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 1a). Using a writing assessment sheet, analyse your child's writing sample. **
 * ~ __** PART A: Engagement with an early years learner **__**

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 * 1. Written langauge: || 1 || 2 || 3 || **__ 4 __** || 5 || 6 ||
 * 2. Ideas: || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || **__ 5 __** || 6 ||
 * 3. Text conventions: || 1 || 2 || __** 3 **__ || 4 || 5 || 6 ||

** 1b). Justification for assessment. **  ||
 * **1. Written language:** I have given my ‘student’ a four for her writing based on the criteria set by Hill (2008, p. 290) for emergent writers. I have given this ‘student’ a four as I believe that she has written a simple sentence in order to record her ideas about the text: ‘The bear’s lunch' (Allen, 1997). Although she has expressed a few ideas in her writing, she has been unable to use correct punctuation in order to break her writing up into a few shorter sentences. If this student had been able to include full stops and commas, I would have been able to award her a five.
 * 2. Ideas:** I have given my student a five for her use of ideas based on the criteria set by Hill (2008, p. 290) for emergent writers. I have given this student a five as I believe that she has been able to convincingly record her own ideas based on the narrative, 'The bear’s lunch' (Allen, 1997). This student has been able to suitably represent an idea about the text through her writing and drawing and therefore can be awarded a five.
 * 3. Text conventions:** I have given my student a three for her use of text conventions based on the criteria set by Hill (2008, p. 290) for emergent writers. I have given this student a three as I believe that she has not yet developed the capacity to fluently use the correct punctuation in her writing. My student did not use commas nor did she confidently include full stops. In her piece of writing, there was only one full stop used. This full stop was included at the end of her writing, which shows that she has not yet fully developed a comprehensive understanding of the concept of punctuation. I have also awarded this student a three as she has some incorrect spelling and has not be able to proof read her work for errors.
 * ~ Should there be more focus on making literacy fun for students in order to engage them and make the learning of literacy skills more meaningful? Queensland academic Kerry Mallan thinks so. To read her article in The Age, visit: [] ||