ATL Research Skills Report Comments, Ages 11-14

Research covers information literacy (forming a question, finding varied sources, making notes in their own words, judging reliability, citing sources honestly) and media literacy (recognising purpose, bias and perspective, comparing media, and sharing findings through different media).

Below are 13 sample sentences for Ages 11-14: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Expert / Practitioner / Learner / Novice), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 research sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Expert · Practitioner · Learner · Novice · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Expert E

Strengths

[Name] confidently guides group members in checking whether a website is trustworthy before its information goes into shared work.
Bringing together ideas from several sources, [Name] builds a clear, original account rather than summarising each source in turn.

Next step

To prepare for the community project, [Name] could plan a small inquiry that gathers information directly from people in the local area.

Practitioner P

Strengths

[Name] usually lists sources in a simple bibliography at the end of [his/her/their] work, including the title and web address.
With few reminders, [Name] records the details of each source while researching so that it can be found again.

Next step

[Name] could try presenting findings in a new format, such as a short audio recording or an infographic, in the next research task.

Learner L

Strengths

When shown an example, [Name] lists the title and web address of the sources used in [his/her/their] work.
With reminders, [Name] records where information came from and is learning to set these details out in a list of sources.

Next step

Working with a partner to check one website together each lesson will build [Name]'s confidence in judging sources.

Novice N

Strengths

Before using a website in group work, [Name] checks with a teacher whether it can be trusted, which is a sensible first step.
With a step-by-step checklist, [Name] is learning to note the title and author of the sources used.

Next step

Working through a short search with a teacher or partner, choosing key words together, will build [Name]'s confidence in finding information.

Support at home

Encourage [Name] to explain a recent research topic to you in your home language, which shows how well [he/she/they] can put ideas into [his/her/their] own words.

How to write research comments for Ages 11-14

First research tasks are often the evidence at this age. Comment on whether the student turns a broad topic into a focused question and chooses search words, rather than copying the first result they find.
Describe note-making: does the student write notes in their own words under headings and record where each idea came from? A note-making template in the process journal is a practical next goal.
For media literacy, describe a simple judgement the student makes, such as asking who made a video and why, or noticing that an advert is trying to sell something. Families can ask the same question about the news.

Watch out: Avoid treating the number of sources as the measure of research. Five unchecked websites show less skill than two well-chosen, evaluated sources, so comment on how the student selected and judged information.

Show the stage through what the student does rather than writing the stage name. Expert language is independent, flexible and used in unfamiliar tasks, often modelled for others; Practitioner fits usually and with few reminders in familiar work; Learner fits with guidance, a model or a checklist; Novice describes what is emerging with close support, which is normal for many students new to secondary school.

What Research covers

ATL clusters covered for research:

information-literacy skills: finding, interpreting, judging and creating information (research questions, varied sources, note-making, evaluating reliability, citing sources and academic honesty)
media-literacy skills: interacting with media to use and create ideas and information (recognising bias and purpose, comparing perspectives, communicating through different media)

More ATL skills ages 11-16 comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.