Children’s Services
APP Glossary.
We have transferred the APP assessment guidelines grids to word format. This is in order
to provide a glossary of terms that is linked to the grids themselves. It should be
remembered that the content and layout of the grids should not be changed. This
document should not be used in place of the Primary Framework site, which continues to
give important information about national standards, and how the APP grids should be used
to determine a final level judgement through the use of the levelling flow chart.
Any technical terminology used in the grids has been hyperlinked to a glossary. The
glossary is in no way a definitive guide to the meaning of these terms, but it should provide
enough guidance to support making judgements in writing. Each section of the glossary is
then linked back to the APP guideline sheets so that navigation through the document is as
easy as possible.
The glossary is organised into assessment focuses, rather than being alphabetical. Whilst
it is possible to print the whole document, navigation is much easier electronically as the
appropriate links can be followed.
Where possible and appropriate examples have been taken from the standards files to
illustrate what is meant by each term. Grammar for Writing has also been used to support
the creation of this glossary.
Ideas for teaching each assessment focus are also included in this version of the
document. Each ideas page is linked through the Assessment Focus headings on the APP
grids.
J. Cator 2009
Pupil Name
Class/Year Group
Writing level 1 and 2
AF5 – vary
sentences
for clarity,
purpose and
effect
AF6 – write with
technical accuracy
of syntax and
punctuation in
phrases, clauses
and sentences
AF3-organise and
present whole
texts effectively,
sequencing and
structuring
information, ideas
and events
AF4 - construct
paragraphs and
use cohesion
within and
between
paragraphs
AF1- write
imaginative,
interesting and
thoughtful texts
AF2 – produce
texts which are
appropriate
to task, reader and
purpose
AF7 - select
appropriate and
effective
vocabulary
AF8 – use correct
spelling
Handwritng and
Presentation
L2
In some forms of
writing:
-some variation in
sentence openings,
e.g. not always
starting with name
or pronoun
-mainly simple
sentences with and
used to connect
clauses
-past and present
tense generally
consistent
In some forms of
writing:
-clause structure
mostly
grammatically
correct
-sentence
demarcation
with capital letters
and full stops
usually accurate
-some accurate use
of question and
exclamation marks,
and commas in lists
In some forms of
writing:
-some basic
sequencing of ideas
or material, e.g.
time-related words
or phrases, line
breaks, headings,
numbers
-openings and/or
closings sometimes
signalled
In some forms of
writing:
- ideas in sections
grouped by content,
some linking by
simple pronouns
In some forms of
writing:
-mostly relevant
ideas and content,
sometimes
repetitive or sparse
-some apt word
choices create
interest
-brief comments,
questions about
events or actions
suggest viewpoint
In some forms of
writing:
-some basic
purpose
established, e.g.
main features of
story, report
-some appropriate
features of the
given form used
-some attempts to
adopt appropriate
style
In some forms of
writing:
-simple, often
speech-like
vocabulary conveys
relevant meanings
-some adventurous
word choices, e.g.
opportune use of
new vocabulary
In some forms of
writing:
- usually correct
spelling of:
*high frequency
grammatical
function words
*common singlemorpheme
content/lexical
words
- likely errors:
*inflected endings,
e.g. past tense,
plurals, adverbs
*phonetic attempts
at vowel digraphs
In some forms of
writing:
-letters generally
correctly shaped
but inconsistencies
in orientation, size
and use of upper
/lower case letters
- clear letter
formation, with
ascenders and
descenders
distinguished,
generally upper and
lower case letters
not mixed within
words
L1
In some writing
usually with
support:
-reliance on simple
phrases and
clauses
In some writing,
usually
with support:
-mostly
grammatically
accurate clauses
-some awareness
of use of full stops
and capital letters,
e.g. beginning/end
of sentence
In some writing,
usually with
support:
-simple connections
between ideas,
events, e.g.
repeated nouns,
pronouns relate to
main idea
In some writing,
usually with
support:
-basic information
and ideas conveyed
through appropriate
word choice, e.g.
