Anzac Day Picture Books and Resources
Looking for books and ideas for Anzac Day?
Every year schools and communities commemorate Anzac Day on 25 April. One way to commemorate Anzac Day is through engaging with a range of literature. Before interacting with students, read books several times to decide if they are appropriate for their age and experiences. Consider how you might select a group of books and the sequence to read them in as some will provide background knowledge for other books. A carefully chosen selection may present different reactions to similar experiences or diversity of groups or individuals.
Take a look at this extensive list of picture books related to Anzac Day. Search your own collection or pass the list on to your librarian. I'm sure your librarian will locate available books. Alternatively, book shops currently have a range of these books at the moment, particularly those more recent publications.
Once you have selected a set of books to share with your students, explore these tips and...
Assessment Resource No 3
Developing subject matter when composing texts
Often when assessing student writing, observations are made around aspects such as punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and vocabulary. By considering how subject matter or field is represented in a text we can apply a meaningful lens to language choices made and develop or adapt teaching and learning based on need.
By looking at a student work sample, through the lens of the field or subject matter, choices at the clause and group level can reveal much about student skills but also needs and consequently the design of teaching. These questions assist in talking about subject matter and guiding discussion about language choice and function:
Who or what participants might be involved in what occurs? (noun group)
What kinds of processes, happenings or activities might occur? (verb group)
What circumstances might surround the the activities? (adverbial)
Assessment Resource No 3 builds upon...
Grammar and Teaching
Grammar and Teaching Tuesdays 23 August - 29 November 2022
The next Grammar and Teaching course starts on Tuesday 23 August, 4-6pm through Zoom.
Grammar and Teaching has now been running for 20 years. Throughout this time many teachers have recognised the need to learn more about the grammatical features of texts. Familiarity with grammar is essential when using language for a range of purposes and supports students to develop reading and writing in all curriculum areas.
- Explore those features of grammar necessary for students to master by the end of the middle years of schooling
- Develop understandings of the grammatical concepts outlined in curriculum and syllabus documents and in the writing component of NAPLAN
- Define a pedagogy which includes the teaching of grammar in meaningful contexts relating to the subject matter of the curriculum
What you need to know:
- 2 hours per week across 12 weeks
- weekly readings
- three tasks including a reading...
NSWTF Centre for Professional Learning Courses 2021
CPL Three Day Courses
Great news! Kathy Rushton and Joanne Rossbridge will again be running a range of three day courses through the NSW Teachers Federation Centre for Professional Learning. The courses are:
Critical Literacy in English and History Stages 3 and 4
Tell Me Your Story: Supporting EAL/D Students in the Primary Years
Extended Response Writing – Developing Dialogue about Text in Secondary Schools
Register or find out more here.
Assessment Resource No 2
What's my purpose?
Have you ever wondered how to assess understanding of text purpose when looking at texts your students compose? Unpack what we mean by text purpose in a given context and link assessment to teaching.
Assessment Resource No 2 builds upon Assessment Resource No 1 which looked at a focus on assessment for learning (formative), and a way of designing assessment tasks for composing.
Once we have implemented a task that shows what students are able to achieve, it is important that we view their texts through a range of lenses in order to design or adapt teaching and learning. In this resource, we focus on the purpose of composing texts and how analysis of an assessment task can give us insights into designing teaching and learning about text purpose beyond just discussing texts as imaginative, informative or persuasive.
Subscribe here and receive my FREEBIE 'What's my purpose?'
Assess through the lens of text purpose...
Assessment Resource No 1
Find out the needs of your students when composing texts
Are you looking for a process for designing assessment to find out about your students' skills, knowledge and understanding when composing their own texts?
Given it's the beginning of the school year, you are probably thinking about how to find out what your students can already do when composing texts and then how to develop or adjust your teaching and learning programs to take them further (formative assessment). Consequently, you'll also be wanting to see their progress as a result of the teaching that occurs (summative assessment).
Subscribe here and receive my FREEBIE model for designing assessment tasks for composing. It can be adapted for a range of contexts. An example has been provided as well as a blank copy for you to develop and implement your own task.
Be clear on the purpose, features and demands of your task as you plan. Consider how to support students to demonstrate their ability. Carefully...
Grammar and Teaching Course in 2021
12 Week Grammar and Teaching Course in 2021
Great news! The popular Grammar and Teaching course with Joanne Rossbridge and Kathy Rushton is running again in 2021. This year the course will be interactive through Zoom.
Grammar and Teaching has now been running for 20 years. Throughout this time many teachers have recognised the need to learn more about the grammatical features of texts. Familiarity with grammar is essential when using language for a range of purposes and supports students to develop reading and writing in all curriculum areas.
- Explore those features of grammar necessary for students to master by the end of the middle years of schooling
- Develop understandings of the grammatical concepts outlined in curriculum and syllabus documents and in the writing component of NAPLAN
- Define a pedagogy which includes the teaching of grammar in meaningful contexts relating to the subject matter of the curriculum
What you need to know:
- 2 hours per week across 12...
Author
Joanne Rossbridge
Language and literacy consultant
Joanne works in both primary and secondary schools across Australia. She loves working with both teachers and their students in a range of settings.