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3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

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Welcome to the learning outcomes of the Primary Language Curriculum.

Here you can navigate the learning outcomes by strand (Oral Language, Reading, Writing, Teanga Ó Bhéal, Léitheoireacht, Scríbhneoireacht) using the menu on the left.

In the tables below, you'll notice that when you hover on a tab number the relevant learning outcome label appears. Once you click on the relevant learning outcome tab, it appears with the associated Examples of Children's Language Learning, Support Materials for teachers and progression steps

Engagement

The child…

experiments with and investigates mark-making implements and surfaces.

The child…

has fun making marks and uses vocalisations or gestures to focus attention on these.

The child…

enjoys drawings and letter-like forms and shares meaning through naming some features in their texts.

The child…

enjoys drawings and letter-like forms and shares meaning through naming some features in their texts.

The child…

enjoys writing and shares meaning through reading and discussing their texts.

The child…

enjoys writing for self-selected and different purposes with help from basic  Genre
Genres are types of multi-sentence oral or written text structures that have become conventionalised for particular purposes with expected organisational patterns, as well as language features related to register e.g., narrative, informational, persuasive, and multi-genre. Simply put, genre refers to a selection of writing forms in order to recount, explain, entertain, inform, give instructions, narrate, persuade and justify opinions.
 structures.

The child…

enjoys writing in a wider range of genres, exploring his/her own style, adding detail to ideas and verbally discussing these with others.

The child…

enjoys using personal style of writing in a range of genres, elaborating on details, developing characters further and using language creatively and imaginatively and sharing these with others.

The child…

enjoys using own style of writing in a range, of genres drawing on figurative language and creating vivid images to impact on a reader, and discusses and shares their work.

The child…

examines and discusses personal style, purpose, and enjoyment of creating text collaboratively and/or individually.

further develops their own style of creating text by working collaboratively with peers to create and develop text in a variety of genres.

The child…

evaluates and critiques own style of creating text and shares their experience as a creator of text with others.

discusses and reflects on the development and progression of their skills as authors to create more complex texts.

Linguistic Diversity-Young Interpreters

Example of student work

Motivation and choice

The child…

handles mark-making implements and materials to create text.

The child…

chooses mark-making implements and materials to create text of their choosing.

The child…

plays with a variety of implements and materials to create texts on a topic of their choice and selects texts to share with others.

The child…

uses a variety of implements and materials to create texts on a chosen topic and selects texts to display.

The child…

with increasing independence, chooses a topic and appropriate implements to create texts and selects texts to publish and display.

The child…

chooses from a wider range of topics and, with support, selects content and different presentation formats to share their writing.

The child…

chooses and refines ideas and content for their texts, and selects from a range of presentation formats to share their writing.

The child…

begins to research and chooses content to write about less-familiar topics and selects from a wider range of presentation formats to share their writing.

The child…

researches and chooses content to write about less familiar topics and selects appropriate presentation formats to share their writing.

The child…

compares and selects appropriate information from various sources for the intended purpose and  Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
 .

analyses feedback for use in redrafting text.

selects the appropriate  Genre
Genres are types of multi-sentence oral or written text structures that have become conventionalised for particular purposes with expected organisational patterns, as well as language features related to register e.g., narrative, informational, persuasive, and multi-genre. Simply put, genre refers to a selection of writing forms in order to recount, explain, entertain, inform, give instructions, narrate, persuade and justify opinions.
 for intended purpose and  Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
 .

The child…

analyses appropriate sources of information and selects most relevant source for the intended purpose and  Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
 .

critically selects appropriate feedback to redraft text.

justifies  Genre
Genres are types of multi-sentence oral or written text structures that have become conventionalised for particular purposes with expected organisational patterns, as well as language features related to register e.g., narrative, informational, persuasive, and multi-genre. Simply put, genre refers to a selection of writing forms in order to recount, explain, entertain, inform, give instructions, narrate, persuade and justify opinions.
 selected to create text for an intended purpose and  Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
 .

Linguistic Diversity-Young Interpreters

Example of student work

Conventions of print and sentence structure

The child…

experiments with signs, symbols and text to communicate.

The child…

uses signs, symbols and text to create meaning.

The child…

distinguishes between letters and pictures.

The child…

distinguishes between reading and writing and writes left to right, top to bottom, page by page.

The child…

uses some correct word order, sentence structure and letters, spaces, words, sentences, full-stops, and begins to use capital letters appropriately.

The child…

uses correct word order, sentence structure, capitals and complete sentences.

