You will need:
To start you thinking about reading, please read the relevant section in The Progressions: ELLP. This is a useful summary, easy to read and contains important ideas about your English language learners.
Years 1-4 pp.13-17
Years 5-8 pp.13-17
Years 9-13 pp.13-17
Open the fold-out page for the reading matrix in your booklet which is colour-coded for each stage.
| Years 1-4 p.19 | 
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| Click the above image to enlarge | |
| Years 5-8 p.19 | 
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| Click the above image to enlarge | |
| Years 9-13 p.19 | 
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| Click the above image to enlarge |
You will notice that this matrix focuses on text features within each broad stage, rather than learners’ reading skills. The features of text are described in relation to topic development, language structures, vocabulary and layout.
Look for these aspects of reading across the top of the matrix and the different stages down the side.
For each stage of The Progressions: ELLP the matrices show some text features that learners are likely to read at different stages.
There are many different reading assessment tools being used by schools.
Informal tools include observations in a variety of contexts:
Information from these observations might include:
Some of the formal tools include:
Further information about a range of assessment tools is available at Assessment Online
On the pages following the matrix you will see examples of texts that learners could be reading at each stage.
Years 1-4 pp.21-35
Years 5-8 pp.21-41
Years 9-13 pp. 21-51
Skim through the sample texts and look at how they have been analysed and organised into each category.
- How do these text examples compare with the instructional texts or subject area texts you have selected for your learners?
- What characteristics of the text are described for each stage and sub-stage?
- Are the descriptions of Language structures and Vocabulary similar to your instructional texts or subject area texts?
Collect some texts that you are planning to use with your English language learners. These may be from a range of curriculum areas and text types as well as instructional reading texts.
You should also collect some of the following:
When you have some information about your own learners and texts, you will be ready to start the next section - Making a 'best-fit'.
In this section you will use this information to decide on a ‘best fit’ stage for your students. You will also
Video: Reading
See how one teacher and her colleague work together to decide on a student’s reading stage.
Now you have seen the digital clip it is time for you to place your own students on the reading matrix.
Use the reading matrix to decide which stage each text is likely to fit into – make a general decision at this stage.
To confirm your ‘best fit’ decision, go to the pages following the matrix that have more detail and contain some text exemplars.
Years 1-4 pp.21-35
Years 5-8 pp.21-41
Years 9-13 pp.21-51
Sit the text alongside the sample text at your best-fit stage.
Examine the key characteristics at the top of each sample text and compare them with your own text.
- does this look like the right stage?
Examine the topic development, language structures and vocabulary in the sample text, looking to confirm these features.
- does this confirm your identification of the best-fit stage?
If not, look at the text sample before and after the one you are looking at, to try and find the appropriate stage for your text. Note that there are fiction and non-fiction text examples illustrated at each stage.
You’ll notice that each stage is broken down into sub-stages, but you may prefer not to record the sub-stage level of detail.
You will probably notice that texts show some aspects across more than one stage. You are aiming for an overall ‘best fit’.
Keeping track of your learners’ stages is important. One purpose is to show progress over time and this could be done in a variety of ways.
You could:
When you have confidently completed this section, you are ready to consider how this information helps you and what you should do next to help your learners.
Suggestions to further develop your students’ reading proficiency include:
Suggestions to further develop your own ability to effectively develop reading with English language learners include:
Many of these strategies are found:
If you need to order copies of these materials, please email [email protected] or telephone 0800 660 662.
Some specific ideas to use the material in this module to develop knowledge around The Progressions: ELLP with other teachers:
Published on: 18 Dec 2015
