Literacy+Tips

TERM FOUR 2013

Here is a **very easy** thing you can all do to help the dyslexic students in your class. With an estimated 10% of the population affected by dyslexia, you are all likely to have some students in your class that would benefit from this. There is a 'Dyslexia Typeface' font that has been designed specifically for dyslexic students and the response to it has been extremely positive. If you are producing notes for your students, it would be great if we could all switch to using the specially desgined font and by doing so, we cater for ALL the students in our classes. All you have to do it go to [] and download it. All the instructions are there - then we just need to remember to use it.

**Week 3**
Not really a literacy tip this week, more like information and a request. Please find attached a list of 11EA students, who are all down to do the Literacy Unit Standards (LUS), and 12EA students who have yet to gain level one literacy and are therefore doing LUS. The number of literacy credits they already have from Achievement Standards is included. (10 being the number of credits they require.) The most at risk students are highlighted.

Casting your minds back to Janey and my PD session, we are looking for pieces of writing and proof of reading and understanding (e.g. comprehension exercises etc.) we might be able to use to show their competency in these 2 areas. Fir reading we would need a copy of the text e.g. a handout, page of the textbook. Please could you pass these on to their English teachers.

We are also asking students which subjects they do group work in and I will be approaching those teachers to see if they would be willing to fill in an oral interaction observation sheet for these students. I will provide an afternoon tea and “training” for those prepared to do this. We would also be grateful if you simply filmed the group work and sent us a copy.



=**TERM TWO 2013**=

**Literacy Tip week 9**
This literacy tip follows on from last night’s LUS PD and is the link to the NZQA site where more in depth information can be found. []

Rachel Bulford made a very important point that the writing may come from a **failed** Achievement Standard. Even though the student might not have done enough to pass the activity, the writing may be competent enough to be used for LUS.

This week the tip is some strategies suggested by Susan Millington for making links with students’ prior knowledge. A variety of interactive ways to start new units and engage the students.



__Concept Circles__
A visual organiser used to practise new vocabulary or exploring a concept [|Vocabulary version:] Draw a circle divided into four sectors. Write new vocabulary words or words related to a key concept onto strips of paper. Select a word to place in each sector. Students then use as many of the words as possible to construct a sentence. [|Concept version:] Place the core concept in the centre of the circle. In each quadrant place a word, definition, or picture etc. that relates to the concept. Students then explain the relationship. Alternatively leave one or two sectors empty and students fill in the missing related information.

**Literacy tip week 4**
The PLG Literacy survey revealed a number of departments are still unsure of which of their standards hold literacy credits. The literacy tip this week addresses this. __Level 1__ Level 1, 2 and 3 standards may contain Literacy credits. These can be seen on Kmar. Please see attachment, which gives information on how to find them

__Level 2__ As indicated at staff briefing, a number of level 2 and 3 standards contain level 2 literacy credits (required for tertiary education). Credits will be either writing, or reading credits and sometimes both. Both does not mean double dipping, students nominate whether they want to use them as either writing or reading credits. They may split them, using some for reading and some for writing.

These are not currently on Kmar, hence the list sent by Craig as an email and on the wall in the staff room under the “Literacy” heading.

__Changes to University Entrance__ To further complicate things… we are in the middle of changes that are being made to university entrance. Students intending going to university next year, will be required to qualify for entrance under the old system i.e. 4 reading and 4 writing credits **gained through English and/or Te Reo Maori**.

Students intending going to university in 2015, our current year 12 students, will need to gain 5 writing and 5 reading credits **from the nominated standards across the curriculum.** Therefore, standards gained this year have implications for their entry into university in 2 years’ time. For more information, check out the NZQA website, link below: []



**Literacy tip week 3**
Another Literacy tip from Mairi. This time it is a whole list (actually 7 pages!) of writing starters and short phrases to prompt students to explain, compare, analyse etc. I’m going to turn them into A3 laminates for the walls in my classroom.

**Literacy Tip week 2**
Thanks to Mairi for this week’s literacy tip. The file below contains a page of bookmarks you can give to your students with the SCRIP method of comprehension strategies, in which students are encouraged to: summarise, connect, re-think, interpret and predict.



**Literacy Tip week 9**
Following on from last night's PD on scaffolding writing… a tip from Denise Hitchcock the Literacy advisor (and something we had a number of years ago in the staffroom). Once students have been taught the key vocabulary of assessment e.g. //describe, explain, analyse, calculate// etc. (words that probably have slightly different meanings in different subjects) Display the words and their definitions on A3 paper on your classroom walls. NZ School Journals, a valuable but underutilised resource in our school, can help address the literacy needs of ELL students and other students requiring literacy support. They develop the knowledge and skills required to meet the reading demands of all the curriculum areas and are particularly useful for providing material for differentiated learning units. For many years, Freyberg has subscribed to Journal Surf which allows teachers (and students undertaking research) to locate appropriate readings for their topics. To access Journal Surf, open [|www.journalsurf.learningmedia.co.nz]. Our user login name is freyberg and our password is reading. The journals are located in a room off L3 (the upstairs classroom in the library). As this is Janey’s classroom, please restrict visits to non-class times. Currently we have no formal booking system, simply write the journals you have taken in the exercise book and sign off when you return them. If you feel, due to heavy demand, we need a booking system, also let me know and I will set one up. Happy surfing!
 * Literacy Tip week 5 **
 * NZ School Journals **

