Assessment will focus on children and young people’s skills in listening and talking, reading and writing. Teachers will gather evidence of progress as part of children and young people’s day-to-day learning as they observe the responses of children and young people engaging in conversation or correspondence with peers and adults, planning and carrying out enquiries about people, daily life and places where Gaelic is spoken, and through talk, writing, and presentations, using ICT as appropriate. Specific assessment tasks will also be helpful periodically to provide evidence of progress.
Approaches to assessment should identify the extent to which children and young people can apply their skills in their learning and their daily lives and in preparing for the world of work. For example:
- How capable are they in communicating with increasing confidence, accuracy and fluency?
- To what extent are they exploring and enjoying Gaelic poetry and song, and stories of increasing complexity and variety?
- Are they extending their vocabulary, developing their understanding of language structures and rules and applying these accurately in familiar and new real-life situations?
Teachers will also observe the progress made by learners in the ways in which they apply their skills in their learning across the curriculum and in cultural activities.
Assessment should link with other areas of the curriculum, within and outside the classroom, offering children and young people opportunities to demonstrate their growing knowledge and skills in Gaelic in a wide range of contexts. Their responses will also show their enthusiasm and motivation for Gaelic learning and their developing cultural awareness. Assessing and promoting these aspects and their willingness to try out Gaelic in other areas of the curriculum and beyond school will be indicators of their long-term success as Gaelic learners.
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