Introducing NAPLAN

Year 7 2021

11th, 12th and 13th May 2021

Overview
Key Questions for today
1. 5 Key Messages about NAPLAN
2. What is Year 7 NAPLAN
3. Why is this important?
4. How are we going to prepare for it?
5. What can I do myself to get ready and do
my best in the tests (being test wise)?
6. Can the questions be analysed?
7. How can the BGS “Dispositions” help?
1. Five Key Messages about NAPLAN
 NAPLAN provides us all with valuable information
about your progress – we take it seriously and want to
do our best.
 It is not something to be anxious about or for us to
spend large amounts of class time preparing for.
 The best preparation is paying attention and learning in
our regular classes
 We can prepare a little for it – to make sure that we can
recall learning we have done in the past and also know
how the tests will be administered at BGS
 Principles of preparation for NAPLAN are the same for
being “test wise” for any exam at BGS – good practice!
2. What is Year 7 NAPLAN?
This is a test that all students in Australia do at the same
time. It is designed to help parents and schools
understand how students are going in the essential
areas of literacy and numeracy.
It doesn’t count for your school report card – a separate
report is produced that both the school and your
parents get to see.
It involves four tests over three days in May as shown on
the next slides.
Tuesday 11th May

1. Language Conventions
45 minutes
50 – 60 questions
Half the questions on spelling and half on grammar
and punctuation

2. Writing
40 minutes
A persuasive exposition (essay) OR narrative to
written and visual stimulus material
Wednesday 12th May

1. Reading
65 minutes
45 – 50 questions
Most questions will be multiple choice with some
short answer
Students will be provided with around eight passages
that illustrate different writing styles
Thursday 13th May

1. Numeracy Test
65 minutes
40 questions – calculator allowed – 50 mins
Short pause – 5 mins
8 questions – No calculator allowed – 10 mins
3. Why is it important?
 People will make judgements about how well you as a
student and we as a school are going in our learning –
we want to show them the best we can do!
 We can encourage and help each other

 Its not something to get worried about

 We don’t have to learn a lot of new things
 BUT we can prepare for it – there are things we can do
to help us prepare for it and do our best during it. We
particularly want to become familiar with the style of
the test, including multiple choice questions.
4. Preparing for the Tests
We are going to prepare in three ways –
1. Gallery sessions (like today)
 1 (now) – Introduction, Being “test wise”, analysing questions
 2 (Fri week 6) – Literacy questions (spelling, grammar, reading)
 2 (Fri week 8) – Numeracy questions
 3 (in Term 2) – Writing tasks (feedback, criteria, stimulus)
2. In regular classes
 Maths – more maths mentals, calculator practice, review sessions
 English – how to write a narrative and a persuasion, stimulus, some
spelling and grammar work in test format.
 Bits and pieces in other subjects (eg multiple choice tests)
3. Practice tests – Mostly in Week 10 of Term 1
 Using a prior year’s tests
 On selected periods in the week to be advised
5. Being test wise
Later in this powerpoint we will look at types of
questions and how to approach them.
There are six other areas to consider –
1. Use the galleries and practice tests to learn as much as
you can about how to approach the real test.
2. Pay attention in class – this is your best preparation
3. Get “on the board” in every item (have a go)
4. Be physically and mentally well prepared
5. Use good time management in the tests
6. Have a positive attitude about what you can achieve
Get “on the board” in every item

 Have a go.

 Many questions are multiple choice and guessing is a

legitimate approach..

 In short answer questions or the writing task markers

will be trying to reward effort.
Physical and Mental Preparation
 Be well rested
 Eat a balanced diet
 Engage in some exercise
 Calm your mind with some peace & quiet before the
test
 Have the necessary equipment and set it up ready to
use
 Know when and where you need to be
Good Time Management
 Make use of perusal time

 Plan tasks

 Have time check points

 Be aware of the passage of time

Being positive

 Believe in your own ability. Don’t be put off by what

might at first appear quite challenging.

 The tests you will sit have been designed so that the
majority of Year 7 students around Australia can make
a reasonable effort at answering the questions.

 All the necessary knowledge has been covered in the

school curriculum – you don’t need to learn new
“information”
6. Analysing questions
A key to success in assessment is to read stimulus and
questions with purpose.

Don’t
 read like you’re reading the sports page of a newspaper.

