Recent Changes

Because it is a split class, as the teacher explained, there is the problem of having two VELS levels in the one classroom; the preps are level one, and the grade ones are in the second level. Thus, as witnessed, the class is often split into two groups and given VELS appropriate activities for each group. When asked, the teacher explained that as the preps advance in their skills, the two groups can do interrelated activities, but as it is now, they are specifically given level one tasks. When I arrived at the session, the class was running a bit behind with their maths, but fortunately, the final prep maths activity was a good example of interactive writing. As explained by Hill, interactive writing is when the teacher and the students both have control over what is written (pg. 300, 2010). In this instance, the teacher was showing the preps how to write numbers. She gathered the children in a semicircle, explained and demonstrated how a one, for example, was drawn with a downward stroke. Then, together, the teacher and preps drew the number in the air, and then proceeded to draw a series of ones on their pages; this then continued with twos and threes.
The next part of the literacy session focussed on shared reading; first the grade one’s group read through a large picture book called Diving Deep, and answered interactive questions about its contents. The grade ones answered the prompts quickly and knowledgably, consolidating that the text is frequently used in the literacy block. The prep’s book was clearly much simpler in its design and structure, but the shared reading was much the same for both groups. As Hill describes, shared reading is led by the teacher, and is often used as a way to practice reading. Hill explains that there are varied focuses involved with shared reading. One reason for using shared reading is to learn how to problem solve and identify harder words, and to understand how grammar and sentence structure is used to convey meaning (2010, pg 73). The shared reading with the preps for example, was focused on repetition and phonic recognition of the way certain words sound, alternatively the grade one reading time was more about interpreting the way the book was set out, what an index and contents page was for and what a compound word was.
just ‘at’. The prep class was given the task of matching the illustrations from the earlier shared reading, to the corresponding sentence. This problem solving task enabled the preps to use their knowledge of high frequency words, and the syntactic and semantic cues provided. Semantic cues, as defined by Hill, are meaning that comes from prior experience or knowledge, thus the students are able to define the required sequence of the pictures for their activity, through their recognition of the illustrations and story. The syntactic cues, as Hill also explains, are the structure in which the information is delivered. The students are able to define what word they need to decipher to complete the activity, by recognising that the repetitious sentence ‘here is my ..._’ appears in every square. Thus the student only needs to focus on the final word (2010, pg. 141).

Reference stuff : )Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2010, English Developmental Continuum: Writing, State Government of Victoria, retrieved 5 May 2010,
<http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/english/englishcontinuum/writing/default.htm>
DeWitt, C 1981, The Little Golden Book of A, B, C’s, 43rd Edn, Golden Press, Wisconsin, USA.
Hill, S 2010, Developing Early Literacy: Assessment and Teaching, Eleanor Curtin Publishing, Prahan, Victoria.
Selwyn, J 2005, Big Animals, Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2009, Level One (prep) Victorian Education Learning Standards, State Government of Victoria, retrieved 30 April 2010
< http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vels/level1.html>

Josh had a mixed response to the writing survey (appendix two ); suggesting that while he feels he writes quite well, he doesn’t enjoy writing as much as reading; that he is quite neutral to writing at school and doesn’t like writing at home, but he would like someone to help him write. When asked about what he likes to write; Josh explains that he can write his name and that he writes about cars, horses and calves, and also enjoys writing stories. He explains that the best story he’s written so far was about dinosaurs, but he also likes to write stories about Pinocchio. When Josh has trouble with a word, he says it’s painful, but he asks someone to help him with this, he also explains that he gets his ideas about what to write from books, because they’re cool to read. To Josh, his Nanna is a good writer, and he suggests it’s because she knows how to read, he says that in his family, his dad also writes about things like motorbikes. When Josh was asked to describe why he thinks people write things, he says it’s because they like to.
Analysing Josh’s writing
ForThe level one requirement for writing, as stated by VELS, focuses engaging the learner to write simple texts and topics familiar to the learner, in order to convey their overall message or idea. The learner will start to use conventional lettering, start to use groups of letters and simple grammar and punctuation such as capital letters and full stops, and they will start to link the relationship between sounds and the words they’re spelling (VELS website, 2009). For this part text conventions. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development demonstrates a sub-categorisation of the writing fluency levels; in which Josh would be entering the level 1.25 of writing development. At this stage, there is a slightly more structured understanding of writing, more defined lettering and attempts at sentences. More defined grammar is attempted at this stage of writing development, and the learner will often try spelling more unfamiliar words, start to link phonics with words and also start to link illustrations to engage the meaning of their writing (DEEDC Website, 2010).
Professional Engagement with an Early Years Teaching Program

Because it is a split class, as the teacher explained, there is the problem of having two VELS levels in the one classroom; the preps are level one, and the grade ones are in the second level. Thus, as witnessed, the class is often split into two groups and given VELS appropriate activities for each group. When asked, the teacher explained that as the preps advance in their skills, the two groups can do interrelated activities, but as it is now, they are specifically given level one tasks. When I arrived at the session, the class was running a bit behind with their maths, but fortunately, the final prep maths activity was a good example of interactive writing. As explained by Hill, interactive writing is when the teacher and the students both have control over what is written (pg. 300, 2010). In this instance, the teacher was showing the preps how to write numbers. She gathered the children in a semicircle, explained and demonstrated how a one, for example, was drawn with a downward stroke. Then, together, the teacher and preps drew the number in the air, and then proceeded to draw a series of ones on their pages; this then continued with twos and threes.
The next part of the literacy session focussed on shared reading; first the grade one’s group read through a large picture book called Diving Deep, and answered interactive questions about its contents. The grade ones answered the prompts quickly and knowledgably, consolidating that the text is frequently used in the literacy block. The prep’s book was clearly much simpler in its design and structure, but the shared reading was much the same for both groups. As Hill describes, shared reading is led by the teacher, and is often used as a way to practice reading. Hill explains that there are varied focuses involved with shared reading. One reason for using shared reading is to learn how to problem solve and identify harder words, and to understand how grammar and sentence structure is used to convey meaning (2010, pg 73). The shared reading with the preps for example, was focused on repetition and phonic recognition of the way certain words sound, alternatively the grade one reading time was more about interpreting the way the book was set out, what an index and contents page was for and what a compound word was.
The independent group activities were varied in their content; one grade one group were given the task of shared reading within their group, and then with the teacher to assist them. The second grade one group was given an activity sheet to complete which focussed on the large picture book read earlier in the literacy session, involving compound words and discussing what items could be found on certain pages. The final grade one group were given a ‘making and breaking’ activity. In which they were required to make words from a set group of cards with certain letter combinations on it, such as ‘th’ and ‘ing’ which would make ‘thing’, and alternatively they were required to break down words, ‘cat’ for example would be broken to make just ‘at’.