Embracing the Power of Qualitative Data

Reflecting on Writing Progress with the Syntax Project and Targeted Instruction

As an educator, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is witnessing the growth and progress of my students, particularly in their writing abilities. Over the past eight weeks, I have implemented several targeted teaching strategies, including the Syntax Project, BSLA (Best Start Literacy Approach) Tier 1 whole-class instruction focused on phonological awareness, and Tier 2 small group reading instruction. These strategies have yielded impressive results, demonstrating the profound impact of qualitative data in understanding and enhancing student learning.

The Role of Whole-Class Instruction

The whole-class phonological awareness lessons gave my students a solid foundation in literacy. By focusing on key phonics skills and using the Syntax Project, I saw big improvements in their writing, especially when it came to writing dictated sentences. The structured Taumata 2 lessons really helped many students progress faster than I expected.

I noticed that the clear instructions, along with fun activities, helped students pick up phonics concepts more easily. This better understanding showed up in their writing, as they started using their phonics knowledge to build sentences. With improved spelling, my students are now more confident expressing their ideas and showing their creativity in their writing.

Intensive Tier 2 Small Group Instruction

While the whole-class lessons built a good foundation, the small group Tier 2 reading sessions gave extra support to students who needed it. My small group, working at the same Taumata 2 level, made faster progress because we focused on phonics and phonological awareness before starting new books.

This focused instruction let us break down reading and writing into smaller steps. By working on specific skills like decoding, blending, and segmenting, the students felt more prepared to tackle new texts. Not only did their reading fluency improve, but their comprehension and writing got better too. From what I saw in class and heard from the students, their engagement and confidence really grew.

The Power of Component Breakdown

Breaking down literacy lessons into smaller, manageable parts has made a big difference for my students. This focused approach helped them master 12 phonics readers in just eight weeks. From their feedback, it's clear they feel more confident and excited about both reading and writing.

Students have said they feel more sure about writing accurate and expressive sentences, and they’ve been eager to share their work and talk about how they’re improving. The insights I gathered from class discussions and individual reflections really showed how this focused teaching has boosted their skills and confidence.

Conclusion

Looking back on the last eight weeks, I’m so proud of how far my students have come. The progress they’ve made, backed by the feedback I’ve seen in class, has been amazing. Using a mix of the Syntax Project, BSLA whole-class lessons, and small group reading sessions has worked really well to boost their literacy skills. By focusing on phonological awareness and giving them targeted support, my students have not only become better at reading and writing but also gained the confidence to express their ideas.

As I keep reflecting on what’s working in the classroom, I’m reminded of how important it is to adapt my teaching to where the students are in their learning. This experience shows me that with the right support, every student can thrive as a confident reader and writer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In week 2, I'll be diving into my assessments for the 10-week BSLA program. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the data reveals about my students' progress!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Impressive Writing Growth with The Syntax Project

I’ve seen remarkable progress in my students’ writing skills since introducing The Syntax Project. This free, accessible platform, grounded in the concept of colourful semantics, has been a game-changer for our young learners.

What is Colourful Semantics?

Colourful semantics is a method that breaks sentences down into parts, each represented by a different colour. For instance, the "Who" (subject) could be one colour, while "What doing" (the verb) is another. This visual approach makes sentence building more straightforward and fun for children, helping them better understand sentence structure. It’s especially useful for younger students as they get to grips with the basics of grammar and sentence creation.

My Approach to Using the Syntax Project
I began using the Syntax Project by focusing on oral exercises. Students first talk through sentences, identifying key parts like who is doing what, and where it’s happening. This has laid a strong foundation for understanding how sentences work. Now, we’re moving on to having students write these sentences on whiteboards as a warm-up before their regular writing lessons.

Examples of Student Progress
Here are a few of the fantastic sentences our students have been forming with photos we used. the students had to look for photos they like:

• "The cat is jumping over the fence."
• "A boy is eating his lunch at the park."
• "The dog is running after the ball."

While these sentences may seem simple, they represent significant progress for our students. The colour-coding technique has really helped them grasp the structure of a sentence and visualise their thoughts clearly.

I am excited to see how their writing continues to improve as I incorporate the Syntax Project into more of my lessons. The best part is that this valuable tool is available for anyone to use, offering a fantastic way to enhance writing confidence and ability.

If you’re looking to strengthen your students' writing in a fun and effective way, we highly recommend trying The Syntax Project!

Here are some creative ideas I thought of trying this term to reinforce what we have been learning:

1. Sentence Dice

You can use custom dice with different coloured sides representing the parts of the sentence:

• One die for Who (Orange): possible subjects like "The cat," "My teacher," "A boy."
• One die for What doing (Blue): verbs like "is running," "is jumping," "is reading."
• One die for What (Green): objects like "a ball," "a book," "the cake."
• Optional dice for Where (Purple) and When (Yellow).

Students roll the dice and, based on the result, create a sentence. You can vary the dice to create simple or more complex sentences depending on the students' skill level.

2. Interactive Story Mats

Set up story mats where students physically move through different stations based on colourful semantics. Each station represents a part of the sentence:

• Station 1 (Orange) is the "Who" station: Here, students can choose from pictures or figures of different subjects (people, animals, etc.).
• Station 2 (Blue) is the "What doing" station: Students pick an action or verb from a list or use action cards.
• Station 3 (Green) is the "What" station: They choose an object or something related to the verb (e.g., a book for "reading").
• Station 4 (Purple) is the "Where" station: They pick a location (e.g., park, library, home).

Students then "walk through" the stations, creating sentences as they move from one to another. This physical, kinesthetics activity engages both their minds and bodies, making sentence-building more memorable.

3. Sentence Relay Race

For an energetic class activity, organise a sentence relay race:

• Divide the class into teams. Each team has a set of colour-coded cards (Who, What doing, What, etc.).
• The first student from each team runs to a designated area to pick up a "Who" card and bring it back. They must say the subject aloud (e.g., "The dog").
• The next student in line runs to pick a "What doing" card (e.g., "is barking").
• The relay continues until the sentence is complete, and the first team to finish building a complete and correct sentence wins.

This game gets students moving and thinking quickly, reinforcing their understanding of sentence components in a dynamic way.

A fun variation from my colleague Ella Hazleman at Glen Taylor School! Using plastic coloured balls adds a hands-on element to the relay race. Here’s how you might adapt Ella Hazleman’s version:

Ella's Colour Ball Relay Race

1. Preparation:
   Set up buckets or containers at a distance from the teams. Each container will have coloured balls corresponding to different parts of a sentence (e.g., Orange for Who, Blue for What doing, Green for What, etc.).

2. Rules:
   Each student runs to the buckets, grabs a ball of the colour their team needs, and runs back to their team. The team must work together to use the balls to create a sentence based on the colour coding. For example:

   • Orange ball = Who (e.g., "The dog")
   • Blue ball = What doing (e.g., "is barking")
   • Green ball = What (e.g., "at the cat")

3. Objective:
   The first team to collect all the coloured balls and form a complete, correct sentence wins!