Tania's Professional Learning Blog

I found this on Facebook this morning. I am so excited to share this amazing resource with teachers  This was the message by Sarah Peck on the Primary teachers page: Kia ora koutou, not sure how many of you use the Syntax Project for a sentence-level writing resource but here is the scope and sequence with NZ Year level equivalents added. All of the slideshow resources that support the scope and sequence can be found at https://ochre.org.au/ac/the-grammar-project/. You will need to register for (free) access. The materials are designed for NZ Year 0 (NE) to Year 7, however I think if you have older struggling learners that still need sentence level writing teaching, learning, review and practice then you'd potentially still get a lot out of what's on offer. The Syntax Project work has been developed by Australian teachers, for teachers, and is underpinned by work from The Writing Revolution, and the Morphology Project references William Van Cleave's work. Here is the link: ...

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...

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 understa...

Many teachers don't realise how hard writing is, especially for kids. I was one of those teachers and thought with enough practice every day, they will eventually 'get' it. I learned a lot about in my journey with the Science of Reading, structured literacy and BSLA approach as well as workshops with Liz Kane how we learn and teach, especially in writing. After reading this blogpost it is all making sense and I will change my practice to assist my young learners in their literacy journey. As a teacher, I'd show the students how to write, they'd try, and we'd move on. I didn't realise how much they need to learn before they can write well. Students would draw and scribble letters, and I'd praise their efforts. But I didn't think much about what they really needed to learn. I should have spent more time teaching them the basics of writing, instead of squeezing it in with everything else. Now I know better, and I'll focus more on helping them build...

Learning all about letter Rr Learning the alphabet can be a lot of fun, especially when you're exploring a cool letter like 'R.' We recently had a great time learning about 'R' at GTS, and here's how we did it!   To begin our 'R' learning journey, we incorporated a hands-on approach using play dough. Play dough is not only a fantastic sensory experience but also a fantastic tool for reinforcing the shape and formation of letters. We rolled, moulded, and manipulated the play dough to create the letter 'R.'   This helped us understand what 'R' looks like and how to write it.   But we didn't stop there! We wanted to be super creative, so we decided to make robots using recycled stuff like old cardboard boxes, bottle caps, and a variety of other recycled materials. It was like a big arts and crafts project. Each robot we made had something special about it. After we finished making our unique robots, we wanted to show them off to everyone...

Fostering investigative conversations in a junior class can be challenging but incredibly beneficial for promoting critical thinking. Let's look at some strategies: Encourage Friendly Debate:  Providing open-ended prompts that engage students' interest and allow them to take a stance can spark organic engagement and critical thinking. By encouraging students to share their opinions and participate in debates, they develop their ability to articulate their thoughts, provide evidence, and respectfully engage with peers. The math talk questions and picture-based discussions are great examples of how to generate interesting conversations. Put Your Students in the Question:  Centering students' viewpoints in a question or discussion prompt fosters deeper thinking. By personalising the topic, students are encouraged to analyse, reflect, and make connections to their own experiences. This approach enhances engagement and allows for more meaningful exploration of the subject. Open ...

The Writing Rope - created by Joan Sedita Let's look a the basics of each strand and what it means with an example and simple ideas. All 5 strands need to be taught for the students to become efficient writers. 1. First Strand - Critical Thinking Generating ideas and gathering information and teaching about the writing process like organising, drafting, editing and revising - Very important in junior years to teach our children to brainstorm ideas and to let them know they have a bunch of ideas to write about and plenty of ideas to share with others - Important to instil that they are writers and that they can do this   Joan Sedita has broken down the writing process into 4 categories where the writing and revising parts are usually the hardest parts  - We can also put it in 5 different categories which may be more applicable to juniors and New Entrants:     THINK - I can think of an idea to share    PLAN & SAY - I can take my idea and plan what I ...