BC1G - VIDRES AÏLLANTS DE DOS VIDRES LAMINARS DE SEGURETAT

A wide distribution of literacy and numeracy achievement was noted at school entry and this continued through the first three years at school. This key finding indicates the complexity of the task of providing appropriate learning opportunities for all students.

LITERACY

The first survey was conducted early in the first year at school, and provided a picture of the diversity of literacy skills and knowledge amongst the cohort at school entry. Students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to identify a capital letter correctly. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to retell a narrative in a picture story book including some key events. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to locate the front of a picture story book, and understand the directional sequence of text.

The second survey took place at the end of the first year of school. At this time, students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to read simple common words from labels on a chart, and write one or more generally readable sentences. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to read all of a

simple reading book with word for word accuracy, read ‘would’ as a sight word, and write a recognisable sentence. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to identify letters correctly in a given word from a simple reading book, and identify words with the same first sound from a list of three words.

Early in the second year of school, when Survey 3 was conducted, students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to write a single sentence using a capital letter and a full stop. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to identify key events after listening to a picture story book. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to give a literal interpretation of an illustration in a picture story book, and spell initial sounds in common words.

Survey 4 was conducted at the end of the second year of school. By this time, students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to read a simple reading book (with predictable structure, varied content) with word for accuracy, and write readable text with many words spelt correctly. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to use context to provide meaning for unfamiliar words in an informational text, and to include one or more complex sentences in their own writing. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to express more than one idea in their own writing, and to locate specific information in a simple informative reading book read independently.

Survey 5 was conducted in May of the students’ third year at school. By this time, students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution were likely to be able to explain character’s actions in a simple reading book read independently. Those students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to use and control a variety of common punctuation in their own writing, and write simple sentences joined with simple conjunctions, e.g., like, but, then. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to read 2-3 pages of a simple reading book with limited maintenance of meaning.

NUMERACY

There was a considerable variation in numeracy achievement across the whole cohort of students on each assessment occasion in the first three years of school.

In the first survey, which was conducted early in the students’ first year at school, students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to add data from several pieces to a bar graph, and count back from 10 by ones. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to read cents and dollar combinations and identify highest values. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to identify a different attribute of two objects, identify numbers under 10 correctly, and identify a square.

By the end of the first year of school, students whose achievement in the second survey was around the middle of the distribution were able to apply counting by fives to a collection structured in groups of five and to subtract numbers under 10 without given materials. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to read prices involving dollars and cents. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to identify numbers under 75 and to add, using materials with a collection under 10.

The third survey was conducted at the beginning of the second year at school, and students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution were likely to be able to sequence 1 and 2 digit numbers correctly from smallest to largest. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to add the price of 2 items involving cents only. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to count back from 10 by ones, and to be able to add information to a bar graph.

By the end of the second year of school, when the fourth survey was conducted, students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution were likely to be able to make equal groups out of a given number of units. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to identify attributes of a rectangle. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution in this survey were likely to be able to continue a counting pattern of 2. The fifth survey took place in the second term of the students’ third year at school. Students whose achievement was around the middle of the distribution in this survey were able to complete a number sentence by subtracting a 1-digit number from a 2-digit number. Students whose achievement was high in the distribution were likely to be able to add two 2-digit numbers then subtract a 1-digit number to calculate total and to estimate the number of blocks needed to fill a box. Students whose achievement was in the lower range of the distribution were likely to be able to add two 1-digit numbers mentally.

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN LITERACY AND NUMERACY

ACHIEVEMENT GROWTH

Individual student performances in literacy and numeracy were estimated for each assessment on the LLANS Literacy Scale and on the LLANS Numeracy Scale. Individual differences in student growth trajectories across the first three years of school were investigated.

It was found that there was significant variation in the students’ developmental trajectories in literacy and in numeracy. There was significant individual variation in the performance at school entry and there was significant individual variation in the literacy growth rate and in the numeracy growth rate. Students started at different points and developed at different rates.

The girls performed better at school entry in literacy but not in numeracy. There were no significant gender differences in literacy growth rate in the first three years of school resulting in girls achieving slightly better, on average, than boys in literacy throughout the three years. Boys progressed slightly faster than girls in numeracy, resulting in the boys performing better than the girls, on average, at the end of the three years even though their numeracy performance was about the same at school entry.