Literacy and Numeracy

FAMILY MATHS CHALLENGE

Thank you to the families who have sent in their responses to the Family Maths Challenge. It would be fantastic to get as many families involved as possible. 

Please send your responses to Josh Crowe at joshua.crowe@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au or place them in the 6C tub at school. 

Remember - you do not need to complete all the problems. Feel free to have a go at one, two or three of them. Good luck. 

Mr Josh Crowe

joshua.crowe@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au

Assessment and Data Collection

 As we edge closer to the end of the school year, we are collecting various types of data to track student growth.  The collection of literacy data is a rigorous process that includes administration, collation and analysis.  Data collection happens across all levels with a greater focus on skills in becoming literate in Years Prep -2.

Our Data Plan in Literacy at St. James encompasses all three modes of the English curriculum - Reading and Viewing, Writing and Listening and Speaking.  Some of this data is summative, that is, it captures student achievement in a particular area.  Other data sets are formative in that they assist in identifying gaps and providing next steps in learning. Other data is mandated by Government or System authorities as a means of tracking student achievement in various areas.

The two assessment types that your child may speak to you about are running records and writing samples.  At St. James, each child's reading progress is tracked using the Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) developed by Fountas and Pinnell.  This assessment enables the teacher to observe a child's reading behaviour through a running record.  As the child reads, the teacher is assessing the reading for accuracy in decoding and fluency.  After the reading follows a series of questions that asses the child's ability to unpack literal and inferential comprehension.  The errors are analysed to identify next teaching steps.

Throughout the year, your child is also asked to write a particular genre in a given time frame.  These writing samples are then analysed collaboratively by level teams.  The writing samples provide us with an understanding of the child's understanding of the text type, their authorial style through their word choice, their use of punctuation and strengths and challenges in their spelling.  

I hope that this may help to explain some of the processes we use at St. James.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Keep safe and well.

Mrs Cathy Dimitrakopoulos

cathy.dimitrakopoulos@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au