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Reading

Strands and Attainment Targets


 The process of knowing about language does not lend itself to description in terms of six levels of attainment. Knowing about language is the coming together of the various strands in all four attainment outcomes, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Understanding how a modern language works is developed through all that the learner does, listens to, says, reads and writes. The strands outlined below all contribute to knowing about language. Conversely, knowing about language promotes progression in all strands. Assessment of strands will not only indicate progress within the strands themselves, but will also contribute to an assessment of progress in knowing about language. Pupils, their peers and teachers should all have a role in this process.

  Pupils are able to: Pupils are able to:
Knowing about language discuss aspects of activities undertaken using the terms included in the English language strand (author, title, chapter, index and content, and setting the scene); engage with a variety of texts, among them poems and dictionaries. develop a range of strategies that will help them to approach reading with confidence, competence and enjoyment; demonstrate their awareness of word-sound relationships and how these help pupils to access familiar and unfamiliar language; identify the genre (e.g. letter, message, poem, short story); skim and scan the text to look for contextual clues (e.g. titles and subheadings, illustrations, dialogue); draw inferences and predict meaning on the basis of knowledge of the context, knowledge of the world and looking for grammatical clues (e.g. pronouns and verb endings, gender, cases, word-order, conjunctions).
  Level A Level B Level C Level D Level E Level F
Reading for information and instructions find simple pieces of information from familiar sources; become used to holding books extract specific information for a given purpose from a display, talk, film or reference book read and understand words, phrases and simple sentences of familiar language in familiar contexts from a limited range of sources with appropriate support read and understand short texts consisting mainly of familiar language in familiar contexts from a wider range of sources with less teacher support read and understand straightforward texts of greater length and difficulty written in a range of tenses. The texts may include some unfamiliar language in familiar contexts. A growing range of information/ reference sources of interest to the learner should be used read and understand independently longer texts of greater difficulty written in a range of tenses. A piece of personal research could be shared thereafter in spoken or written form in English or the foreign language with other learners
Reading aloud see the connection between words on a page and the spoken word. Read aloud a familiar passage or poem to convey understanding. read a familiar text with fluency. read aloud accurately and have fun with familiar words, phrases and short sentences. In so doing demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the printed word, pronunciation and meaning; be aware of the effects of punctuation. read aloud familiar text with accent and intonation sufficiently accurate so as to convey meaning readily and to engage the interest of the audience; in so doing demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the printed word, pronunciation and meaning; be aware of the effects of punctuation. read aloud familiar text with fluency, and in so doing demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the printed word, pronunciation and meaning; scan and read unfamiliar text of familiar genre with accent and intonation sufficiently accurate so as to convey meaning readily and engage the interest of the audience; be aware of the effects of punctuation. read aloud familiar text with fluency and accuracy, and in so doing demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the printed word, pronunciation and meaning; scan and read unfamiliar text from a wider range of genre fluently and accurately so as to convey meaning readily and engage the interest of the audience; be aware of the effects of punctuation.

Reading for enjoyment is an integral part of the process of learning a modern language and it is important to include this aspect of language acquisition in all teaching programmes. It does not lend itself to description or assessment in terms of six levels of attainment, but will be reflected in the pupils' writing, speaking and listening in and across other strands in all four modes.
Reading for enjoyment enjoy reading and listening to simple stories, poems, songs, rhymes and informational texts supported by pictures in the course of their English language work and offer a personal response to their experiences. work out a range of strategies for successful reading and understanding through reading a variety of texts, e.g. words, phrases, dialogues, fiction, non-fiction and screen text, and increasingly select for themselves texts that reflect their own interests; read these independently with teacher support, glossaries, word lists and/or dictionaries where required.

Note: the italicised attainment targets at Levels A and B are taken from the following 5-14 Guidelines: English Language, Gaelic, Mathematics, Expressive Arts, Environmental Studies.

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