Intermediate school trial

This trial was conducted over just seven weeks in Term 4, 2024, in an intermediate school. The current format of the books, digital with comprehension delivered via audio from the author, was not yet in place.

I used the programme with a group of students who were of average ability, but who struggled with deep comprehension and/or writing. They found the books motivating, and the writing guides helped guide their discussion and understanding of the texts. They particularly enjoyed planning their writing on the sheet and then using CANVA to produce illustrated text.  The most measurable impact was the development of paragraphing skills alongside the ability to organise their thinking about the story.

Denny Newburn

(Former teacher) Ilminster Intermediate School

The results of a pre and post e-asTTle writing assessment:

 – Half of all students gained 2 e-asTTle levels, (i.e. from 2b to 4b) some more, in that seven-week period.

 – Three students with erratic attendance and one who is neurodiverse made no measurable progress.

 – All others gained at least one e-asTTle level in seven weeks.

Overall Level 29/02/2024 22/8/24 IDEAS 22/8/24 STRUCTURE 22/8/24 ORGANISATION 22/8/24 VOCAB 22/8/24 SENTENCE Structure 22/8/24 PUNCTUATION 22/8/24 SPELLING
5B 6B 5B 5A 5P 6B 5A 5A 5B 5A 5B 6B 4A 5A 5A 5A
5B 5A 5B 5A 5P 6B 5A 5A 5B 5A 4B 5B 4A 4A 5A 5A
4A 5P 5B 5B 5P 5P 3P 5A 5B 5B 5B 5B 4A 5A 5A 5A
4P 4A 4B 5B 5P 5P 3P 5A 4B 4B 4B 4B 4A 4A 4A 4A
3P 4B 4B 4B 3B 4P 3P 4P 4B 4B 2A 4B 3P 3P 3P 3P
3P 4A 2P 4B 4B 5P 3P 5A 4B 4B 2A 5B 3P 4A 4A 4A
3B 4B 4B 5B 3B 4P 4P 4P 4B 4B 2A 4B 2B 2B 2B 3P
3B 4P 2P 4B 3B 4P 2P 4P 4B 4B 2A 4B 3P 4A 4A 4A
3B 2P 3B 2P 4B 2A 2B 4A
2A 4B 1B 4B 3B 4P 2P 4P 4B 4B 2A 4B 2B 3P 3P 4A
2A 5B 2P 5B 3B 5P 2P 5A 4B 5B 2A 5B 2B 5A 3P 4A
2A 4B 2P 4B 3B 4P 2P 4P 4B 4B 1P 4B 2B 3P 3P 3P
2A 4B 2P 4B 1P 4P 2P 4P 2A 4B 2A 4B 3P 3P 3P 4A
2A 2P 1P 2P 2A 1P 4A 3P
2B 3B 2P 4B 1P 3B 2P 4P 2A 2A 1P 2A 2B 2B 2B 2B
1A 1B 1P 2P 2A 2A 1B 1B
1A 3A 1B 4B 1B 3B 1P 4P 2A 2A 1P 4B 2B 3P 2B 3P
1A 3P 1B 4B 1P 4P 2P 4P 2A 2A 1P 4B 2B 2B 1B 2B
1P 3A 1B 4B 1P 4P 1P 4P 1P 2A 1P 4B 1P 3P 2B 3P
1B 3P 1B 4B 1P 4P 1B 4P 1P 2A 1P 4B 2B 2B 1B 2B
1B 1B 1P 1P 1P 1P 1B
1B 2A 1B 2P 1P 1P 1B 4P 1P 4B 1B 2A 1B 2B 1B 1B
1B 1A 1B 1B 1B 1P 1B 1P 1P 2A 1B 1P 1P 2B 2B 3P
4P 5B 5P 4P 4B 4B 3P 3P

We are especially pleased with those elements that indicate gains in ability to organise thoughts and ideas, a comprehension outcome!

Teacher Interview

“The programme is really easy to administer, and after the initial setting up for students it is easy for children to get access. In my class I have two writing groups so I can easily assign a new book to each group as they finish their piece of work and move not the next. We started working on the writing programme last term by teaching the children how to write sentences using the AwS resource – The Sentence Book.  This term we have moved onto AwS Digital* and we are using the books online to support a very well scaffolded writing programme.

These kids love it. They settle quickly to their work and the level of engagement is very high – one Year 5 boy in particular has amazed me with the effort he has put into his first piece of writing this year (and to be honest probably the first real piece of writing he has done since he has been at school). The children do not need a computer each and can easily share between 2 or 3 as all writing is done in their books. A big thumbs up from me and my class.

Mikayla Williams Year 5&6 teacher.