Using language, symbols, and texts resources

Students read the humorous narrative 'The Diving Competition' to answer retrieval and inferential questions. SJ-4-2-1996. Text provided.

This resource has an assessment focus on comprehending the language features used in an advertisement.

Students complete a cloze passage with 26 blanks about a boy stuck between some steps. A scoring guide with replacement words/synonyms and guidelines for interpretation are included.

This resource requires students to match ten ideas about the different parts to books with the correct term.

Students complete a cloze passage with 27 blanks on the release of a killer whale. A scoring guide with replacement words/synonyms and guidelines for interpretation are included.

Students identify common spelling errors, taken from the essential word lists, and write the identified errors correctly. Students also identify lines of text without errors.

This task assess the ability to give a short speech that teaches the audience something new. Scoring guides are provided.

A contents page from a book on windsurfing is used by students to identify where to go to for specific information.

For this task students read the article, 'Chunky Chalks', and identify the ingredients and equipment used to write a set of 10 instructions for making chunky chalk. Students then identify the verb in each instruction. SJ-2-4-2000. Text not provided.

Students read a newspaper article and answer comprehension and vocabulary questions.

In this resource, students write instructions to match each photograph about making a pūrerehua. SJ-1-1-2001. Text provided.

Students are asked to read a short story and to insert the speech marks required to punctuate the direct speech in the story.

This task assesses students' ability to discriminate between the use of full stops, exclamation marks, and question marks by asking them to read a letter and insert the appropriate punctuation at the end of each sentence.

Students present a 'show and tell' for a small group. The focus includes discussion, handling questions, and bringing the session to a close. Speaking assessment guide C (Peer assessment) is suitable for this task.

Students attempt to persuade the adults in their families that they should be able to have a dog. They construct an argument by writing replies to the adults' statements.

This task assesses students' understanding of how to communicate with an audience. Students identify the voice expressions and sound effects needed for a play, "Who pushed Humpty Dumpty?" (Text used is reproduced as a pdf under "Using this resource" tab.) SJ-2-2-1998. Text provided.

Students write an argument about the impact of rugby in New Zealand. The features of a written argument are the focus for this assessment. Links to self-assessment writing supports are given under the "Working with Students" tab.

Pairs of students play a game with four dice, calculate the probability of winning the game, comment on how to get a more accurate estimate of the probability, and explain whether the game is fair based on their results.

Students identify and describe a local place they like to visit within a written report.

Students are asked to interpret the changing feelings of the main character in the School Journal story 'Grey Hair', and to provide evidence of these feelings by identifying the words and actions of the character. SJ-1-3-1996. Text not provided.

Students complete a cloze passage about koalas using their vocabulary and knowledge of grammar to create well-formed sentences.

Students write a set of instructions after reading a science article about growing crystals. Students assess their own writing using the supports provided.

This punctuation resource has a focus on colons and semi-colons. Students insert colons into sentences and demonstrate their knowledge of differences between colons and semi-colons.

Students read a story about rabbits and mark where the paragraph breaks should occur. The assessment focus is on organisation.

The assessment focus is punctuation with students inserting commas and speech marks into text.