Year 6:National Curriculum Testing Information Evening Tuesday 25 th January 2011

1. Year 6:National Curriculum Testing Information EveningTuesday 25th January 2011 May 2011

2. Outline of the evening: • Background Information to testing • English testing • Maths testing • Questions • Opportunity for you to talk to English and Maths teachers and to order revision guides.

3. Test Dates for 2011: • Monday 9th May: English Reading test  • Tuesday 10th May: English Writing test Short Task and separate Spelling Test Longer task  • Wednesday 11th May: Mental Mathematics test and Mathematics test A  • Thursday 12th May: Mathematics test B

4. The Purpose of the Tests • Key Stage 2 tests are designed to test children’s knowledge and understanding of the Key Stage 2 Programmes of Study. • These tests provide a snapshot of a child’s attainment and progress, since the last key stage of their learning.

5. All About Levels: • The tests will assess Levels 3 to 5: • Level 3 = achievement below the nationally expected standard. • Level 4 = achievement at the nationally expected standard. • Level 5 = achievement above the nationally expected standard.

6. English Tests: There are 3 separate tests: • Reading Paper • Long Writing • Short Writing & Spelling Test

7. The Reading Paper • Pupils have 15 minutes to read a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts. • These texts can be any of the following genres: extracts from stories, information/persuasive leaflets, interviews, letters, poetry, instructions, diaries and auto/biographies, plays and reports

8. Reading Question Paper • The allotted time for the answer booklet section, of the Reading Paper, is 45 minutes • Pupils must use the Reading Booklet to help them answer the questions. • Marks will range from 1 to 3, depending on the difficulty and skill required to answer the question.

9. Retrieval Questions: 16 marks out of a possible 50! Reading Skill: to find the answer in the text the answer will be there! • True or False questions • Give one example… • Fill in the gaps… • Identify one word from paragraph one that tells you that… Often children just need to ring the answer from a choice of 4.

10. 1.What did Lucy have to do before the boat left the dock?Put a ring around your choice. Reading Skill: retrieval of detail. sit down put on a waterproof suit take a photograph look out for whales

11. Inference and deduction 18 marks out of a possible 50 Reading Skill: to read between the lines: to use the information children have read to answer the question. For example they may have to explain why a character reacted in a certain way, from the clues in the text. • Why did he/she feel… • What evidence is there that… • What is the character’s attitude…

12. Text Structure 6 marks out of a possible 50 Reading Skill : Understand how texts are shaped and why. • What is a suitable caption/heading for this image? • Sequence these events from the text • Give two features that tell you the text is written as a formal letter/dairy/script

13. Lucy’s account of whale watching is made of five main events.Number each stage of the trip to show the order in which they happen.The first one has been done for you. Reading Skill: identification of structure. goes back to the dock sees one whale swimming sets off on the journey sees several whales leaping prepares for the journey 5 3 2 4 1

14. Explanation with evidence 10 marks out of a possible 50 Reading Skill: to express opinions using textual evidence to support These questions also test children’s inference skills but require longer answers with 3 opinions backed up with evidence from the text.

15. Toward the end of the trip, Lucy admits that she has a mixture of feelings about her experience.Explain her different feelings. Reading Skill:Inference and evidence Mark Scheme: Award 3 marks for developed answers which explain at least two of Lucy’s feelings and identify some ambivalence, for example Lucy felt like a stranger on the whales’ property, but was still anxious to see them. As she approached land she was pleased she didn’t know all the whales’ secrets.

16. Reading At Home and In School • Reading is the key to understanding and success in the Reading Paper. • Reading regularly will: extend your child’s vocabulary; increase their understanding of punctuation; inspire their imagination and develop their ability to empathise with others.

17. What can you do at home to prepare for the Reading Test? Encourage your son/daughter to: • practise their reading. How much can they read and understand in 15 minutes? • read a passage out loud. Question your son/daughter about what he / she has read: • Why did the character act angrily….? How was the character feeling when ……… happened? Why did the author use the word / phrase …….? etc.

18. There are 2 WritingPapers Total Marks 50There is no choice of task. • Short Writing( 20 minutes) which includes a separate spelling test, where pupils are asked to spell 20 spellings, which will assess a range of spelling rules and patterns. • Long Writing ( 45 minutes), which includes up to 4 marks for handwriting

19. What writing skills do you think children need to demonstrate to gain a Level 4: National Average?

20. Writing Skills for Level 4: • accurate punctuation of the full stop, comma, question mark, exclamation mark, speech and capital letters • accurate paragraphing • connecting words to link paragraphs • range of complex sentences( sentences with 2 parts) with a range of different openings • simple sentences • wow words

21. Writing Skills Level 5: • All of the features of Level 4 writing, plus the following: • an understanding of how to use sentence types to add interest and variety to the writing • a range of vocabulary • semi-colon, for linking and the colon for explanation, brackets and dashes. • a consistent viewpoint is maintained throughout the text

22. Writing and Reading Paper Samples • There are samples of our current Year 6 pupils’ writing displayed around the hall for you to see the expectations and standards for Level 4 and Level 5 writing. • There are also samples of Reading and Writing papers from the last 3 years. Please help yourself to these papers.

23. What you can do at home to prepare for the Writing Test. Encourage your son/daughter to revise the following: • The features of the various text types • Connectives to link sentences and paragraphs • What similes, metaphors, alliteration and personification are • Practise using Give Me 5 Check your son/daughter is: • clear about how to punctuate speech. • Use capital letters correctly! Today’s children do not always notice their mistakes with capital letters and get into bad habits! • confident about using exclamation marks (!), question marks (?), commas (,), ellipses (…), brackets (). • Able to use paragraphs and link them together by theme or connectives • Revision booklets from Rising Stars or CGP are a good revision tool for use at home.

24. Give Me 5! Starting complex sentences: • ‘ing’ verbs • ‘ed’ verbs • ‘ly’ adverbs • connectives • adverbs for when, where and how

25. Recommended Websites and Resources. Leaflets • http://www.emaths.co.uk/KS2SAT.htm • www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/ • A revision booklet will be given to every pupil in the second half of this term. This booklet can be used at home to assist with revision of Literacy skills

26. Finally ... • These tests are only a snapshot of your child’s progress • children need time to relax and enjoy themselves. • As long as they have tried their best, no-one needs to worry about their test results or be disappointed by them.

27. Questions