NAPLAN Writing Test Preparation
The NAPLAN writing test has no multiple-choice options. The student receives a sheet with characters, and objects that they are to use to write an imaginative story. They have 45 minutes in which to plan, draft, edit and write their story. They also receive lined paper, or a computer document on which to write. Fruition Tuition tutors can assist with all stages of writing.
First, imagination needs to fire with an idea. Who will the character be, what obstacle or problem will they encounter, and what will they do with the object? It is worth taking the first five minutes to brainstorm all the possibilities before capturing and highlighting the ones that will flow together easily in the next phase of writing. Having a wide base of reading is helpful for understanding how this works. At Fruition Tuition tutor will establish the foundations of reading and writing test for years 3, 5, 7 & 9.
Once the idea has formed, a student needs to develop the character and the object they have chosen. Most of the story relies on the character, so they need to be clear for the reader to understand. Use adjectives and adverbs to describe both the character and the object. You don’t have to put them together all the time, but you do need to show how they work together. If you don’t know how to describe someone or something, let one of our Fruition Tuition tutors teach you how to describe someone.
After the idea and character take shape, you need to pose a problem and a solution for the character. Simple things are often the best. After all, you don’t have a lot of time. So, think about something that breaks, something gets blocked, or lost, or even a sunburnt nose. It could be that the object causes the problem, but it also could be the object that solves the problem. Finding a solution in the form of fixing the break, clearing a blockage (or providing an alternative route), or finding what is lost can be fun to work out. Let your imagination play. Fruition Tuitions friendly and knowledgeable tutors can help you work through scenarios that are appropriate for your story.
Consider a funny man with an extraordinarily long nose. He wants to go for a walk, but his nose poses a sunburn problem. How will he fix it? With a hat? This simple premise meets all the requirements of a story. However, take the opportunity to describe the man in detail, and the hat, and why the sunburn is a problem, and how the hat needs to be different for the man’s need. If your problem is that you don’t know how to develop an idea past the basic premise, then let one of our experienced and reliable Fruition Tuition tutors help you.
The NAPLAN writing task
The writing task is designed to assess students’ capabilities using a set of 10 criteria:
- Audience
- Text structure
- Ideas
- Character and setting (narrative texts) or persuasive devices (persuasive texts)
- Vocabulary
- Cohesion
- Paragraphing
- Sentence structure
- Punctuation
Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are required to sit NAPLAN tests in four areas:
- Numeracy
- Reading
- Writing
- Language Conventions.
I suggest that initially, all the detail is better written in dot-point form, and this forms a draft of sorts. You can then review your ideas, and using a pen or highlighter, rearrange things until you like how they flow together. A Fruition Tuition tutor can advise on how to arrange ideas for flow.
Then it is time to write. Spend at least 30 of your 45 minutes writing your story. If you spent the first ten minutes preparing well, then the 30 minutes will fly by as your idea and character come alive on the page. Spend the last 5 minutes going over your writing, correcting any spelling mistakes and checking your punctuation. Still not sure? Let a Fruition Tuition tutor build your confidence.