relate to topic
In some writing,
usually with
support:
-some indication of
basic purpose,
particular form or
awareness of
reader, e.g. story,
label, message
In some writing,
usually with
support:
-mostly simple
vocabulary
-some sentence-like
structures formed
by chaining clauses
together, e.g. series
of ideas joined by
repeated use of
‘and’
In some writing,
usually
with support:
-some formulaic
phrases indicate
start/end of
text, e.g. once upon
a time, one day, the
end
In some writing,
usually with
support:
-usually correct
spelling of simple
high-frequency
words
-phonetically
plausible attempts
at words with
digraphs and
double letters
-sufficient number
of recognisable
words for writing
to be readable,
including, e.g.
use of letter names
to approximate
syllables and words
In some writing,
usually
with support:
-most letters
correctly formed
and orientated
-spaces between
words upper and
lower case
sometimes
distinguished
-use of ICT, e.g.
use keyboard to
type own name
BL
IE
-some descriptive
language, e.g.
colour, size, simple
emotion
- events/ideas
sometimes in
appropriate order,
e.g. actions listed in
time sequence,
items numbered
-communicates
meaning through
repetition of key
words
(Below level1)
(Insufficient
evidence)
Overall assessment
(tick one box only) Low 1
Secure 1
High 1
Low 2
Secure 2
High 2
Pupil Name
Class/Year Group
Writing level 2 and 3
AF5 – vary
sentences
for clarity,
purpose and
effect
AF6 – write with
technical accuracy
of syntax and
punctuation in
phrases, clauses
and sentences
AF3-organise and
present whole
texts effectively,
sequencing and
structuring
information,
ideas and events
AF4 - construct
paragraphs and
use cohesion
within and
between
paragraphs
AF1- write
imaginative,
interesting and
thoughtful texts
AF2 – produce
texts which are
appropriate
to task, reader and
purpose
AF7 - select
appropriate and
effective
vocabulary
AF8 – use correct
spelling
L3
In most writing
· reliance mainly on
simply structured
sentences, variation
with support, e.g.
some complex
sentences
· and, but, so are
the
most common
connectives,
subordination
occasionally
· some limited
variation in use of
tense and verb
forms, not always
secure
In most writing
· straightforward
sentences usually
demarcated
accurately with full
stops, capital
letters, question
and exclamation
marks
· some, limited, use
of speech
punctuation
· comma splicing
evident, particularly
in narrative
In most writing
· some attempt to
organise ideas with
related points
placed next to
each other
· openings and
closings usually
signalled
· some attempt to
sequence ideas or
material logically
In most writing
· some internal
structure within
sections of text
e.g. one-sentence
paragraphs or ideas
loosely organised
· within
paragraphs/sections,
some links between
sentences, e.g. use
of pronouns or of
adverbials
· movement between
paragraphs /sections
sometimes abrupt or
disjointed
In most writing
· some appropriate
ideas and content
included
· some attempt to
elaborate on basic
information or
events,
e.g. nouns
expanded by simple
adjectives
· attempt to adopt
viewpoint, though
often not
maintained or
inconsistent, e.g.
attitude expressed,
but with little
elaboration
In most writing
· purpose
established at a
general level
· main features of
selected form
sometimes
signalled to the
reader
· some attempts at
appropriate style,
with attention to
reader
In most writing
· simple,
generally
appropriate
vocabulary used,
limited in range
· some words
selected for effect
or occasion
In most writing
· correct spelling of
– some common
grammatical function
words
-common content
/lexical words with
more than one
morpheme, including
compound words
· likely errors
– some inflected
endings, e.g. past
tense, comparatives,
adverbs
– some phonetically
plausible attempts at
content/ lexical words
In most writing
· legible style,
shows accurate
and consistent
letter formation,
sometimes
Joined
L2
In some forms of
writing:
-some variation in
sentence openings,
e.g. not always
starting with name
or pronoun
-mainly simple
sentences with and
used to connect
clauses
-past and present
tense generally
consistent
In some forms of
writing:
-clause structure
mostly
grammatically
correct
-sentence
demarcation
with capital letters
and full stops
usually accurate
-some accurate use
of question and
exclamation marks,
and commas in lists
In some forms of
writing:
-some basic
sequencing of
ideas or material,
e.g.
