Literacy Notes

Literacy is alive and well at Beaumaris North!

This year we are continuing to embed and enhance our teaching of writing based on the 6 + 1 Traits which are delivered within the framework of the PYP and the guidelines of the Victorian Curriculum.

In order to further support staff with skills and resources, we have been lucky enough to be involved in a Pilot Study called Scriibi. Scriibi is being developed by Samantha Nicolaides who is working on this project in conjunction with Melbourne University.

Samantha is passionate about writing, in particular, in supporting teachers to improve their craft and for students to improve their outcomes. Scriibi is a bank of lessons based on the 6 + 1 Traits and constructed according to the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model – ‘I do, We do, You do’. Basically, this model forms the basis of good teaching practice – the teacher models the skill to be learned/practised, the children practise this skill with the support of the teacher and then finally, they use the skill in an independent capacity.

Please enjoy some examples of how these explicit teaching strategies can enhance the children’s writing.

Show Me, Don’t Tell Me’

“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ― Anton Chekhov

One of the lessons in the Scriibi resources is ‘Show Me, Don’t Tell Me’.  If you are an avid reader you will know this is what good authors do and we can teach the children to use this technique in their writing.

The Year 3 children were asked to select a ‘Tell Me’ sentence from a previous piece of writing and then to turn it into a ‘Show Me’ sentence.

'I was so nervous'        

became...     

I was going to burst out with sweat, I don’t know what it will be like at Kits and Cats School. Maybe they will be mean cats or nice ones – I don’t know!  I wish I knew what it was going to be like!  Emily O (3A)

'Harry Potter was trying to catch the Golden Snitch

but he could not find it'    

became...

Harry Potter was trying to catch even a small glimpse of gold in the distance. Orson L (3A)

Treasure Box

Students brought some special items to school to help them generate ideas for a story.

Claudia M (2C)

The 5 Ws

The students are taught to include who, what, where, when and why to help readers understand what is happening and to make strong mental images in their writing.

Isabella D (2C)

Yours in Literacy

Jo Taylor & Tania Purton 

Literacy Coordinators