Literacy Toolkit

Welcome to the Gower College Swansea Literacy ToolkitWe hope that all staff teaching and training across the college, whether in academic, vocational, adult education or work-based learning settings will find this booklet and the accompanying, more extensive online version, a useful source of ideas, reference and resources.

This project has been made possible by a DCELLS grant, and the project’s aim is to support teachers and trainers in developing strategies to embed literacy skills throughout their teaching and training.

There is, of course, a lot of excellent practice on all campuses in developing the literacy skills of our learners at all levels and we extend our thanks to those teachers who have contributed ideas and successful strategies for inclusion in this initial stage. We intend that the online version continues to develop with teachers contributing materials and suggestions so that the sharing of good practice grows.

Special thanks are due to the Advanced Practitioners and Curriculum Area Tutors for their help in the preparation of the materials and in delivering INSET.

To summarise: This Toolkit looks at how to exploit naturally occurring opportunities for literacy development in your regular teaching and training. It’s not just about identifying and addressing literacy deficits, it’s about developing and enhancing literacy skills no matter what your learners’ current level: this may mean for some learners working on complex and sophisticated skills.

It was difficult to decide how to structure the content, both in the booklet and online. By skill? By level? By setting? No method can fully reflect the complexity and overlapping nature of the many strands of literacy and recognise the different needs of individual learners, often within the same class.

We hope that the booklet whets the appetite for the online resource material and that the combined toolkit encourages subject teams and individuals to experiment with and adapt the materials and ideas here and that it contributes, in however small a way, to the development of confident, literate learners.

Moira Ashley, Peter Reason

Quality Team Teaching and Learning

April 2011

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Introduction

What is literacy?

Literacy is so much more than being able to read and write, although this is its basic definition. It allows us to survive in a world where the spoken and written word is the main currency. It has an impact on an individual’s ability to participate in society and to understand important public issues. When we can make and communicate meaning from and by spoken and written language, we can then engage with the world for social, academic, economic and other benefits.

Literacy is crucial to the success of individuals in both their career aspirations and their quality of life. Citizens with strong literacy skills also place a country in a better position to meet the complex social challenges that it faces.

Strong literacy skills are closely linked to the probability of having a good job, decent earnings, and access to training opportunities. Individuals with weak literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed or, if employed, to be in jobs that pay little or that offer poor hours or working conditions.

Perhaps, fundamentally, it is about empowerment: when we use language accurately and appropriately, literacy opens doors of opportunity and understanding that no other skill can provide.

It is important, however, not to regard literacy as merely a functional skill: at its most advanced, it unlocks personal creativity and provides access to an almost infinite treasure store of knowledge, thoughts, and literature from the greatest minds, both living and dead.

Working definition

To use with confidence the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in a manner fit for purpose.

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Why improve literacy skills?View from the Government:

Both Westminster and Cardiff governments have placed a strong emphasis on the improvement of skills. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has launched a range of initiatives to address the skills gap between the needs of business and the skill levels in Wales.

A recent WAG initiated survey of the employers in Swansea showed that many reported problems in the skill levels of new recruits. 50% of employers who recruit school or college leavers reported a significant gap between the skills the leavers have and those that are expected of them when first recruited. Of those reporting a gap:

37% reported a lack of • communication skills28% believed that school and • college leavers lacked literacy skills

Future Skills Wales -

Generic Skills Survey

Benefit for a learner

Improving literacy skills will help Wales meet its aim of developing a highly skilled workforce and will also give a learner with well-developed literacy skills an advantage in the job market.

View from Estyn:

The new Common Inspection Framework, published in 2010, places the development of skills (particularly literacy) at the top of the agenda for future inspections. There will be an expectation that all courses have strategies to help learners improve their literacy skills. Estyn suggest that the most effective way to achieve this is through ‘contextualisation’, in other words, activities to improve literacy should be incorporated into the teaching of content.

Estyn also emphasise the need from teachers to be good language models to learners. Estyn gives its inspectors the following advice:

Inspectors should consider how well the college plans and delivers the development of learners’ literacy (communication), numeracy (application of number), and ICT skills across the curriculum. You should place a stronger emphasis on literacy skills as these are essential for learners to access other areas of the curriculum.

You should scrutinise a sample of schemes of work and session plans to judge how well staff have embedded skills, in particular literacy skills, across all subjects.

Benefit for the college

Effectively integrating strategies to improve literacy will meet the agenda set by Estyn and can become one of the areas of best practice that the college can showcase.

‘Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development....’

Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General

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View from Awarding Bodies:

A survey of the specifications of the main awarding bodies shows a consistent message on the importance of literacy in the delivery and assessment of all qualifications. For vocational and work-based learning courses there is a strong emphasis on the formal assessment of essential skills, including literacy. This can be seen by reference to ‘transferable skills’ in the framework for NVQ Apprenticeship courses. For A Level study all specifications make reference to the quality of written communication required for success. Even in science subjects this is emphasised as can be seen by the following list of requirements for assessing Biology A Level:

Appropriate language, punctuation, grammar, logical expression, coherent accounts, cogent arguments and use of specialist terminology.

WJEC Biology Specification

Benefit for a teacher

Developing your learners’ literacy skills will enable them to achieve greater success in course assessment, leading to improved course outcomes.

View from Careers and Higher Education:

Advice from the Careers Wales Service and admission tutors from higher education establishments is consistent in its emphasis on the importance of effective literacy skills to support progression beyond further education. An example of this can be seen in the following advice:

“Universities usually assume that you can already cope with grammar, punctuation and spelling. It is well worth improving these technical writing skills alongside your degree, as they will be taken into consideration by many employers.”

Careers Wales Website

Benefit for a learner

Improving literacy skills will add to a learner’s strengths when applying to higher education. Subsequently, it will also strengthen employment prospects.

‘Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations’

Henry David Thoreau Author and Poet

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An online version

which comprises:

a repository of resources

exercises and tutorials for you and your learners to use to improve literacy skills

simple ideas for developing and embedding literacy in learners of all levels, across vocational, academic and work-based settings

We have divided the online toolkit into the following, broad sections:

Reading skills•

Writing skills •

Speaking and Listening skills •

Staff: brush up your literacy •

While many of the materials and strategies are useful across a range of courses, some are more appropriate for specific levels and you are encouraged to browse, adapt, modify and contribute!

Structure of the Toolkit

The Toolkit comes in two, complementary parts:

A booklet

which:

Sets the • context for and background to the project

Provides a • self-check for our current skills to allow us to brush up on our literacy so we can model correct spoken and written skills at all times

Offers some • key principles of good practice and shares some sample case-studies of existing good practice across Swansea and Gorseinon campuses.

These principles are:

Use every opportunity to teach • content and skill/s togetherMake literacy skills an integral • part of assessment Create text-rich environments • (with colour, visuals and graphics to support)Use naturally occurring • opportunities to develop general and subject-specific vocabularyHelp learners read with • understanding by creating ‘active’ reading tasksHelp learners develop extended • writing skillsExpect learners to take • responsibility for proof-reading workEnsure you are aware of the • results of any initial basic skills assessment and/or information about specific learner needs (e.g. dyslexia, second language learner)

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Review your Skills

Literacy and teaching (your current practice):

One of the most important ways to help your learners improve their literacy skills is for you to act as a role model of good spoken and written communication. It is certainly true that if we show poor literacy skills our learners will be less likely to see the need to improve their own skills. So, before looking at ways to develop learners’ literacy, it is worth taking some time to consider your current practice.

A key way to demonstrate good written literacy and encourage learners to develop their skills is through the resources we use. At a basic level all our resources should be accurate, but they should also be written at a level that is appropriate for the course we are teaching. This means that our learners will be able to understand the content, yet how often do we take the opportunity to stretch our learners’ ability, by using more challenging language and vocabulary?

Oral communication plays a large part in teaching at whatever level or in whichever setting. Do we give as much consideration to spoken literacy as written? Learners will often model their own speaking on those around them, so there is a great opportunity to model good oral skills. Through our own spoken accuracy and use of appropriate and subject-specific language we can encourage learners to develop similar skills.

To examine your current practice in modelling and encouraging good spoken and written literacy, complete the following self-check of literacy in teaching:

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Regularly Occasionally Rarely Do I proof-read handouts/booklets before giving to my learners? Do I check PowerPoint or other presentations for accuracy? Do I check the materials on classroom walls for written accuracy? Do I check websites recommended for the course for written accuracy? Do I check that resources are written at an appropriate level for the course?

Do I spell accurately when writing on the board? Do I use appropriate and accurate spoken language in class? Do I listen carefully to learners’ answers when using verbal questioning?Do I highlight opportunities to promote literacy skills in my lesson plans or schemes of work? Do I encourage learners to keep a list of subject-specific words and terminology? Do I stress the importance of written accuracy? Do I correct learners when they use inaccurate language in class? Do I identify all errors in my learners’ written work? Do I correct all errors in my learners’ written work? Do I ask my learners to correct errors I’ve identified in their written work? Do I stress the importance of accuracy in assignment/homework briefs? Do I give specific marks for quality of communication? Do I set extra reading activities for my learners to do independently?

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How good are your literacy skills?