time-related words
or phrases, line
breaks, headings,
numbers
-openings and/or
closings
sometimes
signalled
In some forms of
writing:
- ideas in sections
grouped by content,
some linking by
simple pronouns
In some forms of
writing:
-mostly relevant
ideas and content,
sometimes
repetitive or sparse
-some apt word
choices create
interest
-brief comments,
questions about
events or actions
suggest viewpoint
In some forms of
writing:
-some basic
purpose
established, e.g.
main features of
story, report
-some appropriate
features of the
given form used
-some attempts to
adopt appropriate
style
In some forms
of
writing:
-simple, often
speech-like
vocabulary
conveys
relevant
meanings
-some
adventurous
word choices,
e.g.
opportune use of
new vocabulary
In some forms of
writing:
- usually correct
spelling of:
*high frequency
grammatical
function words
*common singlemorpheme
*content/lexical words
- likely errors:
*inflected endings,
e.g. past tense,
plurals, adverbs
*phonetic attempts at
vowel digraphs
In some forms of
writing:
-letters generally
correctly shaped
but inconsistencies
in orientation, size
and use of upper
/lower case letters
- clear letter
formation, with
ascenders and
descenders
distinguished,
generally upper and
lower case letters
not mixed within
words
BL
IE
(Below level1)
(Insufficient
Handwritng and
Presentation
evidence)
Overall assessment
(tick one box only) Low 2
Secure 2
High 2
Low 3
Secure 3
High 3
Pupil Name
L4
L3
BL
IE
Class/Year Group
Writing level 3 and 4
AF5 – vary sentences
for clarity, purpose and
effect
AF6 – write with
technical accuracy of
syntax and
punctuation in
phrases, clauses and
sentences
AF3-organise and
present whole texts
effectively, sequencing
and structuring
information, ideas and
events
AF4 - construct
paragraphs and use
cohesion within and
between
paragraphs
AF1- write
imaginative,
interesting and
thoughtful texts
AF2 – produce texts
which are appropriate
to task, reader and
purpose
AF7 - select
appropriate and
effective
vocabulary
AF8 – use correct
spelling
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
· some variety in
length, structure or
subject of sentences
· use of some
subordinating
connectives, e.g. if,
when, because
throughout the text
· some variation,
generally accurate, in
tense and verb forms
· sentences
demarcated
accurately
throughout the text,
including question
marks
· speech marks to
denote speech
generally accurate,
with some other
speech punctuation
· commas used in
lists and
occasionally to
mark clauses,
although not
always accurately
· ideas organised
by clustering
related points or
by time sequence
· ideas are
organised simply
with a fitting
opening and
closing, sometimes
linked
· ideas or material
generally in
logical sequence
but overall
direction of writing
not always clearly
signalled
·paragraphs
/sections help to
organise content,
e.g. main idea
usually supported or
elaborated by
following sentences
· within
paragraphs/sections
,limited range of
connections
between sentences,
e.g. over-use of
‘also’ or pronouns
· some attempts to
establish simple
links between
paragraphs/sections
not always
maintained, e.g.
firstly, next
· relevant ideas and
content chosen
· some ideas and
material developed in
detail, e.g.
descriptions
elaborated by
adverbial and
expanded noun
phrases
· straightforward
viewpoint generally
established and
maintained, e.g.
writing in role or
maintaining a
consistent stance
· main purpose of
writing is clear but
not always
consistently
maintained
· main features of
selected form are
clear and
appropriate to
purpose
· style generally
appropriate to
task, though
awareness of
reader not always
sustained
-some evidence of
deliberate
vocabulary
choices
-some expansion
of general
vocabulary to
match topic
Across a range of
writing
· correct spelling of:
– most common
grammatical
function words, including
adverbs with ly formation
– regularly formed
content/lexical words,
including those with
multiple morphemes
– most past and present
tense
inflections, plurals
· likely errors
– homophones of some
common grammatical
function words
–occasional
phonetically plausible
spelling in
content/lexical words
In most writing
· reliance mainly on
simply structured
sentences, variation
with support, e.g.
