Writing Surface Features Ladder

Yes Folks, another ladder!

I'm pretty happy with the way you're working your way up the Basic Facts ladder, so knowing how much you like to improve your skills I've decided to do the same for Surface Features in Writing.

Most of what is contained in the levels comes straight out of the Writing Matrix (from the Ministry). Most New Zealand adults are at Level Four, so if you make it to that stage, know you're doing really well. Our Riverdale School expectations are that students will achieve Level Three by the time you move on to Intermediate.


The first thing is to work out where to start, then you can start climbing. The important thing when climbing a ladder is to focus on the step you're on and then your next (learning) step.

Level 4
35. Commonly Misspelled words list
34. Uses brackets correctly
33. Uses colons correctly
32. Uses semi-colons correctly
31. Uses ellipses correctly
30. Spellrite List 7

Level 3
29. Paragraphing
28. Spellrite List 6
27. Correct use of apostrophes
26. Spellrite List 5

Level 2
25. Writes sentences correctly with fullstops in the right places
24. Writes direct speech correctly
23. Use tense consistently
22. Have subject-verb agreement
21. Write titles correctly
20. could of / have, would of / have, should of / have
19. to / two / too
18. their / there
17. your / you’re
16. who’s / whose
15. we’re / where / were
14. Spellrite List 4
13. I / I’m / I’ll / I’ve
12. Writing numbers correctly
11. Capital letters for proper nouns
10. Capital letters for beginnings of sentences
9. Spellrite List 3
8. ‘Me and John’ v ‘John and me’ or John and I
7. Uses question marks correctly
6. Correct use of ‘done’, ‘did’ and ‘have done’

Level 1iii
5. ‘a’ or ‘an’
4. Spellrite List 2
3. Write simple sentences correctly
2. Writes capital letters and full stops for beginnings and ends of sentences
1. Spellrite List 1

Piggity Event

We had a great time at the City Library, singing the Piggity song for the Library Week celebration. Erna Ferry read the story really well. The Jig family was such a hit that many of the pre-school children posed for photos! Thank you to Mrs Peck for playing the role of Mrs Jig. It will be a worthy addition to your C.V!

Then... Room 13 sang the Piggity song. Lauren sang her solo like an angel and Erna Ferry accused the children of singing so well that they made her cry. It is almost as if the kids had to do a singing audition to get into Room 13 this year!! Andrew Mock did a great job of helping to improve our performance. We are very grateful for his time and energy.

I was approached by a representative from Radio Control who is interested in having us sing the Piggity song on the radio in about a month... We are so lucky to be a part of all this.

QZealand Coat of Arms by Nancy

National Cross Country Event Report from Kara

I came 11th out of 24 people in the cross country today. I was in front for the first 300 metres. I looked really small in the start straight (see picture - I'm wearing yellow). Dad called me a little fish. I was overtaken at the first corner by the first two girls. I blew on the first hill and gradually dropped back.

Here is a picture of me in the first straight. The girl who won is in the Wellington Olympic Club. The course was really good and hilly.

Maori Kites - Literacy (Reading and Writing) Activity

1. What are three different names for Maori kites?
2. What materials were used traditionally to make kites? (name three or four)
3. What were the traditional uses for kites?
4. Draw three pictures of different Maori kites and the designs that might be used on them
5. Summarise and illustrate a legend that is about kites.