What level would you give this writing please teachers?

[alluc]

Hi - I know it's the summer hols now but I can help being niggled by DS's level he was given on his report. He has brought his school books home now and these 2 pieces of writing were his most recent - both done independently.

1. Giraffes
   
   Giraffes are the tallist mammle on Earth because they reach up to the trees they have patches. Giraffes live in the south of Savanna Desert. Giraffes have thick black tongues so they can eat spicky acacia leaves. A baby giraffe is called a calf. A calf when it is a baby when it is just born it is 2m tall. Giraffes are mamals because they don't have bumpy skin or do not lay eggs. There feet are the size of a dinner plate.
   
   
2. Handas surprise (fiction based on the classic African story)
   
   One boiling hot day in a village in Kenya there was a little girl called Handa put 7 delicious fruit in a basket. She set of on her jurny when a creapy lion stole a piees of meat. Suddnly a wildebeast stole a pies of fish. The leopard pinched the bright mango then the tarantella stole a circular orange. The elephant stole a juicy grape-fruit then a scaly crocodile stole a banana. After that Handa met Akeyo "hello" said Handa. I have a suprise what suprise the fruit in the basket. Handa said oh THAT IS A SUPRISE!
   
   All spellings/punctuations are as writen and writing is very clear, neat joined cursive writing.
   
   Any opinions would be appreciated - TIA

[CockyFox]

That reads about the same as my DS's writing, except he isn't so consistent with fulk stops and capital letters.

Was given a 2b, I and my brother who teachers year three thought more like a 2c because of the lack of punctuation.

I questioned it with hid teacher but she was adamant 2b with elements of 2a.

[juniper9]

2b. It doesn't have the flow or sophistication of a 2a piece of of work.

[alluc]

Interesting - thanks. DS is yr1 just turned 6 and his v experienced teacher gave him 2c but it was internally moderated by yr2 teacher to a 1A. I have been in to speak to teacher and HT and his mark hasn't been changed but he is predicted to be level 3s for yr2 SATs. He was a IB at beginning of the year and I! in Feb so on paper hardly any progress but looking at his literacy books- loads of progress.

Anyone know why he has been marked so low?

[alluc]

Sorry should read- 1b at beginning of year 1 and 1a at Feb half term.

[amistillsexy]

I'd have said 2c for the first, pushing into 2b for the second piece, but you're looking at the pieces out of context.

It's possible that the handas surprise piece was written after a lot of input from the teacher, and with support during writing (for instance, working as a small group, practicing extending sentences prior to writing in books).

The second piece shows that your child has started to make the sort of improvements that the first piece needed...which indicates good, targeted teaching.

Remember that, to award the level, the teacher needs to be sure your child is secure at that level, and to do it independently.

I wouldn't get hung up on the levels, just be pleased the school is targeting teaching and that levels are being moderated, and discussed within.the team rather than one teacher inflating or manipulating levels to suit her own agenda as my son's teacher has done

[mrz]

I would give a solid 1A with some aspects of 2C - lack of punctuation and flow

[juniper9]

When you see a piece of writing in a book, it's impossible to know how much support was given. If this was a shared writing session, then it could have been a group's suggestions that the teacher or TA has scribed and then encouraged the group to improve.

[alluc]

Thanks for everyone's input. It is interesting to hear different views about levels - varying from solid 1A to 2B
The teacher has written that these pieces were done independently although I think they spent time in groups discussing using connectives and adjectives for the Handa's surprise one.

[lougle]

This is interesting to me. Having looked at DD2's work, she is no way near this level in terms of quantity, content or sentence structure, yet she was leveled as a 1A and her teacher said she was very comfortably in a 1A.

[Awakeagain]

I'd give it a 2c, not enough writing IMO for a 2b
As another poster has said though if he was only just doing 2c writing I would give a high 1a on report as not consistent at 2c yet
We don't level literacy lesson work as usually has lots of input, discussions etc

[flumperoo]

I think it's definitely a level 2. Look here for level descriptors for level 1 and 2. Level 2 only requires-
*Clause structure 'mostly' grammatically correct

• Sentence demarcation with capital letters and full stops 'usually' accurate
  
• 'some' some appropriate features of the given form used
  
  etc
  
  www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk/view/ncc102580

[MaryPoppinsBag]

Does the quality of handwriting count towards the mark?

[alluc]

I too have looked at level descriptors and thought he should be a low level 2. I think handwriting is a small part MaryPoppinsBag. DS's handwriting is better than mine (no joke) - his teacher is a stickler for getting all the class to do neat well formed joined up writing!

[alluc]

In my meeting with HT he did say that the school tend to err on side of caution when giving levels and that children usually make amazing progress in year 2!!
His reading level (2c -but reads fluently stage 11 -lime books and has excellent comprehension skills) and maths (1a - I feel very much undermarked on this as this is his strong point and he can definitely do everything in level 2c and 2b descriptors IMO) were lower than I expected too but he is in top ability groups for all subjects and predicted level 3s all round. I just think I feel let down by the levels given as it doesn't reflect what I feel his abilities are.

[sheridand]

I'd say solid top end 1a for the first, 2c for the second, IF it was mostly his own work and not too supported. The "circular" sentence looks like it had input to me.

[MaybeBentley]

But doesn't it also depend on how much support the child has received? How much build up of teaching and planning? In my child's book it says "independent assessed work" next to some pieces and "supported work", "guided writing" and "worked in a group" next to others. Some is not annotated in any way. My thoughts were from L2 upwards it had to be unsupported and help not given in planning, etc.

[mrz]

Based on the two pieces you have posted I would only award a 1A overall ... the first piece lacks the features of a non fiction report /flow/punctuation
The second lacks punctuation and flow

I would expect much more from level 2 writers

[mrz]

This is a 2B piece (externally moderated) child's own spelling and punctuation and fully cursive handwriting

On a ink black night, in a jet black street was a dark, dark house. In the dark, dark down a spiral staircase lived two skelletons and a little dog skelleton. "What shall we do tonight?" askted the little skelleton,
"I know we can go to the park!" shouted the big skelleton. So they set off down the jet black street to the park. When they got there they didnot expect there to be a merrygo round and a very big slide. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes it's a meddy evil fair!"
"Let's go on the skelleton cups, then on the big slide...let's go!"
When they got off they were dizzy!
"Let's go home" suggested the big skelleton so they set off back down the jet black street.

[thegreylady]

My dgs was given 2b overall for his written work but 2c for handwriting. The terminology was different I think but that was my interpretation. I have only one piece of his recent work here but it was given a 2b.
I am interested in the circle of life witch is not the same as a life cycle. A life cycle is when a butterfly lays eggs,they eat leaves and are caterpillers. The caterpillars spin a shell called a crisalis where they live while they become buterflys.
The circle of life is about being born, living and then being dead when it all starts again but I don't know about that and I am interested to know about how it happens.

[mrz]

Handwriting isn't normally given a separate level

[FadedSapphire]

Speech marks are 2B are they? Mmmm.
My ds got 2a in year two and bit hit and miss with speech marks. Occasional comma.
Always had trouble with neat handwriting [left hander and poor coordination].

[mrz]

No speech marks aren't a 2B ... a punctuation mark doesn't have a NC level

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I'd give them 1a.

[FadedSapphire]

Surprised your example with use of commas, apostrophes and speech marks not more than a 2b mrz.

[mrz]

The level is determined by the piece as a whole (in fact by many pieces)