We will all have varying abilities in literacy, which may well depend on our subject specialism and educational background. There should not an expectation that all teachers should have perfect written and oral literacy (if that were indeed possible). Nevertheless, this can be an area where we might feel, or be made to feel embarrassed if our skills are not as well developed as we would like. In addition to helping learners improve their literacy skills this toolkit is also intended to help you identify areas where you can improve.

The key requirement to improve our practice in all areas of teaching and learning is to start with honest self-reflection. This is also the case for literacy. So why not begin with a general test of your current abilities? The online toolkit contains a number of interactive tests which can be completed anonymously. You will also find the tutorials and exercises in this and the online toolkit might be as useful to you as your learners, as you brush up on your written skills, or finally get to grips with that tricky grammatical point which you never really understood. To get you started perhaps you could complete the following diagnostic exercises.

‘You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture.... just get people to stop reading them’

Ray Bradbury Author

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To examine your current ability in spelling, punctuation and grammar complete the following self-check of technical writing competence:

Confident Needs Not Refreshing Confident

Spelling:How confident are you in spelling technical and subject-specific words?How confident are you in your general spelling accuracy?How confident are you in distinguishing between homophones (e.g. there, their and they’re)?

Punctuation:How confident are you in using basic punctuation such as full-stops and commas? How confident are you in using speech marks?How confident are you in using apostrophes?How confident are you in using colons and semi-colons?

Grammar:How confident are you in using tenses correctly?How confident are you in your use of adjectives and adverbs?How confident are you in using active and passive voices appropriately?

Now look at the online toolkit for further guidance for areas that you are less confident about or need refreshing. Why not also test your competence by completing the following exercise:

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The Sound system

We are used to seeing the written language as a sequence of letters, separated bye small segments of space. This is how we were taught to write. we formed our letters one at a time, then slowly and painstakingly brought them together in ‘joined-up’ writing, We learned to call five of these letters ‘vowels (A, E, I, O, U), and the others ‘consonants’

Everyone born, with the normal capacity to learn acquires the abilities to listen and speak long before the ability to read and write. Moreover when the english alphabet was first devised, it’s letters was based on a consideration of the nature of the sounds in Old English. The origins of the written language lie in the spoken language, not the other way round; It is therefore one of lifes ironies that traditionally in modern day education we do not learn about spoken language until we have learned the basic properties of the written language.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English LanguageDavid Crystal

The corrected text can be found in the online toolkit

Key points from this section:

Learners will learn much about improving literacy by observing what we do.•

We should ensure that all written materials are proofread and accurate.•

We should model a level of literacy that allows our learners to aim higher than •

their current abilities.

We should pay as much attention to our spoken literacy as our written skills.•

We should reflect on our current practice and literacy skills to look for ways to •

improve.

Look at the following passage, which has been adapted from a work on the development of language and correct the 14 mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Key Principles

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Use every opportunity to teach content and skills together

We are all under pressure to ‘cover the syllabus’ but developing literacy skills need not, nor should not, be seen as a ‘bolt on’ taking extra time and resources. Modifying content (e.g. a worksheet or extract from a textbook) that you would normally use for teaching or revision and asking learners to identify or correct punctuation, paragraphing or style is just one effective way of consolidating content while at the same time developing and revising literacy skills.

Case study

The following extract of a worksheet from a Travel and Tourism class, gives a flavour:

Re-write these sentences putting capital letters in the correct place and then answer the questions.

1 to which of the following european destinations does ryanair fly?

a) charles de gaulle, paris b) cagliari, sardinia c) marco polo, venice

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Here is another example from an IB Theory of Knowledge class. The correct version can be found online.

Read the following passage and correct punctuation and paragraphing so that the content is clearer:

Case study

One of the most frequently used arguments for God’s existence is the Design Argument. Sometimes known as the Teleological Argument. From the Greek word telos which means ‘purpose’ this states that if we look around us at the natural world we can’t help noticing how everything in it is suited to the function it performs everything bears evidence to having been designed this is supposed to demonstrate the existence of a creator if for example we examine the human eye we can see how its minute parts all fit together each part cleverly suited to what it was apparently designed for seeing. Supporters of the Design Argument claim that the complexity and efficiency of natural objects such as the eye evidence that they must have been designed by God how else could they have come to be as they are.

The above examples focus on functional skills, but higher-order literacy skills are equally important. There are many ways of making explicit the skills developed during a lesson and helping learners become familiar with the language of learning.

Case study

In Theory of Knowledge class presentations the learners are asked to hold up cards labelled ‘evaluation’ or ‘analysis’ when they see these skills in practice.

Simple questions at the end of a lesson can also help learners focus on the skills they have just developed or used, not just the content. So, as well as asking ‘What have we just learnt? Ask ‘How did we do it?’ (focus on the process) and ‘Where else could we use this technique?’ (focus on the transferability of the skill just learnt).