Always
 Read critically, think about what you are reading.
 Ask yourself questions.
 Skim read the questions before you start reading a passage.
 Use the margins of the passage you read – make brief notes.
a. Short Answer Questions
 Don’t be put off by the subject context.
 Make connections between different forms of
stimulus.
 Look for key words:
 draw, graph,
 prove, compare/contrast,
 rank, and so on.
 Use a highlighter to tag these instructions.
 Establish how to complete the task:
 “complete the calculation”
 “write a sentence”
b. Multiple Choice Questions
1. Read carefully and with purpose
2. Use “positive identification”
3. Watch for “distracters”
4. Use “elimination” where appropriate or necessary
5. Look for evidence
6. Be aware of the traps / classic errors.
7. Do questions once but well – be happy with the best
guess at the time
8. Record answers as you go
An example “positive identification”
Step 1: Examine the stimulus
material to determine lengths of the sides
The area of the of the triangle.
triangle is Step 2: Recall the formula for
 14 m2 calculating the area of a triangle.
Area of a triangle = ½bh
 28 m2 8
m Step 3: Calculate the area of the
 24 m 2 triangle
Area of a triangle = ½ x 6 x 8 = 24 m2
 48 m2
6 Step 4: When the area of the triangle
m
has been found this value can be
compared to the four available options
and the correct choice positively
identified.
Points about Elimination
• This is particularly useful for questions found to be
very difficult.

• Elimination involves:
• ruling out answers that are almost certainly not
correct
• choosing an answer from those remaining.
• It is a legitimate strategy to have an “educated guess”.

• Even if one choice can be eliminated the probability

of your guess from the remaining choices being
correct is increased significantly.
An example of “elimination”

Step 1: Read the question carefully.

Step 2: Read all of the answer options carefully.

Step 3: Eliminate the options that are incorrect and select the
answer that is the most correct.

Note: Even if you find a correct answer in the first few

responses. Make sure that you read all of the options before
making your decision.
 7. Learning Dispositions
After your work so far in Applied Thinking, ask
yourself –

1. Which dispositions are strengths of mine?

2. How can I use these strengths to do my best at NAPLAN

3. Which dispositions are weaknesses of mine?

4. How can I be more aware of these to make sure that they don’t
stop me doing my best in NAPLAN?

The dispositions are shown on the next two slides if you need
a reminder.
 7. Learning Dispositions
No Disposition Description Elements that aid understanding
People who demonstrate this disposition are…
1 Persistence Continuing optimistically Determined; relentless; diligent; positive; optimistic; perseverant;
despite obstacles hopeful; thorough; disposed to precision; tenacious

2 Resilience Showing courage and finding the Responsible risk takers; brave; courageous; able to overcome failure
positive in challenging situations or disappointment and learn from it

3 Restraint Showing moderation and self-
control
4 Creativity Adapting, innovating, generating Imaginative; innovative; adaptable; able to abstract; looking to
and problem solving
5 Curiosity Questioning, seeking and
inquiring
6 Open- Being flexible by remaining open Flexible thinkers; committed to continuous learning; objective;
to and appreciating alternates
mindedness
7 Reflection Monitoring own actions,
including thinking about and
applying feedback
8 Responsibility Regulating oneself to seek
personal excellence and take
ownership
Managers of their impulsivity; focused; cautious; discrete;
disciplined; moderated; self-controlled, prudent (appropriately
careful)
apply past knowledge to new situations; adept at developing and
exploring new possibilities and solutions to problems
Lovers of learning; responders who show wonderment and awe;
quick to engage; spontaneous; inquiring; questioning; deeper
lookers; able to gather data through all the senses; proof seekers
impartial; suspending of judgement when appropriate; respectful of
the work of others; adaptable to different learning approaches;
responsive to change; able to challenge their own assumptions and
experiences; aesthetic appreciators; effective at sifting information
Self-aware; careful to consider and apply feedback; coachable;
forward thinking
Accountable; self-regulating; orderly; prioritising; organised (with
physical resources and time); thrifty; goal planners; aspirational (for
excellence); always striving for accuracy and precision; wise in
choices; promoters of solutions to problems, intentional
 7. Learning Dispositions
No Disposition Description Elements that aid understanding
People who demonstrate this disposition are…
9 Initiative Enthusiastically motivated to action Oriented to action rather than passivity; intrinsically
motivated; enthusiastic; full of vitality; zealous (passionate
for the cause); implementers of solutions to problems; always
striving; givers of all; purposeful
10 Collaboration Working effectively and Empathetic, interested listeners; connected; clear and precise
concurrently with others communicators; interdependent thinkers; understanding
checkers; adaptable with process
11 Emotional Managing one’s own emotions and Discerning; humorous; patient; sensitive; tactful; tolerant;
helping others to manage theirs assertive; aware; able to analyse and appreciate others’
intelligence viewpoints; fun; equanimous; insightful
12 Selflessness Valuing others through kindness Helpful to others; kind; grateful; generous; forgiving;
and gratitude to others friendly; altruistic; charitable; supporters of others;
benevolent; considerate; accepting of diversity; motivated
without expectation of reward
13 Integrity Being true to principles and/or Sincere; trustworthy; loyal; sportsmanlike; authentic;
commitments honourable; committed
14 Honesty Correctly representing facts and Fair; truthful
making judgements
15 Humility Having a healthy self-regard despite Modest; gracious; valuers of others; magnanimous
successes (appropriate in victory)