some complex
sentences
· and, but, so are the
most common
connectives,
subordination
occasionally
· some limited
variation in use of
tense and verb
forms, not always
secure
In most writing
· straightforward
sentences usually
demarcated
accurately with full
stops, capital letters,
question and
exclamation marks
· some, limited, use
of speech
punctuation
· comma splicing
evident, particularly
in narrative
In most writing
· some attempt to
organise ideas with
related points
placed next to each
other
· openings and
closings usually
signalled
· some attempt to
sequence ideas or
material logically
In most writing
· some internal
structure within
sections of text
e.g. one-sentence
paragraphs or ideas
loosely organised
· within
paragraphs/sections
,some links between
sentences, e.g. use
of pronouns or of
adverbials
· movement
between paragraphs
/sections sometimes
abrupt or disjointed
In most writing
· some appropriate
ideas and content
included
· some attempt to
elaborate on basic
information or events,
e.g. nouns expanded
by simple adjectives
· attempt to adopt
viewpoint, though often
not maintained or
inconsistent, e.g.
attitude expressed, but
with little elaboration
In most writing
· purpose
established at a
general level
· main features of
selected form
sometimes signalled
to the reader
· some attempts at
appropriate style,
with attention to
reader
In most writing
· simple, generally
appropriate
vocabulary used,
limited in range
· some words
selected for effect
or occasion
In most writing
· correct spelling of
– some common
grammatical function
words
-common content
/lexical words with more
than one morpheme,
including compound
words
· likely errors
– some inflected
endings, e.g. past tense,
comparatives,
adverbs
– some phonetically
plausible attempts at
content/ lexical words
Handwritng
and
Presentation
In most writing
· legible style,
shows accurate
and consistent
letter formation,
sometimes
Joined
(Below level1)
(Insufficient evidence)
Overall assessment
(tick one box only) Low 3
Secure 3
High 3
Low 4
Secure 4
High 4
Pupil Name
Class/Year Group
Writing level 4 and 5
AF5 – vary sentences
for clarity, purpose and
effect
AF6 – write with
technical accuracy of
syntax and punctuation
in phrases, clauses and
sentences
AF3-organise and
present whole texts
effectively, sequencing
and structuring
information, ideas and
events
AF4 - construct
paragraphs and use
cohesion within and
between
paragraphs
AF1- write
imaginative,
interesting and
thoughtful texts
AF2 – produce texts which
are appropriate
to task, reader and
purpose
AF7 - select
appropriate and
effective vocabulary
AF8 – use correct
spelling
L5
Across a range of
writing
· a variety of sentence
lengths, structures and
subjects provides
clarity and emphasis
· wider range of
connectives used to
clarify relationship
between ideas, e.g.
although, on the other
hand, meanwhile
· some features of
sentence structure
used to build up detail
or convey shades of
meaning, e.g. variation
in word order,
expansions in verb
phrases
Across a range of
writing
· full range of
punctuation used
accurately to
demarcate sentences,
including speech
punctuation
· syntax and
punctuation within the
sentence generally
accurate including
commas to mark
clauses, though some
errors occur where
ambitious structures
are attempted
Across a range of
writing
· material is structured
clearly, with sentences
organised into
appropriate
paragraphs
· development of
material is effectively
managed across
text, e.g. closings refer
back to openings
· overall direction of the
text supported by clear
links between
paragraphs
Across a range of
writing
· paragraphs clearly
structure main ideas
across text to
support purpose, e.g.
clear chronological or
logical links between
paragraphs
· within paragraphs
/sections, a range of
devices support
cohesion, e.g. secure
use of pronouns,
connectives,
references back to text
· links between
paragraphs/sections
generally maintained
across whole text
Across a range of
writing
· relevant ideas and
material developed
with some imaginative
detail
· development of ideas
and material
appropriately shaped for
selected form, e.g.
nominalisation for
succinctness
· clear viewpoint
established, generally
consistent, with some
elaboration, e.g. some,
uneven, development of
individual voice or
characterisation in role
Across a range of
writing
· main purpose of
writing is clear and
consistently maintained
· features of selected form
clearly established with
some adaptation to
purpose
· appropriate style
clearly established to
maintain reader’s
interest throughout
Across a range
of
writing
· vocabulary
chosen for effect
· reasonably wide
vocabulary used,
though not always
appropriately
Across a range of
writing
· correct spelling of
– grammatical function
words
– almost all inflected
words
– most s
– most content/lexical
words
· likely errors
– occasional
phonetically plausible
spelling of unstressed
syllables in content
words
– double consonants
in prefixes
L4
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of
writing
Across a range of writing
Across a range of writing
Across a range of
writing
· sentences
demarcated
accurately
throughout the text,
including question
marks
· speech marks to
denote speech
generally accurate,
with some other
speech punctuation
· commas used in
lists and
occasionally to
mark clauses,
although not
always accurately
· ideas organized by
clustering related points
or by time sequence
· ideas are organised
simply with a fitting
opening and
closing, sometimes
linked
· ideas or material
generally in
logical sequence
but overall direction of
writing not always clearly
signalled
· relevant ideas and
content chosen
· some ideas and
material developed in
detail, e.g.
