Student Learning

English Developmental Continuum P-10 – Reading

Text Level Knowledge: scaffolding learning from 1.25

English Continuum Home | Reading | Speaking & Listening | Writing

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Indicators of Progress

  • Students decide the likely topic of a text by using the title, illustrations and their existing knowledge of text forms and of text topic(s) to predict ideas and events that might be mentioned, and to say in short sentences ideas and events that may be mentioned in the text.
  • Students use their decisions about the meaning of the text and how ideas are expressed in sentences to predict words and to match their prediction with the written words.
  • Students read the text aloud independently and interpret punctuation marks such as full stops, exclamation marks and question marks correctly to modulate their reading. They reread aloud to increase their reading fluency.
  • Students locate various details in the text: (1) words that they hear; and (2) words that have a specified sound in either the first or last positions.
  • Students display in their reading aloud particular characteristics modelled by others, for example, they change the rate and volume of their reading when reading a scary section of text.
  • Students apply particular topic-level reading strategies when these are scaffolded and cued by others, for example, they review the main idea(s) on each page of a text they have read by looking back over the text.
  • Students show literal comprehension by: (1) retelling what they have read by mentioning at least the main ideas read in the text, using the text as a prompt if necessary; (2) supplying the words necessary to complete sentences that describe aspects of the text; and (3) answering questions that relate to information stated explicitly in the text.
  • Students show inferential comprehension during reading by linking, at any time during reading, what they have read with what they know. They: (1) say what they expect to be said on later pages and how the text might end; and (2) link characters and events later in the narrative with characters and events mentioned earlier (for example, Who/what is this?).
  • Students infer how characters may have felt in the context, for example, What might the ducks have felt when they were covered with oil? If you were one of the ducks covered with oil, what would you want to say?
  • Students infer how some characters in a text may feel about or perceive other characters in a text, for example, What do you think the Red Hen would like to say to the Goose? What do you think the Red Hen thinks of the Goose? What do you think the Goose thinks of the Red Hen?
  • Students suggest possible reasons why an author or artist used particular features, for example, Why do your think the author used several words for saying the ducks couldn’t do anything?
  • Students infer the message in a text they read, for example, What do you think the writer wants to tell us about how to take care of wild animals?
  • Students link the feelings of characters involved in events in the story with their own experiences, for example, When did you last feel like the ducks felt in this story?
  • Students demonstrate strategic intent by suggesting possible meanings for unfamiliar words in the text by linking the context of the text and a word in a sentence, and predicting the word by combining this with one or more of the letters in it.
  • Students complete silent reading activities, for example: (1) match words and phrases with referent pictures without reading aloud; (2) arrange sentence cards in order to tell a story; and (3) complete simple cloze activities.
  • Students talk about how they felt while reading and how reading helped them.

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Text Characteristics

  • Longer and more complex sentence patterns
  • Increased amount of text
  • Blend of oral and written language structures
  • Variety of tenses
  • Unusual happenings in a framework of familiar experiences
  • Illustrations provide less support
  • Further opportunities to establish patterns and understanding about words

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Teaching Strategies for Fiction texts

Before Reading: Getting your knowledge ready for reading

The text used to model these teaching and learning strategies is A Strange Visitor by Mary O’Toole, published by Macmillan Company of Australia

Linking the picture and the title of the text

The teacher leads students to link the title and the picture. Asking such questions as:

  • Who might the strange visitor?
  • When would you say a visitor to your house is ‘strange’?;
  • What are they like? (You mightn’t know them, they might speak differently from you, they might look different).

The students think about the link between the A Strange Visitor and what the cover shows.

Visualising and thinking ahead

The students:

  • Describe the images they have in their minds from having read the blurb and title page.
  • Think ahead by suggesting questions the first few pages might answer. These are collated, for example:
    • Who comes to visit?
    • What things does the old lady do?
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During Reading: Tuning in to the text

The text used to model these teaching and learning strategies is A Strange Visitor by Mary O’Toole, published by Macmillan Company of Australia.

Predicting Vocabulary

Students use their knowledge of title, illustrations and front cover to predict words they think they might find in this text then match their predictions with the written words while reading.

 

After Reading: Consolidate and review the text

The text used to model these teaching and learning strategies is A Strange Visitor by Mary O’Toole, published by Macmillan Company of Australia.

Describing reading actions

Students identify key actions they used while reading the pages: What things did you do to help you understand the story? Students identify some of the key actions they used when reading the chapter and make a chart:

Things I do while I read:

  • I make a mind picture of each sentence
  • I say other words for some of the words
  • I say sentences in my own words.

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Teaching Strategies for Non Fiction texts

Before reading: Getting your knowledge ready for reading

The text used to model these teaching and learning strategies is Penguin Rescue by Katy Pike, published in the Go Facts series by Blake Education.

Building knowledge based on what you see on the cover

Students say in sentences what they see on the cover. It shows a penguin. Does the penguin look happy or sad?

Collating what they know about the topic

Students’ ideas are collated on the whiteboard.  They suggest the questions answered by each idea. Examples include:

  • Where do penguins live? Penguins live in the sea.
  • What do penguins eat ? Penguins eat fish.
  • What do penguins look like? Penguins are like ducks.
  • Where are their nests? Penguins make nests at Phillip Is.

Making links

The students hear the title, read it, then link the title and the picture and reflect on what the picture and title tells them.

The teacher leads students to link the title and the picture. What does rescue mean? When you rescue something you save it from danger. How could you rescue a cat / a bird? Give some other examples of rescue. Why might penguins need to be rescued?

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During Reading: Tuning in to the text

The text used to model these teaching and learning strategies is Penguin Rescue by Katy Pike, published in the Go Facts series by Blake Education.

Saying in sentences what the pictures tell them

Students look at the pictures and say what they see in sentences, for example:

  • A big boat is in the sea.
  • There is another boat near by.
  • There is an island. This might be where the penguins live.

Reflecting on the pictures

Students answer and ask questions about the pictures, for example:

  • Does the big boat look as if it could carry oil?
  • Is it day time or night time?
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