Bridging Spoken and

Written Narratives

Presented By:

Sofia Pardo
Emily White
Mat Thomson
 School Context
• Charles LaTrobe College is a P-12 College in the North Eastern Suburbs of
Melbourne, adjacent to La Trobe University.

• Approximately 150 students in our Junior School (P-4)

• Approximately 20 different countries represented in our student cohort.

• Many students and families come from EAL backgrounds, where English is
not the primary language spoken.

• Some transiency of students moving in and out of the college.

• Part of ‘Classroom Of The Future’ Project with a focus on using

contemporary technologies to improve student learning.
 Renfrew – Action Picture Test
Catherine Renfrew

•Series of ten picture cards

•Targeted questions

•Used to assess grammar and

information content

•Norm referenced for ages 3-8

 Assessment Process
Utilised an App called ‘30 Hands’
which allows students to Draw,
Take Photographs, Type, and
Record information.

Within 30 Hands we took images of

each of the Renfrew picture prompts
to create individual slides. We were
then able to record the questions,
and the student responses onto the
slide.

Using the recording we then transcribed the students responses and scored
them according to the Renfrew Assessment guidelines.
 RAPT – Student Transcript Sample I G
1. What is the girl doing?
I think she is hugging the bear 2/2 1/1

2. What is the mother going to do?

She is taking her boot off 2/3 0/2

3. What has been done to the dog?

I think he is tied onto that bit of wood 3/3 3/5

4. Tell me all about what the man is doing.

The man is riding the horse 2/4 1/1
5. What has the cat just done?
Holding the mouses tails 1/2 1/4

6. What has happened to the girl?

She fallen down and her glasses have broken 4/5 6/6

7. What has the big girl done?

1.5/
Helped her brother come up so that he can put the message in 3/3
4
8. Tell me what the man is doing.
He is trying to rescue the cat 3/6 1/3

9. What is the boy doing?

Crying because the dog took its shoe 4/4 5/5
10. Tell me what’s happening.
The apples are falling down off the bag and the little boy is picking them 5/7 5/7

I: Information 27.5 26/

G: Grammar /40 37
 Traditional Vs
Non Traditional Recounts
Traditional Non Traditional

* Paired discussions (Think, Pair, * Utilise technology to generate ideas

Share) * Drawing tools for writing stimulus
* Voice recording to develop oral
* Individuals sharing with whole language, vocabulary, and help
grade generate ideas
* Listen back to ideas to self reflect
* Sentence starters provided as a * Share recordings with others to
reference receive feedback
* Use drawing and recording to
prompt ideas when writing
* Enthusiastic and engaged
particularly during the planning stage
Additional Resources

Explain Puppet
Everything Pals

Write
Tellegami
About
 Anecdotal Observations
• Children found the technology easy to use

• Children were engaged and enthusiastic to participate, particularly when

using the ipads

• Children were able to use technology to listen to and change their spoken
texts

• Low pressure - only sharing with self- more risks were taken

• A way to track development orally with newly arrived EAL students

• Students often required prompting to use their recordings to inform their

writing

• Recordings and written ideas were often different

Questions ???