Sorry - level for this writing?

[Whowillsaveyoursoul]

Handwriting near but big. No mix of upper / lower case and ascenders and descenders all ok.

The cat has sharp teeth. He uooses his sharp teeth for biting little mise. He likes to clime in the tall trees. If its windy he mite fall out! When he torks he says meow but if hes happy he will pur. I love my cat he is my best frend.

I would level that as a 1A. It's hard to tell without knowing the child or seeing any of their work. I think it's a 1A though. Punctuation is very good and use of adjectives. It's also hard to level without knowing the context and what support they were given.

This is what I use for leveling so it might help:
www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Sub-level-APP-style-grids-6320551

Levels no longer exist so it depends on the assessment method the school is using.

He did it on his own this evening :-)

It's pretty typical of what he's been producing the last month or so.

I wasn't sure if it was long enough to be a 1a or does that not come into it?

Yes I know officially levels no long exist but I think most teachers still probably mentally give it an 'old level'

Length doesn't matter too much in my opinion. In level 1 it doesn't say how much they're expected to write. By level 2C they should be able to write 'a series of simple sentences with meaning.' and by 2B over half an A4 page. Obviously that's only one part of the level though. I teach Yr2.

Levels don't officially exist anymore but lots of schools (including ours) are still using them for this academic year until something else comes in to replace them.

How old is he?

Next step for him would be to try to use connectives in his writing, particularly 'and' to join his ideas together. Don't know if that helps at all.

I don't know any teachers still using levels we certainly aren't as they don't match the national curriculum.
We would assess it as entry to Year 1 standard.

He's 5 and a half. This is his second term in year 1.
So would you say he's behind mrz?

He's come on quite a lot since September.

mrz - Until Sept 2015, Yr 2 are still teaching from the old curriculum (whilst also adding some of the new curriculum) because the requirements for the SATs have not changed. Therefore, what the children will be assessed on at the end of Yr2 will be based on the old curriculum. Levels are still completely relevant for us. Many schools around here are still using levels.

news.tes.co.uk/b/news/2014/03/20/teachers-cling-on-to-levels-in-uncertain-times.aspx

I'd say that standard of writing is good for a Yr1 child, especially the use of punctuation and descriptive language. You could ask your child's teacher to let you know where he is working at or which level, if they are still using them.

Has his teacher said anything about him being behind? In my school, this is definitely not a child I would consider as being low ability.

I don't really get chance to see her as ds goes to a childminder either end of the day as I'm at work. There's not another parent's evening until may and the last one was in October when they'd just started. Ds was also new to the school in September so it was more a 'how he's settled in' meeting than anything. I find it tough never seeing her!

Could you write a letter asking about his progress or arrange to speak to her on the phone?

I think that's what I will have to do, I do write in his reading diary but it doesn't have space for a lot of information. I think he's about average for his reading (band 6) so I guess maybe his writing might be about average too?

I would say it's slightly better than entry to year 1 level (again, just a guide without seeing a collection of his work or knowing him).

Year 1 usually sees a big improvement in writing as all the building blocks start to settle in to place.

He seems to be about where you would expect mid-way through the year.

If he's jeen enough to write that for you after school on a Thursday I wouldn't worry too much

I work in Y2 so we are still using NC levels - but only for that year group. Y1 are using a new scheme developed by the LEA and Y2 will use that next year too.

I would agree that to develop he needs to start using conjunctions (and, but, because, etc) and also extend adjectives to use commas for lists of 3 maybe. Also to consider using alliteration and similes where appropriate.

FWIW he wouldn't be considered as working below expectations in Y1 in my school. We are a school which is achieving, overall, a little above national averages/expectations and we are a "good" school with a very mixed catchment. Our writing scores are "good."

*keen

Mrz - I don't know any teachers still using levels we certainly aren't as they don't match the national curriculum.

Well my dd's teachers still are - she's in Year 6.

Year 6 is studying the old curriculum.

Whowillsaveyoursoul no I wouldn't say he's behind from that example. We are just beginning the second term. The writing is of a similar standard to most of my Y1 children at this stage.

Today's writing says:

One day a yung dinosor was being chaist by a t-rex but then the mommy dinosor killed the carnivor. Next the mommy dinosor and the baby dinosor went home and had some nise green leaves for tea. Yum yum said baby dinosor.

I'm going to keep all these to show him when he's older!

Yep very much as expected for year 1- I bet he will continue to go on leaps and bounds over the year. I would say 1a at the moment should be a 2c by end of year so at least 2a by end of year 2 and therefore above average