descriptions
elaborated by
adverbial and
expanded noun
phrases
· straightforward
viewpoint generally
established and
maintained, e.g.
writing in role or
maintaining a
consistent stance
Across a range of
writing
· some variety in
length, structure or
subject of sentences
· use of some
subordinating
connectives, e.g. if,
when, because
throughout the text
· some variation,
generally accurate, in
tense and verb forms
·paragraphs /sections
help to organise content,
e.g. main idea usually
supported or elaborated
by following sentences
· within paragraphs
/sections, limited range
of connections between
sentences, e.g. over-use
of ‘also’ or pronouns
· some attempts to
establish simple links
between paragraphs
/sections not always
maintained, e.g.
firstly, next
· main purpose of
writing is clear but
not always
consistently
maintained
· main features of
selected form are
clear and
appropriate to
purpose
· style generally
appropriate to
task, though
awareness of
reader not always
sustained
-some evidence of
deliberate
vocabulary
choices
-some expansion
of general
vocabulary to
match topic
Across a range of
writing
· correct spelling of:
– most common
grammatical
function words, including
adverbs with ly formation
– regularly formed
content/lexical words,
including those with
multiple morphemes
– most past and present
tense
inflections, plurals
· likely errors
– homophones of some
common grammatical
function words
–occasional
phonetically plausible
spelling in
content/lexical words
BL
IE
(Below level1)
(Insufficient evidence)
Overall assessment
(tick one box only) Low 4
Secure 4
High 4
Low 5
Secure 5
High 5
Children’s Services
Assessment Focuses 5 and 6
Phrases and Clauses
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
A phrase is a groups of words that act as one unit eg “the dog” or “a big dog”
There are different types of phrase
A noun phrase – in a noun phrase the group of words acts like a noun
e.g. a big dog, the pink balloon
An Adjective/adjectival phrase – in an adjective phrase, the group of words acts like an
adjective.
e.g. The man with the tall white hat is the chef. I’m really hungry
An Adverbial phrase – in an adverbial phrase the group of words acts like an adverb. They
tell you how, where, when or why something happened.
e.g. “They left five minutes ago”, “She walks very slowly”
A clause is a group of words that tell you what happened in an event or a situation. A
clause usually contains a verb.
An adverbial clause tells you how, where, when or why something happened.
e.g. “When I got off the boat, I tripped on a stone”
Sentences.
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Simple Sentence.
A simple sentence has one clause. It makes sense on its own and only has one verb. A
simple sentence does not always have to be short.
e.g. It was late. I was tired. I watched the football last night on the television.
Compound Sentence.
A compound sentence joins together two or more simple sentences with a connective such
as and, but, so.
e.g. It was late but I wasn’t tired.
It was late but I wasn’t tired so I went out.
Complex Sentence.
A complex sentence has a main clause and a subordinate clause
The main clause will make sense by itself, and the subordinate clause will not. You can also
move the subordinate clause to different postions in the sentence.
e.g. Although it was late, I wasn’t tired.
Sometimes the subordinate clause splits the main clause
e.g. “Stacey’s parents and teachers, who are both very concerned about her, hope that
other parents make sure their children watch less TV” (Standards File – Farida)
J. Cator 2009
Children’s Services
Punctuating Sentences.
Commas. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
These should be used to indicate a pause. They are used in the following instances:
 To separate words and phrases in a list
- e.g “I bought new shoes, a coat, a fancy hat, new make-up, and a lovely dress
for the wedding.
 To separate words phrases or clauses in a sentence. The comma separates extra
information.
e.g. “The teacher, Mrs Smith, stood at the front of the class
e.g. “The teacher, who was looking rather worried, stood at the front of the
class
 After a connective at the start of a sentence.
e.g. However, I didn’t stay long.
