using the same topic for ESOL unit standard 27996: Write basic texts on very familiar topics
Key competencies: all five with particular emphasis on:
This US17368 Formative task (Word 61KB) prepares students for ESOL unit standard 27999: Write basic texts on very familiar topics
Skills in this unit will also be of benefit to students reading texts for ESOL unit standard 2986: Begin to read independently texts to gain knowledge, level 2, version 6, listening to spoken information for ESOL unit standard 15007: Understand spoken information and instructions in a range of contexts, level 2, version 4, and participating in conversations, ESOL unit standard 17360: Participate in a conversation, level 2, version 3.
Select from, adapt and supplement the teaching and learning tasks below to meet your students’ identified learning needs. You could use the learning needs questions to help you adapt the sequence to these needs.
After the learning tasks student should complete the US17368 Formative task (Word 61KB) .
After this formative assessment, students should use the checklist to self-assess and identify areas they need more help in. Teachers can use students’ responses in the formative assessment to identify where further teaching and learning is required and to provide specific feedback.
Having identified evidence of students’ learning progress, reflect on how effective the chosen teaching approaches and strategies have been. Plan to build on what worked well and to address any less effective areas.
When students are ready, they may be summatively assessed for achievement against the standard.