Assessment and Reporting

Semester 1, 2021

Dear Parents/ Carers,

At Dayboro State School teachers report to parents about:

• the student’s achievement against expected standards;
• how well the student is engaging with the expected learning; and
• how the student may be able to improve.

Reporting to parents occurs four times each school year across two platforms:

• Report Cards at end of Semester 1 and 2
• Parent Teacher Interviews in Term 1 and Term 3

Dayboro State School’s reporting processes reflect the requirements outlined in the Department of Education’s P-12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework and associated policies.

Semester report cards are emailed home to parents in Week 10 of Terms 2 and Term 4 and made available online via QParents. A 5-point scale is used and varies depending on year level as shown below.

An explanation of the reporting scales is provided on the front page of student reports for parents.

It is important to recognise that the Australian Curriculum achievement standards clearly outline the expectations of a ‘C’, ‘Sound’ or ‘Working With’ standard. If your child receives a ‘C’ (or equivalent), they are operating at the year level standard/expectation. A ‘C’ means that the student is achieving everything required for the subject at that stage in their corresponding year level at school. Therefore, attaining a ‘C for their Achievement means that they are on target for their age and year level.

If you would like any more information about reporting, please contact me or your child’s teacher.

What parents can do at home to help their kids with reading

PART B

Useful reading tips

When your child is reading and encounters words that are difficult for them, use the Three Ps technique ‘Pause, Prompt, Praise' to support them.

Pause:  when your child comes to a word they don't know, try not to jump in straight away. Wait and give your child time to work out the word.

Prompt: if your child successfully works out the problem word, suggest they go back to the beginning of the sentence and re-read it (to recap meaning) before reading on.

If your child has not worked out the problem word, prompt them with some quick, low-key suggestions. Say things like:

• "Try reading on for a sentence or two, miss out the difficult word and see if that helps you to work it out."
• "Look at the sound the word begins with, use that clue, and think about what may make sense here? Look at the pictures."

If prompts like these are not working, simply tell your child the correct word.

Try not to spend too much time prompting, as your child will find it difficult to maintain the overall meaning of what they are reading.

Praise: praise your child's reading efforts and successes.

Things to remember about reading

• The goal of reading is always to make sense of what is read.
• Try to be interested, supportive and enjoy the time together.
• Read with your child anywhere and at any time; don't forget that many everyday experiences provide opportunities to put reading and writing into action.
• Visit and use a library near you. Borrow books for yourself as well as for your child.
• Talk to your child's classroom teacher or the principal for further help and advice.

If you would like any support with helping your child with reading at home, please see your child’s teacher or contact Mrs Smith in the LEAP room.

Regards, Linda Smith                                                                                    

Head of Department (Curriculum)