Comma Splice. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
This is where a comma is used INCORRECTLY in place of a fullstop. This is not something
the children have to be able to do to reach this level, it is just an indication of the kinds
of error that are permitted at this level.
e.g. The dog walked slowly to his kennel, he was in trouble.
(Should read – The dog walked slowly to his kennel. He was in trouble. OR The dog walked
slowly to his kennel because he was in trouble)
Colon (:) Shows that an example, list or explanation is coming. You can use it to:
 introduce a list,
 Separate two statements where the second explains the first “The dog walked sadly
to his kennel: the owners had gone out for the day.
 To introduce a quotation
 To introduce speech in a play.
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Semi-colon (;) You can use this to:
 Link two or mre closely related sentences
 Puncutate a long list where the items already have commas e.g. “I bought a dress,
which was reduced; shoes, in a size smaller than normal; and a hat.
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Ellipsis (…) shows that a word or words have been deliberately missed out. It can also be
used to show that time has passed, or if you want the reader to imagine what happens
next.
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
J. Cator 2009
Children’s Services
Speech Punctuation. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
There are a few basic rules for punctuating speech:
 New speaker = New line
 At the end of a section of speech, there should be a point of punctuation eg
“Eating sprouts,” said Mum, “is good for your health.”
“Eating sprouts,” complained Jo, “is really bad for mine!”
Connectives. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Connectives are words that link cluses or senences. They can be single words
(conjunctions) such as but, when, or adverbs such as however, then, therefore.
Subordinating Connectives / subordination. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
These are used when one of the two things linked depends on the other. These include
after, because, for, since, til, when and although.
e.g. “Don’t destroy the rainforests because in a couple of years it will be gone” (Standards
File – Jason)
“I didn’t believe him because I thought he was playing tricks on me” (Standards File –
Mikki)
Assessment Focuses 3 and 4
Openings and endings signalled. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
This refers to whether or not the writing lead the reader to an ending, rather than just
writing the end. It looks at whether or not appropriate opening and closing language is
used, and whether or not the writing is structured so that all the points are brought to an
adequate conclusion. As the levels progress, the expectation is that openings and closings
progress from being sometimes seen to being usually seen across a range of writing. From
level 4, the opening and closing are no longer just signalled, but an integrated part of the
structure of the whole text.
Examples from the standards files include:
Level 2 – “And the prince got married and they lived happily ever after” (Julia)
- “Once upon a time there lived three bears and they lived in a cottage in the
wood.” (Daniel)
- “Daddy bear saw the wolf wake up and he ran out and he never came back again”
(Daniel)
Level 3 – “Once long ago on the hotest day tehre lived a sog that could not smell.” (Jason)
- “And now there are lots of different nose colours, big, little and round so do you
like my story.” (Jason)
J. Cator 2009
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Level 4 – (Beginning linked to ending) There was once a girl called Samantha who was a
``
brave and kind girl. She lived in Antartica with her family and her cat Tilly. It
`
sounds like a lovely place to live in Antartica, but it wasn’t… … Her mum and cat
`
stepped forward “merry Christmas!” she shouted joyfully, and placed the tiara on `
her daughter’s head” (Mikki)
Level 5 - (beginning relating to the end) “Studying Shakespeare’s Macbeth may not be
`
your idea of fun, but for the year 6 pupils it proved to be a scintilating
`
`
experience. … As I leave the classroom, I feel rather sorry not to be elveln years `
`
old again! However I remind myself that when I was at school, Macbeth was not `
taught in such an interesting way.” (Farida)
Pronouns (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
A pronoun is used instead of a noun e.g his, her, it, their, us, we, them etc.
e.g. “My house has three lawns and a tiled floor. It has a microwave in the kitchen for
cooking lovely pasta.” (Standards files – James)
Adverbials (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
An Adverbial (phrase or clause) – in an adverbial phrase the group of words acts like an
adverb. They tell you how, where, when or why something happened.
