Worried about how your child will perform in Year 9 NAPLAN Language Conventions?
This article is the third in a series of articles breaking down each of the three literacy-based sections of NAPLAN – Reading, Writing and Language Conventions.
If you missed out on the others, make sure you check out our article on NAPLAN Reading and our article on NAPLAN Writing!
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
What is Language Conventions?
What will I be asked to do?
How can I prepare?
What is Language Conventions in NAPLAN?
Language Conventions is the third and final component of the NAPLAN literacy tests.
In this exam, you will be tested on your knowledge and skills in spelling and grammar.
Youāll be answering around 60 (give or take) multiple choice and spelling correction questions in 45 minutes.
Language Conventions is often considered as one of the more straightforward NAPLAN tests but be warned, itās still important to prepare nonetheless. Spelling and grammar can trip up even the best of us!
If your child is struggling with Language Conventions, personalised NAPLAN tutoring is here to support!
But firstā¦
Before we proceed, Iāll give you some quick definitions. These will make the next couple of sections a LOT easier to understand. You may already know these words but itās always worthwhile revising them.
Clause – long story short, the clause is the building block of the sentence. They contain a subject and a verb and can function as nouns, adjectives or adverbs.
Syllable – a unit of pronunciation, consisting of one vowel sound with or without surrounding consonants. For example, the word āwritingā has two syllables while the word ātestā only has one.
Suffix – an ending added to a word to make a new word. For example, āingā is a suffix added to āendā -> end + ing = ending.
What will I be asked to do?
Spelling questions will take one of two forms:
| Correcting identified errors in: | –Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Less frequently used one-syllable words with double or r-controlled vowels.
–Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Less frequently-used two-syllable words. –Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Multi-syllable words with the suffix āanceā |
| Identifying and correcting errors in: | –Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Multi-syllable soft ācā words
–Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Multi-syllable ācā words with regular spelling patterns |
Grammar and punctuation question on the other hand, will ask you to do the following:
Grammar
- Identify the tense of a short passage
- Identify the correct form of a comparative adjective in a sentence
- Identify the word that functions as a verb in a sentence
Punctuation
- Identify the purpose of italics in a sentence
- Locate commas in a sentence to emphasise a clause
- Recognise that colons can be used to introduce lists.
Looking for help on acing Year 9 English? Check out our guide!
How can I prepare for NAPLAN Language Conventions?
To prepare for spelling, keep a list of words that you know you struggle with. To make the list even more specific to NAPLAN, check out words asked in previous papers. Are there any that youād struggle with? Chuck āem on the list!
Once you have a solid list together (at least ten words), enjoy a throwback to primary school with the good old Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check strategy. Although itās fairly self-explanatory, Iāll explain it anyway:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Look | Look at the word and read it in your head. |
| Say | Read the word out loud. As you say it, pay close attention to its sounds. Phonetics (the sounds of words) can be a great help in navigating spelling. |
| Cover | Cover the word with your hand. |
| Write | While the word is still covered, try writing out the correct spelling. |
| Check | Check how you went! If you didnāt get it right, keep trying until you do. |
For the more technologically-inclined, Quizlet is also a great resource. Various other users have very kindly created Year 9 NAPLAN spelling AND grammar flashcard sets available for you to access and use for free.
And of course, it wouldnāt be a NAPLAN article if I didnāt recommend working through some past papers! Check them out in this article!
But remember!
ACARA (the body responsible for NAPLAN) have released the following disclaimer:
While NAPLAN is still important, the lifting of the HSC requirement means there is absolutely no need to freak out over the tests.
NAPLAN is ultimately intended to cover what youāve been learning at school.
Itās not something you should be cramming for.
And voila! Our handy-dandy guide to scoring in the top proficiency bands in NAPLAN Language Conventions!
Are you looking for some extra help with Year 9 NAPLAN Language Conventions?
We pride ourselves on our inspirational NAPLAN coaches and mentors!
We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years 3-9 for NAPLAN, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-oneĀ in your home or at our state of the art campus in Hornsby!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentorĀ get in touch today!Ā
