Improving Literacy and Numeracy
Writing observation guide matrix for Middle Childhood
Student Name:
Class:
Home Language:
Beginning levels
Semester 1
Emerging Levels
2
3
Developing levels
4
5
Consolidating Levels
6
7
8
The student
The student
The student
The student
The student
The student
The student
The student
is from a limited schooling
background and begins to
represent ideas through drawing,
letters and environmental print
with extensive support.
is new to writing in SAE and
copies models of SAE letters,
words, basic punctuation and
simple formulaic phrases with
extensive support.
becomes familiar with
simple text structures, and
writes short simple,
formulaic sentences with
ongoing support.
builds an awareness
of common text types,
experiments with SAE language
formulas to write a limited range
of short, simple texts with
ongoing support.
experiments with a greater
range of SAE vocabulary,
grammar and language
structures to plan, write and
redraft creative and
informative SAE texts with
continued support.
demonstrates increasing
awareness of culturallyspecific language forms,
and writes a range of text
types across the curriculum
with continued support.
uses awareness of form,
register, audience and purpose
to write using grammar and
literary devices, with minimal
support.
consolidates SAE language and
cultural understandings to plan
and write with increasing
accuracy and control.
writes independently and
competently in SAE across the
curriculum, considering context,
audience and purpose, with
greater control and
independence.
begins to understand that SAE
writing is a cultural practice that
may differ from their own
experiences, understands that
writing is a part of the school
routine.
makes some sense of the SAE
script and classroom writing
practices and how these differ
from the home language.
understands the purposes
of written texts, recognises
the differences between
SAE writing and home
language.
makes comparisons between
SAE language features and
structures and home language,
and how differently writing is used
across cultures.
becomes aware of written
features of SAE and how they
differ from spoken texts,
experiments with codeswitching between home
language and SAE.
writes with more
understanding of how
cultural content and specific
linguistic features differ and
can be used in writing.
writes with awareness of
register and code-switches
between dialects of English with
some control where applicable.
sustains appropriate register for
a particular text type, expresses
perspective and opinion draws
on own culture and past
learning to enhance writing.
uses SAE cultural effects, reflects
on home language to enhance
imagery in SAE writing, codeswitches efficiently.
copies simple formulaic patterns
in a range of writing activities
with extensive teacher modelling
and support.
develops an understanding of
the purposes for writing, follows
and copies teacher modelling
for text layout, shows beginning
awareness of sentence
structure.
participates in jointly
constructed writing
activities using simple texttypes with teacher
modelling and support.
initiates own writing, using
common text types with
sequencing events to convey
ideas with emerging awareness
of audience, purpose and tenses.
writes a range of simple
creative text types using
clearly modelled frameworks
and developing
understanding of text types
and purposes.
has greater control over the
writing process, writes with
spontaneity, drawing on
existing writing knowledge.
has greater control over the
writing process, writes with
spontaneity, drawing on
existing writing knowledge.
confidently writes a range of
both fiction and non-fiction text
types with flexibility in structure
and vocabulary, uses inference
and figurative language.
competently writes a range of
SAE texts across the curriculum
with greater control, personal
style, humour and metaphors.
copies a limited bank of highfrequency vocabulary and
attempts to label drawings with
teacher modelling and support.
copies a small bank of highfrequency vocabulary from
environmental print using
picture cues and a small bank
of memorised high-frequency
words.
develops familiarity with
vocabulary related to
learning program and
begins to copy from
personal word lists,
modelled writing and
environmental print.
uses common vocabulary, some
explicitly taught subject-specific
words, and specialised
vocabulary of personal
significance.
begins to select from a
greater range of vocabulary
for description, uses an
increasing repertoire of
subject- specific vocabulary.
experiments with selection
of suitable words for text
type, enhances
descriptions with some
sophisticated vocabulary.
uses an expanding range of
general and subject- specific
vocabulary.
uses more subject-specific,
technical vocabulary, common
idioms and colloquialisms.
uses specialised language for
abstract concepts.
spells their name, begins to write
some letters to represent initial
sounds.
begins to spell some two and
three letter words and highfrequency words.
spells some highfrequency words, and uses
phonemic skills for simple
topic and CVC words.
spells phonetically using
beginning word family knowledge,
home language pronunciation
and spelling structure.
spells many commonly used
words with accuracy,
applying letter patterns and
spelling rules and strategies.
spells most words
uses a range of sources
accuratley, applying a wider including dictionaries to spell
range of spelling strategies. unknown words.
with greater accuracy using a
range of learnt strategies.
writes complex spellings
generally spells accurately and
expands formal register.
attempts to use basic
punctuation with teacher
support.
attempts capital letters and full
stops.
follows models to use basic
punctuation such as capital
letters, full stops and
question marks with varying
accuracy.
uses full stops, capital letters with
varying consistency, experiments
with commas, speech marks,
question marks, contractions and
apostrophes.
uses correct punctuation
including capital letters, full
stops and commas, applies
quotation marks for dialogue
with increasing accuracy.
uses common punctuation
including exclamation
marks and commas
correctly, uses possessive
forms and direct speech
with varying accuracy.
uses a range of punctuation
with greater accuracy, uses
contractions with greater
consistency.
uses appropriate punctuation
consistently and effectively.
uses punctuation accurately
across all text types.
forms some letters and numbers,
develops directionality and
spacing between words,
attempts correct pencil grip.
forms letters as modelled by
teacher with SAE directionality,
is aware of word spacing and
pencil grip.
forms letters in both upperand lower case, writes with
correct SAE directionality,
is aware of word spacing
and pencil grip.
consistently forms upper- and
lower- case letters, leaves spaces
between words and writes on the
line in all writing contexts.
writes legibly, forming all
upper- and lower- case letters
correctly, in all writing
contexts.
begins to edit for sentence
starter capitals and full
stops with support.
edits basic spelling, punctuation
and grammar, begins to use
conferencing feedback to improve
writing.
with teacher conferencing,
edits for correct use of basic
punctuation including
contractions and for meaning.
participates in conferencing
before and after writing
tasks, elaborates and
refines writing after teacher
conferencing.
edits with increasing success,
proofreads for correct
punctuation, identifies some
unintended meanings in own
writing.
plans, drafts writing tasks
checking for clarity and
coherence.
edits successfully for style,
grammar, punctuation, spelling
and meaning to increase fluency,
accuracy and readability at the
whole text level.
Editing
Handwriting
Punctuation
Spelling
Vocabulary
Linguistic
features and
structures
The student
888Level
description
1b
Semester 2
Intercultural
understandings
1a
DOA:
LNK12TL006 | EAL/D Progress Map observation guide matrixes – Middle Childhood | Writing observation guide matrix for Middle Childhood
© Department of Education WA 2015
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