The child…

uses question marks, basic Connectives
Connectives are words which link paragraphs and sentences to focus on time, cause and effect, comparison or addition. Connectives relate ideas to one another and help to show the logic of the information. Connectives are important resources for creating cohesion in texts. The purposes of connectives can be grouped as follows:
temporal – to indicate time or sequence ideas (eg first, second, next)
causal – to show cause and effect (eg because, for, so)
additive – to add information (eg also, besides, furthermore)
comparative – eg rather, alternatively
conditional/concessive – to make conditions or concession (eg yet, although)
clarifying – for example in fact, for example.
, some correct verb tenses, and begins to use paragraphs.

The child…

uses quotation marks and exclamation marks to punctuate and add intonation to reading.

The child…

uses commas, possessive apostrophes, contractions, paragraphs, compound and Complex sentences
A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator (also known as a subordinate conjunction) such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which e.g. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
, and mostly correct verb tenses.

The child…

uses a wide range of Conventions of print
Conventions of print are accepted ways of presenting and organising written text so that this text is consistently and easily understood by all readers. The conventions include the following: print carries a message, left to right orientation of print, top to bottom orientation of print, return sweep, appropriate spacing, capitalisation, grammar and punctuation.
Digital conventions include: scrolling, swiping left to right, top to bottom orientation of print.
(for example colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen etc.)

examines how Conventions of print
Conventions of print are accepted ways of presenting and organising written text so that this text is consistently and easily understood by all readers. The conventions include the following: print carries a message, left to right orientation of print, top to bottom orientation of print, return sweep, appropriate spacing, capitalisation, grammar and punctuation.
Digital conventions include: scrolling, swiping left to right, top to bottom orientation of print.
and sentence structure aids meaning, conveys a message, and enhances the readers’ experience.

recognises and compares differences in sentence structure in English, Irish, and other languages.

uses digital formats to convey variance in Conventions of print
Conventions of print are accepted ways of presenting and organising written text so that this text is consistently and easily understood by all readers. The conventions include the following: print carries a message, left to right orientation of print, top to bottom orientation of print, return sweep, appropriate spacing, capitalisation, grammar and punctuation.
Digital conventions include: scrolling, swiping left to right, top to bottom orientation of print.
across languages (e.g. é, β, ϋ, ѐ etc.).

 

The child…

selects and justifies appropriate Conventions of print
Conventions of print are accepted ways of presenting and organising written text so that this text is consistently and easily understood by all readers. The conventions include the following: print carries a message, left to right orientation of print, top to bottom orientation of print, return sweep, appropriate spacing, capitalisation, grammar and punctuation.
Digital conventions include: scrolling, swiping left to right, top to bottom orientation of print.
and sentence structure to aid meaning; to convey a message; and to enhance the readers’ experience.

discusses sentence structure in English, Irish, and other languages.

demonstrates an understanding of the impact of varying types and lengths of sentences when creating text.

Spelling and word study

The child…

creates shapes in mark making.

The child…

creates shapes in mark-making to communicate meaning.

The child…

recognises some letters in familiar words and uses these and other symbols to represent text.

recalls features/ differences of pictures and/or objects.

The child…

connects the letter symbol to the Sound
The term ‘sound’ relates to the sound we make when we utter a letter or word, not to the letter in print. A letter may have more than one sound, such as the letter ‘a’ in was, a sound can be represented by more than one letter such as the sound /k/ in cat and walk. The word ship had three sounds /sh/, /i/, /p/, but has four letters ‘s’, ‘h’, ‘i’, ‘p’. Teachers should use the terms ‘sound’ and ‘letter’ accurately to help students clearly distinguish between the two items.
for some upper and lower case letters, and uses random strings of letters showing emerging awareness of letter sounds to represent text.

understands the connection between the written and the spoken word. begins to copy print.

The child…

uses some phonetically correct letters, common letter patterns and familiar words.

begins to distinguish between short and long vowel sounds. recognises similarities and differences between some letters.

The child…

sounds and names all upper- and lower-case letters.

uses some correct consonants and vowels in approximate spellings and spells some highfrequency and familiar words with appropriate sequencing of phonemes.

demonstrates an awareness of sounds covered through sounding out unfamiliar words while spelling.

recognises consonant/vowel  Sound
The term ‘sound’ relates to the sound we make when we utter a letter or word, not to the letter in print. A letter may have more than one sound, such as the letter ‘a’ in was, a sound can be represented by more than one letter such as the sound /k/ in cat and walk. The word ship had three sounds /sh/, /i/, /p/, but has four letters ‘s’, ‘h’, ‘i’, ‘p’. Teachers should use the terms ‘sound’ and ‘letter’ accurately to help students clearly distinguish between the two items.
 patterns in syllables of spoken words.