‘Access the word and you access the world’

British Dyslexia Association

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Make literacy skills an integral part of assessment In-class assessment:

Much of the assessment which takes place in a class (or other teaching settings such as the workplace) is verbal. Question and answer sessions are an important way to test knowledge and understanding. Feedback to verbal answers is usually fairly informal, but these sessions can also provide a good opportunity to gauge a learner’s literacy skills and correct problematic areas. In the context of the course and level you are teaching consider some of the following ideas:

Encourage learners to respond • to verbal questions using appropriate language and tone. There will be times when one word answers are required, but if a more detailed response is needed, or desirable, then help your learners develop a suitable voice, tone and lexis.Be careful not to cut off • answers before the learner has finished speaking. There is a danger that, when we see that the correct answer is being given, we will acknowledge the learner is right and move on before the learner has had chance to fully express their answer.Be clear about your approach • when correcting literary errors made in verbal responses. If the errors are due to laziness or bad habits, it would be worth drawing attention to the errors. Obviously it is important to be tactful in the way you approach this, as the point is to encourage a positive attitude toward literacy.

You may also use short-answer written exercises as part of your in-class assessment. Feedback to this might also be informal, but again consider how you can use these opportunities to improve literacy skills.

Setting work:

Setting work for our learners is an ideal opportunity to stress the importance of literacy. Consider the information you give when setting and assignment or homework. As part of the advice you give it would be useful to include specific guidance on your expectations for the quality of literacy. Comments could include:

A reminder of the importance • of writing with accuracy.An indication of what tone • or complexity is required (perhaps identifying the ‘audience’ of the piece)If appropriate, an indication • of any marks that will be given specifically for the quality of communication. This is particularly important if your course has specific credit awarded for quality of communication. Although most specifications make some reference to the importance of literacy in the assessment of the course.A comment encouraging • learners to proof-read their work for accuracy before submitting it.

We all recognise that assessment, and the subsequent feedback given to learners, is key to successful teaching and learning. Assessment can take many forms (summative or formative, formal or informal, written or verbal), but the main purpose should be to help learners to improve by diagnosing problems and supporting progress. The principles of effective assessment can also be applied to monitoring and improving literacy skills. The following section suggests ways this can be incorporated into your practice.

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Teacher Marking:

When giving formal feedback on learner’s work how do we deal with errors in literacy? The essential thing is to make learners aware of any issues, but the balance of responsibility between the teacher and the learner for correcting errors is more debatable. When marking learners’ work consider the following questions:

Should we identify • all errors? Approaches could include identifying all mistakes, identifying all on the first page only then asking the learner to check the rest. Should we correct • all errors? For example you could correct all spellings or just identify that there is an error and ask the learner to make the correction.Should we ask for work • to be re-submitted with corrections? This could be a valuable exercise to improve literacy or could be seen as an extra burden for you and your learners. Should we differentiate • between general literacy and course-specific issues? It is worth considering whether you feel accuracy, for example in spelling, is more important for subject words (jargon).Should we use a specific • literacy section in marking proformas? This is particularly useful if quality of communication/literacy has specific credit in the assessment objectives, but is also a useful way to highlight the importance of literacy in all work.

Should we set targets for • improving literacy (accuracy, style, tone)? This is easiest for longer assignment/homework tasks. You could include it as part of the general targets you set, or have a specific section for issues of literacy.

A team approach:

It is worth discussing with your colleagues to have a consistent approach to assessing literacy across your department. You may choose to differentiate the level of corrections you make through the year; giving learners increasing responsibility for identifying and correcting their work as the course goes on.

When identifying errors it is worthwhile developing a system for showing problems (this could be abbreviations such as sp for a spelling error). When doing this it is important that the learner understands any the symbols used and that they are applied consistently. If such a system is embedded into the course you could get the learners to use it in self or peer marking exercises.

When giving feedback on learner’s work it would be beneficial to include comments and targets for improvement which are specific to the literacy skills displayed in the work.

Take note: When giving feedback it is important to praise good examples of appropriate literacy as well as dwelling on errors.

‘The limits of my language mean the limits of my world’

Ludwig Wittgenstein Philosopher

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Self, peer and spoof marking:

Getting learners to mark their own work, that of others or ‘spoof’ answers created to illustrate specific points, has become a frequently used assessment technique. The main benefit of this is that it helps the learner become more familiar with the assessment objectives of the course and help to increase learners’ confidence when facing assessment. It can also be a valuable took to help improve literacy skills.