e.g. “They left five minutes ago”, “She walks very slowly”
e.g. “When I got off the boat, I tripped on a stone
e.g. “A few minutes later, I saw a Wizard.” (Standards File – Julia)
Assessment Focuses 1, 2, and 7
Expanded Noun Phrases. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
A simple noun has additional information added to it to add detail:
e.g. “a glimmering rock” (Standards Files – Julia)
“ next part of the rainforest” (Standards Files – Jason)
“Modern and Fashionable home” (Standards Files – Kylie)
Nomilisation for succinctness. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Sentences that have been shortened because words have been removed, but are more
effective as a result. This is a technique used to define or identify something with very
little detail. e.g. a bullet pointed list made up of phrases rather than sentences; an
instructional text with simple actions and no adjectives or adverbs.
e.g. “I saw a clown who had a red face and smiley face” becomes “I saw a smiling red-faced
clown”
J. Cator 2009
Children’s Services
Assessment focus 8
Many of the points in this assessment focus are phrases as likely errors. The children do
not need to have made these errors, they are just an indication of the types of mistake
usual at that stage in development.
Digraphs (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Two letters working together to make one sound.
Vowel Digraph = boat
Cononsant Digraph = church
Grammatical Function Words (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
These are words that are often used, but have little meaning on their own e.g. the, a,
these, well, went.
Morphemes (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
The smallest unit of meaning. Suffixes and prefixes are morphemes.
Single Morpheme - A word with only one unit of meaning e.g. house
Multiple Morpheme - A word with more than one unit of meaning e.g. house/s, hous/ing,
hous/ed house/keep/ing, un/happi/ness
Content/Lexical Words (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Words which are not function words are called content words (or lexical words): these
include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and most adverbs.
Lexical words refer to things – an object, place or person, or a concept or idea.
Inflected Ending (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Inflection is a change to the end of a word to indicate tense, number or other grammatical
features - ed/ing/s/es/est/er/ly etc.
e.g. excite, excited, exciting
Could be used to show plurals – house - houses
- Knife – knives
Could be used to show comparative – slow – slower – slowest
Compound words. (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
A word made up of two other words e.g. football, playground, headrest etc.
Homophones (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Words with different spellings that sound the same but may have a different spelling.
Pear/pair or where/wear (grammatical function word)
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Children’s Services
Derivational suffixes and prefixes (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
These give related words different meanings and/or show that they belong to different
word classes e.g. prince/princess, spoon/spoonful, unimportant etc
Unstressed syllables (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Syllables that are not clearly pronounced – e.g. Parliament, definite, poisonous
Handwriting
Ascenders and Decenders (Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Many letters are the same height e.g. u m n s a.
Letters which extend above this are called ascenders e.g. h t l f d b
Letters which extend below this are called descenders e.g. y q p g
J. Cator 2009
Assessment Focus 1 and 7
Children’s Services
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Word banks in the
classroom, generated
with the children, of
adjectives, adverbs,
synonyms etc
Adverb game
Child selects an adverb and has to portray a character using that
adverb. Children guess what the adverb might be.
Sentence doctor – Children given
dull sentences about characters
or objects to “Fix”
Describe a range
of pictures using
precise language
– Which picture is
being described?
Use model sentence from reading to
generate own sentences to describe
characters and setttings.
Role play different
characters
depicting different
adjectives and
adverbs.
Use telephone
calls to describe
characters to each
other. This relies
on language rather
than gesture and
encourages
precise
description.
Possible units to support classroom work
Link to reading
Developing Early Writing
Draw characters from read descriptions.
12, 14
Mask descriptive words in a text and generate possible alternatives.
Grammar for Writing
Generate questions from pictures to encourage exploration of a text.
1, 10, 16, 22, 2, 26, 35
J. Cator 2009
Assessment Focus 2
Children’s Services
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Identify the
audience before
writing. Visualise
who they are and
what they look like.
Determine their
requirements and type
of language to use
before writing.
Set success criteria on
this basis.
Role play situation before
writing, thinking about how you
need to speak to the given
audience, and how they will
react to you words. Can also be
effective as a telephone call.
How does the audience feel
about the text? Is the language
suitable?
Model writing to different audiences in shared
writing. Discuss word choices and decisions about
sentences in relation to what the audience will
think.
Possible classroom Units Links to reading
DEW – 7, 8, 9, 15
Grammar for Writing – 9,
35, 44
J. Cator 2009
Use peer editing and assessing
to ensure text is appropriate to
task an audience.
