Secondary Years 7-10 - Reading Stage SL

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

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

recognise beginnings and endings of familiar texts
join in with shared reading activities, e.g. group reading, ‘read’ back shared material the teacher has scribed
read short learnt texts, e.g. a rhyme, song, repetitive texts
read some familiar words in different contexts, e.g. recognise friends’ names on worksheets or belongings
understand short non-complex text types for a range of everyday purposes relying on considerable contextual support
recognise environmental print, e.g. words, logos, signs, letters, numbers
gain information from illustrations
match familiar written words with pictures, and spoken words with written words
understand the connection between simple written text and a diagram or illustration
demonstrate basic map reading skills, e.g. locate Australia and own country on world map
read aloud from simple, familiar texts
make predictions about the text, e.g. from the title, pictures, diagrams etc.
give a personal response to a text, e.g. draw characters from a story, show enjoyment
find information in the text, i.e. locate specific information
complete simple activities around the text, e.g. sequence a series of pictures, draw characters, classify/group words
respond to questions about a familiar text
with support, interpret the demands of simple task instruction and questions
show interest in books, e.g. enjoy library sessions and actively seek books to borrow.

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

show understanding of some basic conventions of book layout, e.g. indicate that illustrations or diagrams relate to text, understand books have titles, etc.
understand the direction of English text, i.e find the beginning and end of a book, hold it the right way up and track words from left to right, turn pages one at a time, from left to right
begin to select texts that are appropriate for level, i.e. use pictures, title, size of text, and length of text to make choice
use information presented in a graph or table, e.g. read simple timetables
understand basic maps
show basic understanding of differences between fiction and non-fiction texts, e.g. can distinguish between a story about personal experience and a narrative through purpose, topic and layout
begin to understand the conventions of reading text on a computer screen, e.g. scroll down, zoom
show awareness that texts, illustrations and class-produced texts are created by people to share a message
show understanding that print contains a consistent message, e.g. recognise beginnings and endings of familiar texts.

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

recognise the upper and lower case letters of the Roman alphabet
name most letters of the alphabet
relate most letters of the alphabet to sounds
recognise some common letter combinations, e.g. ch, sh, -at, -er, -ing
recognise that words are separated by spaces
recognise some familiar words or phrases, e.g. from charts, labels, books and posters
read a range of high frequency sight words
match some familiar spoken words with written words
group familiar words according to their meaning/subject matter, e.g. classifying/sorting activities, thinking about similarities and differences
sequence words to make simple familiar sentences
identify beginning and end of sentences, e.g. recognise full stops and capital letters
read sentence structures which have been practised orally
understand common personal pronouns and simple time markers, e.g. I, you, he she, it, we, they, and time markers such as ‘today’, ‘yesterday’
interpret basic punctuation when reading aloud, e.g. full stops, question marks
identify initial letter in words to sequence in alphabetical order, e.g. can order a set of flashcards based on initial letter
locate letters on a keyboard
locate and use frequently used functions on the computer menu bar, e.g. file.

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

sub-vocalise, i.e. read aloud quietly/whisper, when reading a text or when the teacher is modelling a text
read with or slightly after the teacher
model the teacher’s intonation patterns, e.g. when reading a well-known text
use knowledge of patterns of oral language, e.g. from chants, songs and texts with repetitive structures
listen for key words in a shared reading text, e.g. names of characters
scan classroom posters, charts and texts to identify words to use in new contexts
attempt new words based on initial letter, e.g. b for book
reread memorised material, e.g. a rhyme, song, repetitive texts
track text with finger
use ‘look, say, cover, write, check’ strategy for learning spelling
use pictures to assist understanding
use intonation, repetition and illustrations to enhance understanding of texts
use illustrations and other visual support to predict the content of the text
use knowledge of the shape and sounds of words to read text
follow simple procedural instructions with visual cues
use knowledge of sight vocabulary
rely on teacher’s reading and interpretation of texts as a model for own response and understanding
read aloud from familiar texts
use picture dictionary to find unknown words.