To get the best out of this approach care needs to be taken to ensure that learners are aware of the reasons for doing it. Also, you need to create an atmosphere of openness so no-one feels embarrassed or threatened by the process. Consider the following points as you plan these activities:

Emphasise the importance • of literacy alongside the subject-specific content when learners are assessing work.Be clear about what to look • for when assessing literacy. It may be beneficial to carry out a ‘spoof’ marking exercise as a whole group. This could have specific errors to demonstrate the kind of issue to look for.Decide whether the learner • should identify all errors in the piece they are marking. Also be clear whether you expect them to correct the errors, or just identify them.Encourage learners to • include specific suggestions for literacy when setting themselves or others targets for improvement.

Ensure that you also check • the work that has been marked by the learner. This is to inform you of any significant literacy issues, but also makes sure that errors have been correctly identified and that it is not a case of the blind leading the blind.

Case Study:

English AS/A Level is an example of one of the subject areas that has used self and peer marking successfully. A structured programme of assessment for learning is embedded into the course which helps to build the learners’ confidence and competence at assessing work. The exercises make very specific use of the awarding body assessment objectives which include reference to ‘using appropriate terminology and accurate, coherent written expression’.

There follows a proforma to help learners self-assess their literacy skills in an extended piece of writing. It covers a range of skills from clarity of writing and accuracy to planning and research. The RAG system is used to help learners evaluate their success.

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Please think about each skill carefully and assess how well you think you have done. Then tick the relevant box for each one as follows:

Red: Needs improving Amber: Average/okay Green: Good

Self Assessment Teacher Assessment

Skill Red Amber Green

Planning

Using the library

Using the internet

Neat writing

Good introduction

Using sentences

Using paragraphs

Correct spelling

Using capital letters

Using full stops and commas

Using only relevant information

Writing in your own words

Appropriate style

Answered the question

Good conclusion

Which of these skills do you need to improve most?

How are you going to do this?

Adapted from examples on www.geoffpetty.com

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“Today a reader; tomorrow a leader’

W.Fusselman,Art Critic

Create text-rich environments (with colour, visuals and graphics to support)

Wall Displays:

Many of today’s learners are far more comfortable with audio-visual media than text and so we need to find as many ways as possible of exposing them to the latter. Research has shown that when charts, diagrams and word lists are placed on the walls of classrooms, learners memorise them subliminally and when they are removed, will often look back at the wall where they were displayed and recall the content. There are many examples of excellent wall displays on all Gower College sites.

Why not:

visit colleagues’ • teaching rooms to gain some ideas for your own area?Ask one member • of your team to be responsible for updating/refreshing displays?

Effective wall displays are:

often created by the learners • (but remember to check for accuracy!) added to or updated on a • regular basisreferred to during a lesson as • a valuable reference sourcechanged periodically to avoid • them becoming ignored or stale

Table-top dictionaries and word lists:

Subject-specific table-top dictionaries and word lists are also useful, easily-produced resources to reinforce the written word. Having these available in class enables the learner to look for information independently and stresses the importance of accurate use of subject-specific words.

Case Study 1:

Ancient History learners are given a ‘who’s who’ booklet at the start of the year. In this are various sections that group together key figures from the course. The detail is blank so, through the year, the learner fills in relevant information about the mina figures studied. By the end of the year the booklet contains a full list of names and details which also supports revision.

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Case Study 2:

The following extract is from a glossary book developed for hairdressing learners. It contains key words arranged alphabetically and allows learners to record definitions in their own words.

Cc

Capillary

Catagen

Climazone

Clippers

Colour wheel

Colouring

Consultation

Contamination

Contraindication

Dd

Dandruff

Data protection

Denman

Density

Dermatitis

Dermis

Diffused

Diffuser

Disulphide bonds

Ee

Eczema

Effleurage

Elasticity

Environment

Epidermis

Erythema

Extensions

External verifier

Ff

Face shape

Fading

Fashion

Finger waving

Finishing

Fire extinguisher

Fish hook

Fishtail plait

Follicle

Fungal infection

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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Use naturally occurring opportunities to develop general and subject-specific vocabulary

Many of us do this instinctively, but it’s sometimes easy to assume a level of vocabulary that learners do not have. A minute or so during a lesson spent checking understanding or discussing the meaning of words arising in context can pay dividends.

At the start of a session or module, write up on the board new or key vocabulary that will be used and check understanding. Challenge learners to use precise and appropriate vocabulary in oral as well as written work.

Extract:

The following is an extract of an exchange where a teacher is trying to get a learner to use more specific vocabulary. A good technique is to use the phrase ‘What words would we use if we were speaking like....? (a mathematician, geographer, psychologist, chef etc)

Teacher: So how are we going to coat this plaice fillet?

Learner: Well, I’d use a mixture of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.

Teacher: If we were speaking like a chef, what term would we use?