Does the text do its job?
Does it meet success criteria?
Identify the audience for a piece of writing, discussing language and sentence
choices. Look at pieces for a range of audiences and change the content
accordingly, experimenting with different tone.
Children’s Services
Assessment Focus 3 and 4
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Teach children how to
plan their writing. Use
spider diagrams for
non-fiction writing. Each
arm of the spider then
becomes a paragraph in
the final written version.
Encourage children to
text mark a piece of
writing using colours to
indicate information about
similar topics. Use these to
create paragraphs when
writing.
Create bank of
connectives, Play
“consequences” with
connectives. Each
sentence tells part of a
story but should start
with a different
connective –
A connective showing
time
A connective that shows
result.
Use a linear plan for fiction
writing to allow children to
slot hooks/clues into their
plan
J. Cator 2009
Put paragraph headings onto white boards. Try
arranging the order of the paragraphs, encouraging
children to justify their choices. Write link sentences
to join the paragraphs together.
Children’s Services
Create a class plan and
decide on the order of
those paragraphs. Ask
groups of children to write
specific paragraphs,
focusing particularly on the
first and last sentences,
leading from and leading
onto the next paragraph.
Use peer editing to evaluate texts. Do the
paragraphs flow? Could the paragraphs be
written in any order? Could the language be
changed in order to make the order of the
paragraphs more secure? Do the ideas flow
well?
Possible units to support classroom work.
Link to reading
Developing Early Writing
7, 9, 10, 11, 13
Give paragraphs in text a title. What is it about? Why
has a new paragraph been used in this case?
Cut and paste information from reading to create new
paragraphs
Use timelines to track events through a story to show
how ideas and information are sequenced and
developed.
Grammar for Writing
5, 8, 9, 17, 18, 25, 29, 32, 38, 52
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
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Assessment Focus 5
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
Use Model sentences as a basis for
trying out different sentence structures.
Start with a simple sentence “The girl
had red hair”
Add a subordinate clause “The girl, who
was standing by the door, had red hair”
End with another sentence with the
subordinate clause in a different place –
“looking rather lost, she pulled a letter
from her bag”
Use this model to create silly sentences,
the sillier the better!
Start with a simple sentence
with each word one white
board. Class adds
information and clauses into
the sentence using additional
boards.
Extend and Trim
sentences.
Start with a sentence
base – “Liam picked
up the key but …”
Children complete the
sentence.
Complex sentence
game
Grammar for Writing
157/158
A similar idea can be
used to cut out as
may words as possible
from a sentence whilst
still retaining the
meaning.
“From Grammar for Writing pg 105
Possible units to support classroom work
Developing Early Writing. 8, 10, 15 Unit A
Grammar for Writing. 13, 17, 24, 28, 31, 32,
34, 40, 44, 45, 47, 55
J. Cator 2009
Link to reading
Discuss the effect of different sentence lengths on the
reader. Discuss authors style, use of long or short
sentences.
Pull out model sentences and experiment with changing
the length and wording of the sentence.
Children’s Services
Assessment Focus 6
(Return to Level 1/2 Level 2/3 Level 3/4 Level 4/5 grids)
When making white
board sentences, or
doing shared writing, use
giant punctuation marks
make of foam or card to
emphasise position of
punctuation in
sentences.
During whole class work, use
punctuation fans to decide on
appropriate punctuation for the
sentence.
Teach editing skills for
children to use with a peer.
Include mini-plenaries in
sessions to encourage
children to stop frequently
during the writing process to
check punctuation.
Children generate a verbal sentence round a circle, each child adding a word at a time. Initially the
teacher determines when to add punctuation. Children can then take responsibility for adding the
punctuation to the sentence. This helps children gain a “feel” for what a sentence sounds like.
Possible units to support classroom work Link to reading
Developing Early Writing
Mask out punctuation marks in a text and discuss alternatives.
5, 6, 7, 9, 15, B, D, G, H
Change punctuation in a text and then read aloud to hear effects of
the change.
Grammar for Writing
3, 4, 6, 7, 19, 20, 24, 34, 36, 40, 43
J. Cator 2009
Give each punctuation mark an action, e.g clap for fullstop, stamp for
comma. Read text aloud putting in the actions to emphasise where
the punctuation fits best.