Secondary Years 7-10 - Reading Stage S1

Indicators of progress – Stage S1: Texts and responses to texts

At the end of Stage S1, students can routinely read the following kinds of texts, and respond to them in the following ways:

retell ideas from short familiar factual or fictional texts
recall sequence of key events in narratives, recounts and other texts
understand common familiar signs and labels in the classroom and school environment
extract specific information from simple charts, tables or maps
find directly stated information in text or illustration
give a personal response to a short familiar text
demonstrate understanding of texts by, e.g. answering simple questions, indicating true/false statements, sequencing information
answer literal comprehension questions based on simple factual or fictional texts
answer basic interpretive comprehension based on simple factual or fictional texts
read with understanding a range of simple texts based on predictable language structures and vocabulary
follow simple written texts while listening to them read aloud at a moderate pace
demonstrate understanding by performing task, e.g. follow written instructions
read aloud unfamiliar texts of an appropriate level, e.g. graded novels
attempt to read aloud fluently familiar texts, e.g. short teacher developed texts and basic published texts that have been introduced in class
read fluently basic vocabulary or phrases, or those learnt in spoken contexts with comprehensible pronunciation
read structures which have been practised orally.

At the end of Stage S1, students’ understanding of the contexts and purposes of the texts they read is shown when they:

identify the basic purposes and likely audiences of different text types, e.g. magazines, books, comics
gain meaning using headings, captions or illustrations in short, simple texts
draw on background or content knowledge to perform text-related tasks, e.g. sequencing activity matching sentences to visuals
use background knowledge to predict the content of a text, e.g. examining front cover
discuss the relationship of texts read and viewed to previous experience and culture
identify purpose of task in written instructions, eg. show maths formula, answer questions, write paragraphs.

At the end of Stage S1, students’ understanding of the linguistic structures and features of the texts they read is shown when they:

show an understanding of sentences which use basic subject–verb–object sentence patterns
recognise basic word order in sentences
identify the referents of some simple cohesive devices, e.g. this, that, those
show an understanding of the function of basic coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, e.g. and, but, within or between sentences
recognise and follow common imperatives
recognise paragraphs in texts
follow simple time sequencing and recognise time adverbials
show an understanding of simple punctuation, e.g. pause appropriately at full stops and commas.

At the end of Stage S1, students may use the following strategies to assist them to read and comprehend texts:

imitate modelled pronunciation/stress and intonation when reading aloud
use a text title or supporting picture to suggest the content of a text
attempt to pronounce new words when reading aloud, using basic understanding of the letter–sound relationships of English
use key words to understand the gist of short texts
use knowledge of the text to predict events, phrases and words and so gain meaning from the text
use knowledge of the patterns in oral and written language to predict the text
use knowledge of what words/letters sound like to predict the meaning of the text
draw on support in the classroom environment as well as a bilingual dictionary to translate the meaning of unfamiliar words
identify key vocabulary in instructions
use classroom visuals, e.g. signs/labels/charts/maps
use visual support to interpret meaning, e.g. charts, diagrams, illustrations.