Learner: Oh, yes, it’s pané isn’t it....

Subject-specific vocabulary is often best planned in advance. As a team, why not complete an audit of commonly-used words in your subject?

Case Studies:

Plumbing and motor vehicle learners are just some of many who consolidate spelling and understanding of terminology with interactive mix-match exercises which can be done in class or independently as a homework task.

Catering learners are encouraged to keep personalised spelling diaries to record errors picked up from their assignments

Helping your learners develop an understanding of word roots and their meanings can be a very helpful way of enlarging subject vocabulary. Different subjects will obviously have different frequently-used vocabulary.

Case Studies:

An example from a Science group of how you might get learners to build up root charts is given below:

Word root: aqu- Meaning: water

Words with this root: Meaning:

Aqueous ••

Aqueduct •

Aquarium•

Aquatic •

Word root: -itis Meaning: inflammation

Words with this root: Meaning:

Tonsillitis • •

Arthritis•

Sinusitis •

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Help learners read with understanding by creating ‘active’ reading tasks

We often set reading tasks both in class and for homework, but unless we give learners something active to do with the material it is difficult to gauge how much they have understood.

The following summary provides just some ideas of how teachers across the various campuses are tackling the problem, and providing learners with challenging and enjoyable tasks in the process.

Some ideas to promote active reading

Remove the title or sub-headings from a piece of text (perhaps containing a graph, chart or image). Ask learners to provide a title and sub-headings for the text ( and/or headings/key/title for graph, chart or image)

Give learners a set of sentences, paragraphs, statements, or procedures in random order and ask them to re-assemble in the correct sequence

Ask learners to turn text into a time-line or flow chart

Ask learners to re-present information (e.g. a paragraph of text) in another format, e.g. poster, letter, blurb for book jacket, transcript of telephone call, story-board or pie chart.

Give learners a page of text to read then ask them to make notes in table form e.g. read the article on hair colouring and highlighting. Make a three-column table which shows: problems, causes and actions to take

Text marking activities: ask learners to read newspaper article, or handout. Use 2 contrasting highlighters to mark:

opinions versus facts • ‘I agree with’ versus ‘I • disagree with’ statementsadvantages versus • disadvantages etc.

Cloze procedure (gapped worksheets): give learners a piece of text with carefully selected missing words which they must add. (Either from selected list, or by having to think of them independently)

The spectacle technique: learners must read/interpret ‘neutral’ text from different perspectives.

E.g. a leaflet on fruit and • vegetables from perspectives of: chef, restaurant owner, suppliers, young customer, older customer etc.

Or an historical document • from the perspective of the church, parliament, aristocracy, women etc.

‘Once you learn to read you will be forever free’

Frederick Douglass Writer, Slavery Abolitionist

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Why not decide in your team which one, new technique you will experiment with? Report back on how it went at a later team meeting.

Internet research: how to ensure it is meaningful and understood

A related skill is internet research which requires learners to sift and précis material. Often what learners ‘produce’ are pages of unread printouts. Again, creating a chart provides focus for the research and asking questions afterwards tests High Order Thinking Skills. General advice on internet research might include the following:

Give learners specific • guidance such as prescribing sites to explore which you have previously checked as being appropriate (in content, language level etc)

Alternatively, direct learners • to which types of site they must use (e.g. one from a registered charity, one from an academic institution etc)

Explain the implications of • .net, .org, .ac and so on

Provide learners with a chart • which helps them focus on the information they need to collect and avoids indiscriminate printing out of web pages which learner does not read or understand

Set questions which • challenge and test learners’ understanding of the material researched and also helps them critically evaluate websites

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Please use the following sites:

two that are owned • by drug companies or suppliers two that are owned by • medical bodies two that offer testimony • from people who have used drug x to boost their sporting performance

Using the chart below, enter the information you can find from your six websites under the headings given.

Example:

Look at the information you have gathered and answer these questions:

What similarities and 1. differences can you see in the information from different sites?

What might explain 2. the difference in the information from different sites?

What does this tell 3. you about researching information on the internet?

If you were asked to 4. advise a friend about how to make sure that the information you find on a website is accurate, what would you tell them?

See the example 5. below from a sports science class who have been asked to collate information about ephedrine as a means of enhancing strength and endurance.

Site owner

Products available

Dosage advice

Positive effects

Side effects

Other information

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Help learners develop extended writing skills

‘I don’t know how to start’ is a common complaint voiced by learners of all levels when beginning an extended piece if writing, for example, an essay or report. There are a number of techniques that you can use to help learners improve their extended writing.

Writing frames

Writing frames can be very effective ‘scaffolds’. As the learner gains in confidence and practice, the writing frames can be gradually reduced. Beware of using them to such an extent that they limit a learner’s creativity, however.