The child…

uses digraphs and letter strings and a range of familiar words, draws on visual memory for high-frequency words and begins to use dictionaries.

begins to understand that some words are spelled differently from how they are pronounced.

The child…

uses strategies including syllabification, strings and patterns, and dictionaries to spell a wider range of words and self-corrects more often.

understand that some words are spelled differently from how they are pronounced.

The child…

uses a range of strategies flexibly to spell unusual and difficult words.

The child…

identifies and discusses similarities and differences between words in different languages.

discusses and evaluates the purpose of standardised spelling.

analyses and discusses the origins of words from a range of subject areas.

identifies, explains, and uses a range of strategies to spell unusual and difficult words to create texts.

The child…

reflects on sources and strategies used to aid spelling and assesses their use.

discusses differences between standard English in Ireland and in other countries.

Vocabulary

The child…

explores, investigates and experiments with the use of marks and shapes.

The child…

uses marks and shapes to share a personal experience.

The child…

uses language from their personal experiences and uses it playfully and imaginatively in texts created with the teacher as scribe.

The child…

uses new vocabulary and phrases from texts read and uses language playfully and imaginatively in texts created through shared writing with the teacher.

The child…

uses language from their personal experiences, texts read and the environment and uses language playfully and imaginatively in texts created independently.

The child…

uses language removed from their personal experience and encountered when creating texts and uses this language imaginatively in their own texts.

The child…

uses topic-specific words and phrases to share an idea in a particular way, drawing on a range of experiences and texts, and begins to add detail using adjectives and adverbs. 

The child…

intentionally uses vocabulary to convey a specific meaning, mood, feeling using creative and imaginative language, drawing on a range of experiences and texts.

The child…

selects vocabulary from a range of sources and uses it to extend ideas, add more detail and create an effect, mood or image, and begins to use figurative language so that a text has a particular impact on a reader.

The child…

discusses strategies used to learn and acquire vocabulary for use in creating text.

discusses strategies used to source vocabulary (including subject specific vocabulary) from a range of sources to create fictional/non-fictional texts.

identifies, explains, and uses creative,  Aesthetic
The aesthetic dimension of language relates to the use of language imaginatively, creatively and artistically.
 , and imaginative language to create texts and discusses the purpose of using these aspects of language in their texts.

The child…

assesses strategies to source vocabulary and to learn and acquire vocabulary for use in creating text.

recognises and appreciates differences between subjective and objective language found in various genres when selecting vocabulary to create text.

recognises vocabulary which portrays prejudice, stereotyping, or bias and is mindful of this when creating text.

Linguistic Diversity-Multilingual City

Example of student work

Purpose, genre, and voice

The child…

uses signs, symbols or text to share experiences.

The child…

shares thoughts, knowledge and experiences with others through mark-making.

The child…

begins to share thoughts, knowledge and experiences for a particular purpose and Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
using marks, drawings and some letters.

The child…

writes and draws for a particular purpose and Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
while sharing thoughts, knowledge and experiences.

The child…

writes for a wider range of purposes and audiences while sharing thoughts, knowledge and experiences.

The child…

begins to write in a range of genres using a basic structure appropriate to a particular Genre
Genres are types of multi-sentence oral or written text structures that have become conventionalised for particular purposes with expected organisational patterns, as well as language features related to register e.g., narrative, informational, persuasive, and multi-genre. Simply put, genre refers to a selection of writing forms in order to recount, explain, entertain, inform, give instructions, narrate, persuade and justify opinions.
, matching language to purpose, Genre
Genres are types of multi-sentence oral or written text structures that have become conventionalised for particular purposes with expected organisational patterns, as well as language features related to register e.g., narrative, informational, persuasive, and multi-genre. Simply put, genre refers to a selection of writing forms in order to recount, explain, entertain, inform, give instructions, narrate, persuade and justify opinions.
and Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
.

The child…

writes in a range of genres providing detail, elaborating on key points and using appropriate language while exploring their own style. 

The child…

writes in a range of genres elaborating on details and developing characters and ideas further using appropriate language and structure while exploring their own style.

The child…

writes in a range of genres using structure flexibly to best suit their intent while using language creatively and conveying their own style.

The child…

examines and discusses the validity of information gathered to create text.

identifies and describes features of their texts specific to their own individual voice.

selects the appropriate language register (including the use of dialects/accents) to create texts for a specific purpose and  Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
 .

discusses and explains the purpose of texts and how this impacted on decisions made when creating text.

The child…

evaluates and justifies sources used to create text.

evaluates and reflects on features of their texts specific to their own individual voice.

examines and evaluates a variety of opinions, perspectives, and cultures for use in creating text.

justifies decisions made while creating texts for a specific purpose and  Audience
The audience is the intended group of readers, listeners, viewers that the writer, designer, or speaker is addressing.
 .