**L** ** iteracy Tip week 4 ** In Finland, it was discovered that kids watching American television programmes with Finnish sub-titles, improved their reading levels. If you are showing DVDs in your classes, take advantage of the literacy opportunity it provides and turn on the subtitles. If you would like to read more about this, check out this website… [|www.zaneeducation.com/subtitles-reading-literacy-improvement] =Definite and Indefinite Articles = =A number of languages, of which Chinese is one, do not have definite (“the”) and indefinite (“a”, “an”) articles. Therefore students find this aspect of grammar particularly difficult. More in depth information on definite and indefinite articles can be found on the following website… [|www.linguapress.com/grammar/article-in-english.htm] = = Here are some exercises I have used with Chinese students which other teachers might find useful. = =__** TIPS FROM **** 2012! **__=
 * Term One Week 3, 2013 **

=**16. **This is a response to a request from a staff-member who would like to help others improve their usage of reflexive pronouns.= = = This site explains it really clearly. = = I hope you will enjoy yourselves! ;) = = [] = =

=**15. Here is a useful column that you might like to tuck away for future reference or from which you to learn if you are so inclined. J **=

[]

=14.  "a lot" is two words, not one. = You wouldn't write agreatdeal, ahugenumber, alargeamount, so why alot? Check out this great site:

[]



=13. I have some students who are struggling with the use of hyphens, so I thought I'd pass on the lesson to you. :) =

A really helpful site for all the rules is: []

A handy worksheet: @http://zigzageducation.co.uk/synopses/1115-s.pdf

=**12. These homophones (homo=same; phone=sound; words that sound the same) are commonly misused.**=

THERE denotes place. Note that it contains the word HERE. THEIR denotes ownership. (To remember if it’s spelt their or thier, note that all three begin with THE) THEY’RE is a contraction of THEY ARE with the apostrophe indicating the missing A.

YOUR denotes ownership. Note that is contains the word OUR. YOU’RE is a contraction of YOU ARE with the apostrophe indicating the missing A.


 * WARNING: Offensive language follows. (Some literacy humour – one that we didn’t hand out at Open Night!)**



=11. Use of "i.e." and "e.g.". (Warning: the examples are a little odd).= http://theoatmeal.com/comics/ie =10. Use of the word "literally". An hilarious wee poster!= http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally =9. U sage of the words "titled" and "entitled". = "<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">1. I am **entitled** (have the right) to use this entrance. 2. The book **entitled** (with the title/name) //Tom Brown’s Schooldays// is worth reading to find out how boys were once given ample opportunity in a day to get physical exercise, generally involving rugby, playing hares chased by hounds, or beating one another up.  <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">**Titled** means having a title such as Lady/Lord/ Sir etc." =8. many/much and few/less= <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">__Much and Less__ refer to the __amount__ of something. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> How much learning will occur in a class of 60 students? <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> No amount of money is too much! <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> My glass has less cider than yours. L <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I have less bite than bark. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">__Many and Few__ refer to the __number__ of items. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> How many students can you fit in a classroom? <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> One can never consume too many chocolates. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> There are fewer bottles in my fridge today than yesterday… <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I have too few students in my class. May I have some more, please?

=7. Using commas= @http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02 =6. Using speech-marks/ quotation marks= <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Bold,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">**Quotation Marks** <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Bold,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">**(" ")** <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">In academic writing use quotations marks to enclose direct, word-for-word passages borrowed from another source. <span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Punctuation marks are included inside the quotation marks ONLY if they are part of the quoted material. <span style="background-color: yellow; color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">

=5. THEN or THAN= <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">This is a common error amongst our students. If you see it, PLEASE educate the student(s) as to the correct use of each word. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">THEN is used to indicate time in a sequence of events. This happened THEN that happened. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">THAN is used to compare objects. This is better/bigger/weaker/happier THAN that.

=4. Remembering practice and practise= <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“to practise” = verb <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“practice” = noun <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Memory trick A: **__ice__** is a **__noun__**, so __pract__**__ice__** is the **noun**. <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Memory trick B: you __practi__**__s__**__e__ a **__s__**kill -> **s = skill** <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Words that follow similar spelling constructions: practice(n)/practise(v); licence(n)/license(v); advice(n)/advise(v).

=3. Correct use of //I// and //me//= =2. Pronunciation= //Pron__u__nciation// is a word which is frequently mispronounced (the irony! J ). The second syllable –//nun//- is a closed syllable so the vowel is short as in “up”. This differs from the pronunciation of //pron__ou__nce// which has a vowel combination.

=1. Apostrophes=