‘Practise, practise, practise writing….you learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you went wrong’

Jeffrey Carver, Science Fiction Writer

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Structure Useful Starters Useful Vocabulary

Introduction: describe the work – pretend you are telling someone who cannot see it

……………….. was completed by……………. in ……………. The work portrays ….

suggests, conveys, conjures up, recalls, recreates, when looked at closely, from a distance

Artist’s intention I think the artist is trying to………..

The reason I think this is because ………….

exaggerate, distort, conjure up, recreate, observe, reflect, express mood or ideas, explore material, line, tone, texture, colour, shape, see, feel, think, imagine

Source of inspiration and influences

I think the artist worked from …………. because …………….

The artist prepared for this work by …………….

observation memoryimaginationsupporting sketchesphotographs

Your reaction The work makes me feel …………. because ……………….

happy, sad, suggests, evokes, conveys, mood, feeling, atmosphere, recalls, reminds me of

Use of form The work has been composed to ……………………

balanced, symmetrical, foreground, background, arrangement, composition, design, strong lines, lead the eye, shapes, small, large, angular, curved.

Use of colour tone and texture The artist’s use of ………………. suggests ……………………

I think he/she has done this to suggest …………………………

hot, cold, bright, dull, vivid, sombre, pastel, clashing, matching, range, variety, rough, smooth, broken

Style The artists style is …………………

I can tell this by ……………………..

Technique, abstract, realistic, surrealistic

Conclusion I like/dislike this work because ………………….

The following example shows how ‘A’ level art learners can use these to help structure and develop their extended writing skills. This example is taken from the National Literacy Trust:

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Graphic organisers

Anything from a simple table, to a Venn diagram, to a mind map can be adapted or transferred for use in different subjects and are a great way to capture discussions and to develop High Order skills.

For example, you could use the following to initiate an essay or extended piece of writing on:

Christianity and Islam • Credit cards and Debit cards • Waxing and electrolysis ......• and so on

Case Study:

Level One sports learners were asked to write about something they were really passionate about in a different way and the exercise worked well. Their lecturer showed a football match with no sound and asked the learners to write their own commentary.

How could this be adapted in your area?

Comparing and Contrasting

Differences Topic Similarities Topic Differences 1 2

An extensive range of graphic organisers (often called visual thinking tools) can be found on the online Toolkit.

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Planning and drafting

Expecting learners to produce a plan, and possibly several drafts of a piece of work is good practice. Drafts can be teacher, peer or self-checked and improvements can be made.

The first draft of your essay plan will show you what main topics you will discuss in your essay, how the essay will be structured, and roughly how many words you will spend on each part.

If you had to write a 1,500 words essay entitled ‘Is Critical Thinking relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse?’ then your essay plan might look like this:

Essay question: ‘Is Critical Thinking relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse?’

Essay length: 1,500 words

Introduction (150 words)Introductory statement: • Through an examination of the evidence, it is clear that Critical Thinking is highly relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse for a number of reasons.Introduce main points or • topics to be discussed: accuracy of diagnoses, patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, communication

Topic 1: Accuracy of diagnoses (300 words)Topic 2: Patient outcomes (300 words)Topic 3: Prevent and solve problems (300 words)Topic 4: Communication (300 words)Conclusion (150 words)

Concluding statement: • Thus, it can be seen that the concept of Critical Thinking is invaluable and highly relevant to Registered Nurses.Sum up main points or topics • that have been discussed: accuracy of diagnoses, patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, communication

This is a traditional, linear method of planning. Many learners may prefer to mind-map their plan. Teachers might then get learners to write an introductory paragraph and discuss in class before continuing with main body of essay.

Once the essay, or first draft, has been marked, learners could keep a chart of suggested improvements as shown in the following example:

Date Issue Original Improvement

06.09 Simple sentence structure.

Behaviourists believe all human behaviour is learnt. Pavlov was a famous behaviourist.

Behaviourists believe all human behaviour is learnt and Pavlov, one of the leading behaviourists, suggested...

12.09 Paragraphing linking Thus, it is evident that aggression cannot be entirely explained by genetic factors.Research by Johnson (2007) has been conducted into hormonal factors in aggression...

Thus, it is evident that aggression cannot be entirely explained by genetic factors, though there may well be other biological elements involved, such as hormones. Research by Johnson (2007) explored these hormonal influences.

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‘A person who won’t read has no advantage over a person who can’t read’

Mark TwainAuthor

Expect learners to take responsibility for proof-reading work

Punctuation

Let’s eat, grandma.

Let’s eat grandma.

Warning: incorrect punctuation can seriously damage your health!