  • Writing Genres

    Example of student work

  • Writing Process

    Example of student work

Writing process and creating text

The child…

explores personal experiences and interests through signs, symbols and text.

The child…

creates text using personal experiences and interests as stimulus.

The child…

begins to take part in collaborative writing with the teacher as scribe.

The child…

uses familiar topics as a stimulus for texts while creating texts jointly with the teacher.

The child…

collaboratively plans texts orally; sequences and writes texts with other children; reads and talks about their writing.

The child…

independently plans, sequences and writes texts; reads and talks about their writing with the teacher to check if it makes sense and begins to suggest simple changes to improve it.

The child…

independently plans and gathers information to create texts with a beginning, middle and end; reads and discusses their writing, identifying changes to improve it.

The child…

draws on a range of text sources, and begins to use graphic organisers to plan writing; composes, proofs and edits to include feedback.

The child…

draws on a wider range of text sources and uses graphic organisers to plan independent writing; composes, proofs and self-edits to improve texts.

The child…

evaluates and assesses feedback from others and selects relevant feedback to redraft text.

uses proofing and editing aids to revise/redraft text.

reflects on strategies and skills used during the  Writing process
The writing process involves the teacher explicitly teaching children how to work and learn actively as writers. Steps in the writing process include:
plan for writing by selecting topics and ideas with minimal help
compose text using appropriate text organisational structure
re-read text written to check it makes sense and meets its purpose
edit and modify the text by rewriting to add or delete details to clarify meaning
edit written work further in response to feedback from others.
 and assesses their effectiveness.

The child…

explains and justifies feedback incorporated to redraft text.

evaluates and justifies proofing and editing aids used to revise/redraft texts.

explains and justifies strategies and skills used during the  Writing process
The writing process involves the teacher explicitly teaching children how to work and learn actively as writers. Steps in the writing process include:
plan for writing by selecting topics and ideas with minimal help
compose text using appropriate text organisational structure
re-read text written to check it makes sense and meets its purpose
edit and modify the text by rewriting to add or delete details to clarify meaning
edit written work further in response to feedback from others.
.

  • Linguistic Diversity-Young Interpreters

    Example of student work

  • Writing Process

    Example of student work

  • Writing Genres

    Example of student work

Response and author’s intent

The child…

uses a Form
Form refers to the published formats of a particular genre e.g. poem, short story, play, novel, memo, email, film etc.
of expression to convey the meaning of marks made.

The child…

gives meaning to marks made by self. 

responds to marks made by others.

The child…

talks about their own texts and begins to respond to others’ texts through talk, marks and drawings.

The child…

talks about and uses more detailed drawings in their own texts and gives more detail in responses to others’ texts.

The child…

uses more elaborate drawings to share detail and identifies simple, explicit pieces of text in response to specific questions. shares a personal interpretation of another person’s text.

The child…

discusses their own work giving reasons for selection of topic and content. discusses the work of others relating it to familiar experiences.

The child…

hares their work with others, elaborating on details. responds to the work of others, discussing main points raised in greater depth and relating it where relevant to their own experiences. 

The child…

verbally discusses, explains and connects with characters created in their own stories in greater detail. 

discusses characters and key events in the stories of others, predicting and inferring characters’ motives for key actions.

The child…

shares their reasons for use of particular words/ phrases used for effect/mood/ impact.

interprets main messages being conveyed in the work of others and infers author’s reason for these.

The child…

compares their own intention as authors with others’ interpretation of their text.

recognises the influence of an author’s culture and identity on messages being conveyed.

examines and investigates a variety of methods and styles to portray the authors’ message and intent.

The child…

evaluates the influence of their own culture and identity (as well as cultures in their community and outside their community) when creating texts.

assesses the link between the author’s intent and the language register chosen.

Handwriting and presentation

The child…

explores mark-making implements and surfaces.

The child…

uses mark-making implements and surfaces to present texts in a range of formats.

The child…

uses some muscle control to make letter-like forms.

The child…

uses good muscle control. writes some upper and lower-case letters.

The child…

writes some upper and lower-case letters legibly and as separate letters.

The child…

writes most upper and lower-case letters as separate letters.

The child…

writes legibly and fluently using separate flowing letters.

presents text in a variety of formats.

The child…

writes legibly with cursive script.

presents text for a variety of purposes and audiences.

The child…

writes legibly and fluently with cursive script.

presents text in a creative and engaging way for a variety of purposes and audiences.

The child…

examines and discusses presentation styles, strategies and formats when creating texts.

The child…

discusses and has fun with alphabets and scripts associated with different languages.

Writing Process

Example of student work

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