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

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

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