Learners submitting work riddled with careless spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, is a major complaint amongst teachers. As the poem shows, using a spell-checker is not always the solution!

Peer checking can often be more rigorous than self-checking, if you are confident of the ability of the learners to do so. Giving learners a little bit of class time, and asking them to focus on a few common errors can save teacher time correcting. Alternatively, build in proof-reading and drafting as part of your assessment criteria to encourage learners to take responsibility for the quality of their work.

Sometimes, a little humour can bring home to learners the error of their ways! Can your learners see and explain the following errors?

A biology student wrote an •essay about the science of gnomes. What did she mean?When a student’s •commentary on a French poem said that “all of the sentences end in a coma”, her lecturer remarked, “Yup, that’s pretty much how I felt marking it, too.”A business studies student •who conducted a research project in a local school stressed the role of “pier-support mechanisms” and the importance of carrying out inquiries in a “friendly manor” A student asked his lecturer: •“Will you please be a referee for a job for which I am appalling?” The student in question wants to be a teacher!

Four yore I’s only

(Sauce unknown, though has bean submitted for Pullet

Surprise)

I have a spelling chequerIt came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye cannot sea

When I strike a quay to rite a word

I weight four it two sayWeather I am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh

As soon as a mist ache is maid It nose bee fore to late

And I can put the error rite It’s rarely, rarely grate

I’ve run this poem threw it I’m shore your pleased two noIts letter perfect in it’s weigh My chequer tolled me sew!

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Ensure you are aware of specific learner needs (e.g. dyslexia, second language learner) and of the results of initial basic skills assessment

Working with dyslexic learners

Whilst it is important to strive continuously for improvement in the literacy skills of all our learners, particular sensitivity is needed when working with those identified as dyslexic. For comprehensive guidelines, and a deeper understanding of the condition, look at the materials produced by our study skills teams. Below is a summary of key points.

Do not force a dyslexic • learner to read aloud; s/he may have significant issues in focusing on text

Do not give too many verbal • instructions at once

Do not correct ALL spelling • mistakes in written work. Liaise with the dyslexia support tutor in concentrating on a few key words

Similarly, any spelling tests • will need to be differentiated

Handouts should:

be in a clear text e.g. • Verdana, Arial, Comic Sans

be at least font 12, or • double-spaced

avoid large sections in • block capitals

ideally avoid black print • on white paper

Remember that speed of processing written or spoken language, organisational skills, concentration, copying from the whiteboard, screen or page and taking dictated notes may all be difficult and affect the overall quality of work.

Working with learners whose first language is not English

You may find that there is a • marked discrepancy between spoken and written work; some learners are much stronger orally, others have accurate written skills but struggle to communicate verbally

There may be confusion • between similar-sounding words or a lack of understanding of basic vocabulary

Figures of speech and idioms • may not be understood, or may be taken literally

Written work may often have • similar and distinctive errors, e.g. confusion with tense, word order of a sentence or omitting the article (‘the’ or ‘a’ )

Cultural differences may • result in misunderstandings. E.g. not realising that plagiarism is wrong; not being used to sharing ideas in group work

Clearly, the best way to develop the literacy skills of both these sets of learners is through individualised feedback and target-setting, coupled with a sensitive awareness of their needs in class

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Initial assessment of basic skills

An Initial Assessment of literacy takes approximately 20 minutes. At College we are required by DCELLS to assess all learners studying for 5 hours or more using an initial assessment. This snapshot result can help us to identify where a learner is working well below the level of the course which they have enrolled on. Also this initial assessment result can help to target support to groups where large numbers of learners are working at lower levels.

Do you know how to access initial assessment results? Do you know how to interpret initial assessment results? An awareness and understanding of the both the overall profile of the group, and individual results will enable you to focus on areas of need within the class as a whole AND differentiate effectively. Estyn will expect evidence that you know, and are acting upon, this information.

Why not keep a printout of screening results in your file for easy reference? Highlight any learners who have scores noticeably below the level of the course they are studying.

The following table shows levels from most basic (Entry 1) to the top level attainable (Level 2)

Level of initial assessment

Entry 1 Most basic/lowest

Entry 2

Entry 3

Level 1

Level 2 Highest

Going forward...We envisage the launch of the Literacy Toolkit to be the first step in an evolving, whole-college focus on striving for continuous improvement in our learners’ literacy skills. As teams, you will have been given the opportunity to set targets within your own areas for next term. We intend to hold further workshops over the coming academic year as well as continuously add to our online bank of resources.

If you have ideas or resources that you would like to contribute, or if you wish to book additional sessions, as teams or individuals please contact Moira or Peter or look on the online version for ways to get involved.

Our thanks to you all for your positive response to this important initiative.