Sometimes we get bogged down in marking.

It takes time and it’s hard to simplify.

However, there is one tool we can use that goes a long way to making marking easier.

A method we can adopt that means we still give high-quality formative feedback, albeit without quite as much labour required as is usually the case.

A target bank is a list of ready-made targets we can call on while we’re marking.

Like a scaffold that does a bit of the work for us in advance.

When you’re marking, you can refer to your target bank (strengths banks are good as well).

Identify a relevant target for your learner and drop it into your feedback, amending and modifying as necessary.

Simple.

Here I have a bank for you containing forty ready-made targets covering the areas of:

• Speaking and Listening
• Language and Vocabulary

If you head to the Assessment for Learning Knowledge Base, you’ll find another 160 ready-made targets and 200 ready-made strengths. All designed to make your marking a little bit easier.

Enjoy!

Ready-Made Targets: Speaking and Listening

1. Before speaking, rehearse what you are going to say. You can do this in your mind or quietly, under your breath. This will improve the clarity of your speech, ensuring you pay close attention to your choice of words.
2. Consider the pace at which you speak. Ensure you talk slowly enough for others to understand you, but fast enough to keep them engaged. This is called finding the right tempo.
3. Before you speak, consider your audience. Different audiences require different styles of speech and different ways of speaking. For example, you talk differently when you are with your friends compared to when you are with your parents.
4. When speaking, choose your words carefully. The quality of your language is vitally important to your being understood. Do not use unnecessary, inappropriate or over-the-top words or phrases.
5. Aim for brevity when speaking. This does not mean your speech should be as short as possible. Rather, it means choosing the right words and the right length for the situation you are in.
6. Before you speak, consider the purpose of your speech. Is it to persuade? Is it to clarify? Is it to share? Knowing why you are speaking allows you to tailor your speech accordingly.
7. Avoid using para-language. This means words such as ‘erm’, ‘ah’, ‘like’, and so on. Speaking in this way diminishes the impact of what you are saying and can be off-putting for the audience.
8. Use your body and face to supplement your speech. This can include making gestures, standing or sitting in a confident manner, and making eye contact.
9. Practice using different rhetorical techniques to make your speech more persuasive. Examples include: asking rhetorical questions, the rule of three, and leaving dramatic pauses.
10. Aim to make at least one oral contribution per lesson. Speaking aloud is an important skill that lets you to share your ideas with others. It helps people to understand what you are thinking and it also helps you to develop your own thoughts.
11. Ensure you listen actively when others are speaking. This means concentrating on what they are saying. Make certain you are listening to the words they say and that you are thinking about the meaning of these.
12. If you are uncertain about what someone is trying to say, ask them a clarifying question. For example: ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’ or, ‘Could you explain that in more detail, please?’
13. Ensure your body language shows that you are listening. Turn to face the speaker, look at them, and sit (or stand) respectfully. Remember, the speaker wants to ‘see’ that you are listening.
14. Identify areas of ambiguity or vagueness in a speaker’s words. When they have finished, ask questions about these areas to try and identify precisely what it is they meant to say.
15. When someone puts forward an argument, identify the key points on which they rely. Make a brief note so you can remember these points. Use this to help you to respond.
16. Consider how you can connect your own ideas to the ideas of whoever is speaking. This will show how carefully you have been listening and will also help the discussion to develop.
17. Listen patiently, even if you are desperate to speak. Discussion and debate works on the principle of building knowledge together. You are not participating fully if you are only focussed on what you want to say.
18. When working in pairs or small groups, positively reinforce what other people say. Use phrases like: ‘I see,’ ‘That’s an interesting point,’ and ‘So, do you mean …’
19. When making notes while listening, try to keep them brief. Listening actively to what is being said is of greatest importance. Notes can always be made afterwards.
20. Show you have listened carefully by rephrasing what has already been said. This could be as a lead-in to your own ideas or as a clarification of what the speaker meant.

Ready-Made Targets: Language and Vocabulary

1. Use technical vocabulary. This demonstrates your understanding of the subject. An easy way to do it is to identify important keywords before you start. You can then look for places to use them in your work.
2. Consider your choice of words more carefully. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to ensure you are picking the correct words to explain what you are thinking.
3. Practice using the keywords from the topic. Aim to use at least one keyword in each of your answers.
4. Research three new words that would be suitable to use when writing about our subject. Aim to use these words in your next piece of work.
5. Replace any slang words you are tempted to use with more formal alternatives. For example: instead of ‘my crew’ write ‘my group of friends’.
6. When you have finished your next piece of written work, read it aloud. Change anything that does not make sense or which could be explained more clearly.
7. Create a glossary of all the key terms from our topic. Use this when you do your next piece of writing to ensure you are using the words correctly.
8. Ensure you choose the right style for the type of work we are doing. For example, a letter needs to be written formally; a story can include jokes or humour.
9. Always write in paragraphs. Use this rule to help you: One Key Idea Per Paragraph (new idea = new paragraph).
10. Use PEE for every paragraph you write. P = Point; E = Explain; E = Evidence. This will make your writing clearer.
11. When doing longer pieces of work, create a short plan. You can use this as a guide. It will stop you straying off topic when you are writing.
12. When you have finished a piece of work, re-read it and remove any unnecessary words.
13. When you have finished a piece of work, read it through and then rewrite it. You should aim to say the same things, but with greater clarity and precision.
14. Ensure each sentence you write follows logically from the sentence before. This will make your meaning clearer for the reader.
15. Find examples (from textbooks, newspapers and websites) where the technical vocabulary of our subject is used correctly. Copy these examples in your own work.
16. When you have finished your work, ask a partner to read it aloud to you. Make notes on how you can improve your writing and then make the improvements.
17. Be sure to include the question in your answer, otherwise it will not be clear to the reader what you are writing about. For example: Q. What is the chance of rain? A. The chance of rain is…
18. Be consistent in your writing choices. For example, if you begin in the past tense, remain in the past tense. Or, if you begin in the third person, remain in the third person.
19. Before you begin a paragraph, think through what you want to say. This will help keep your writing precise and to the point. (Avoid beginning to write and then thinking about what you are trying to say).
20. Think about the demands of the subject. For example, science requires clear, straightforward explanation. English, on the other hand, often expects persuasive argument.