While you are waiting please take a moment to look at the example test questions on the tables

Parent Workshop (Year 5/6) 11 th March 2015

Outline our approach to the teaching of writing at Brookburn. Outline what the SPAG test is. Highlight some key areas of knowledge with strategies for helping your child. Share useful websites and materials

 Maths test  Reading test  SPAG test  Writing – teacher assessment

 Exciting context  Cross curricular  Units of work 1-3 weeks  Have a go – Ph1/2/3 – Show me what you know  Working Wall  Talk for writing  Sentence types  Clear success criteria  Developmental marking/peer + self assessment  SPAG starters daily

In July 2012, in response to Lord Bew’s independent review of Key Stage 2 assessment, the Government announced a new statutory English grammar, punctuation and spelling test for all children in Year Six. This would be introduced during the academic year and was only signed off on the 20th December The test includes: sentence grammar (identification & grammatical accuracy); punctuation (identification & grammatical accuracy); vocabulary (grammatical accuracy) and spelling.

The test puts an additional focus on essential English. Children should have mastered these skills by the time they leave primary school, so that they can enter secondary school with the basic skills in place.

 Test Format… The test will be administered on paper with the spelling component administered orally by a test administrator. The total testing time will be approximately1 hour. ComponentDescription of component Timing Component 1Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary 45 mins Component 2SpellingAround 15 mins (not strictly timed)

 2015 SPaG tests will be marked as before - given a Level 3, 4, or 5. Some children will be put in for level 6  2016 (Current Y5 children) no levels. Score related to end of year expectations.

Content: Spelling This component consists of 20 target words, presented to children aurally by a test administrator within 20 distinct, contextualised sentences: to sound out phonemes to analyse words into syllables and other known words to apply knowledge of spelling conventions to use knowledge of common letter strings, visual patterns and analogies to check their spelling to revise and build on their knowledge of words and spelling patterns.

Focus on punctuation How would you punctuate this sentence? a woman without her man is nothing

Focus on punctuation Two possible ways to punctuate the sentence giving two different meanings: A woman, without her man, is nothing. A woman: without her, man is nothing.

 Shared and guided writing  Specific punctuation activities  Success criteria for writing tasks  School marking policy HOME Re-read any writing. High expectations.

“Grammar to a writer is to a mountaineer a good pair of hiking boots or, more precisely, to a deep-sea diver an oxygen tank.”

Content: English Language. word classes and the grammatical functions of words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles the features of different types of sentence, including statements, questions and commands, and how to use them for example, imperatives in commands. the grammar of complex sentences, including clauses, phrases and connectives

 Daily SPAG starters in literacy lessons  Within shared and guided writing, using correct terminology  Specific SPAG exercises  Morning Work  Marking Policy – CL/P/G/Sp  Year 6 – Practice tests

Content: Vocabulary/language strategies to broaden their vocabulary and use it in inventive ways to proofread – check the draft for spelling and punctuation errors, omissions and repetitions.

 Discussion and Feedback

 SCHOOL High quality literacy teaching Test techniques Practice tests L6 group  HOME Any writing done at home - ensure children complete to a high standard. Make sure children proofread their writing. Games and activities (find on useful websites page).

 junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy2.htm junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy2.htm  _grammar/ _grammar/     Super-Heroes-Complex-Speech Super-Heroes-Complex-Speech-2485

  apers.aspx apers.aspx

 Evaluation Sheets