Reading comprehension is influenced by what a reader knows about a text and the reading strategies they apply to build on this knowledge.
Assessment task
This assessment can be used to observe a student’s use of comprehending actions.
It may be useful to administer the assessment using both fiction and non-fiction texts to highlight any differences in the student’s reading behaviours across different text types.
Instructions
- Select a text that is appropriate for the student’s independent reading level. This allows the focus of the assessment to be on the student’s comprehension of the text rather than their word reading skills.
- Follow the cues provided on the Comprehension Profile to administer the assessment.
- Record the student’s responses on the
Comprehension Profile years 3-6 (doc - 250kb).
Timing
The assessment can be administered in one session. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Analysing the results
Using the Comprehension Profile, review and analyse the student’s responses to identify what the student can already do and where they need additional support.
Aspects of the assessment where the student’s responses have been scored as 0 or 1 indicate that the student may need further assistance within these areas.
If the student requires additional support, the focused teaching strategies in this resource can be used to support their development within this area of knowledge. The strategies are presented in a developmental sequence to systematically teach aspects of comprehension.
See Comprehension - Focused teaching years 3-6 (ages 9-12).