Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit focuses on the role of education support workers in providing assistance to students in all phases of learning who need additional support with their writing

Application 

This unit applies to education support work in a variety of contexts and work is to be undertaken with appropriate guidance, support and supervision by a nominated teacher or other education professional

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Identify what writers do when they write

1.1 Identify links between reading and writing 

1.2 Identify skills and knowledge required by writers 

1.3 Explain the use of genre in writing 

1.4 Identify writing processes according to specified guidelines and practices selected by teachers

2. Implement a writing program

2.1 Provide a writing program as directed by the teacher/s

2.2 Identify and implement optimum conditions for student development of specific writing skills with guidance from teacher/s

2.3 Maintain writing records  in accordance with program/teacher guidelines

2.4 Maintain student confidentiality at all times

3. Support student writing program

3.1 Determine support strategies  to accommodate writers' ability according to teacher guidelines based on results from the organisation's formative and diagnostic assessment

3.2 Use relationships between reading experiences and writing  to enhance the writing process

3.3 Implement support for writers  in accordance with writing support program specifications and teacher/s directions

3.4 Evaluate students' writing ability according to writing program guidelines and teacher directions

3.5 Encourage and support  students to become independent writers

4. Support accurate use of spelling, grammar and punctuation

4.1 Encourage students to check final written work for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors

4.2 Provide guidance and encouragement through the use and demonstration of resources 

4.3 Use strategies in accordance with teacher evaluation of students' needs

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge :

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include knowledge of:

• The relationships between reading and writing
• How to apply strategies to develop student's writing skills
• The purpose of formative and diagnostic assessment
• The role of the education support worker in providing writing support to students
• Policy, procedure and legislative issues affecting performance as education support workers
• A range of effective communication strategies for use with students and teachers
• A general knowledge of genres and writing styles

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify the relationships between reading and writing
• Implement writing support strategies as directed by the teacher
• Implement writing support programs to support writers at various stages of development
• Maintain and complete required records

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include the ability to:

• Support the identification and collation of writing material at the appropriate level for students
• Complete a sequence of tasks with direction and support from the teacher
• Interpret information from written and/or verbal directions
• Solve problems with respect to choosing the appropriate response, identifying problems, selecting an effective solution and empathy and cultural sensitivity in responding to students
• Communicate with active listening skills, give clear directions and/or instructions, frame questions to elicit thoughtful responses, express an opinion, suggest improvements to strategy/methods for assisting/supporting students and teachers
• Manage time to provide effective support to learners as guided by teachers
• Consult with teachers and other colleagues to accommodate individual student requirements
• Use sound grammar, punctuation and spelling

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency :

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• This unit could be assessed either on the job or off the job through an appropriate workplace simulation for a range of age groups and a range of conditions over a number of assessment situations

Access and equity considerations :

• All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment :

• This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
• Assessment requires access to a range of opportunities defined in the Range Statement, including:

• an appropriate workplace where assessment can take place
• simulation of realistic workplace environment for assessment
• relevant school/centre policy, protocols and procedures
• educational materials

RANGE STATEMENT 

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Links between reading and writing may include :

• Experience with various texts as a reader provides models for use as a writer
• Visual models of pages, paragraphs, sentences, gleaned from reading various materials help develop skills to structure own writing
• Reading aloud, or listening to texts, poems and stories develops a sense of the rhythms of language that can be used to test the effectiveness of own writing
• The effectiveness of different genres is demonstrated by reading examples of each
• The ways in which words are combined to make meaning are demonstrated as students construct meaning from texts
• Exploration of the use of alternative effects such as visual images on the creation of meaning in a text

Use of genre in writing novels involves :

• Creating text in a format that supports the purpose of the writing and assists the reader to make meaning
• Using accepted structures for the writing e.g. scientific reports, minutes of meetings, poetic conventions, newspaper articles, novels, short stories
• Using a particular style of language
• Inclusion or non-inclusion of graphics / illustrations / photographs / diagrams

Writing records refers to :

• Beginning writers record of independent writing
• Record of spelling words for beginning writers
• Record of spelling words for developing writers
• Annotated collection of writing samples (dated, support provided, etc)

Support strategies for developing writers may include :

• Provide individual support to identify the links between students' reading experiences and writing tasks
• Make the writing process explicit when working with the student
• Model different types of writing
• Support the student plan the writing task (who they are writing for, why they are writing the piece, what the message is)
• Support the student in editing their writing by providing various strategies that may be useful (questions about the writing, its effectiveness in conveying the message, choice of words, length of paragraphs, etc)
• Use technical strategies such as spelling, punctuation and word processing conventions
• Provide support to students in identifying links between their reading and writing tasks
• Encourage the student to read
• Discuss the features of the writing with the student
• Encourage the reader to build what has been read (content/structure) into a writing plan
• Discuss what the student will write about
• Prompt the composition of sentences
• Encourage the student to write simple sentences/paragraphs
• Assist with spelling, punctuation , vocabulary - clarifying meaning, use of technical terminology, listing topic related vocabulary
• Support and encourage the student o continue to gain independence in the writing process
• Assist with research, note taking and gathering information
• Encourage and assist with reading, re-reading, editing and proof reading what has been written
• Encourage self-questioning techniques
• Encourage and promote student success
• Assist with the correct use of editing functions such as spell check, cut and paste, formatting in electronics texts

Support strategies for intermediate writers may include :

• Understand the structure and purpose of different types of different types of genre
• Use assistive technology such as Text help
• Note-taking that is in line with the generic structure/organisation of the text
• Editing strategies such as self questioning techniques and RRAD (Rethink, Recognise, ADD and delete)
• Proof reading strategies for technical aspects of writing including spelling, punctuation and computer conventions
• Use appropriate vocabulary e.g. accurate scientific terms in a science report, level of formality required for the text
• Sentence structure comprehension
• Audience awareness
• Awareness of basic grammar
• Basic research skills e.g. identify the main idea, highlight key words, access reference books/websites
• Use of word classes:

• nouns
• pronouns
• verbs
• adverbs
• adjectives
• prepositions
• conjunctions
• articles

Resources that students may be taught and encouraged to use include :

• Dictionary
• Spell checker
• Thesaurus
• Encyclopaedia
• Exemplar texts from a range selected by the teacher