NAPLAN Writing: Figurative Language Boosts Scores

0:00It's April 21st. This is Sydney News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Every year, Australian kids take the NAPLAN writing test where top marks go for solid spelling, strong sentence structure, and vocab that fits the audience. But researchers digging into top scoring narrative scripts found something key. These kids crush it with figurative language, like similes, metaphors, and hyperbole. They analyzed a small batch of high mark year three papers from 2022 and saw that a full quarter of the words were figurative. Markers loved it, getting hooked by those vivid stories. Lead researcher Dr. Damon Thomas says spelling and structure matter, but storytelling shines with the vices like alliteration too. The problem? The narrative marking guide barely mentions figurative language, unlike the persuasive one where it's front and center. The sends a mixed signal to teachers and students, downplaying what makes narratives pop. Take John Colette's school on Sydney's northern beaches.

1:01They rack up some of the state's best NAPLAN writing scores without prepping for the test. Instead, they dive into Shakespeare, Latin, grammar drills, and rich texts that build deep skills. Meanwhile, writing scores have dropped across the board since 2015, except spelling, and critics say NAPLAN pushes formulaic teaching that. AI might soon outdo. Researchers want the guide updated to spotlight figurative tools, so kids craft stories that truly engage from start to finish.