7. Reading Continuum

Reading: Year 1

Reading age

• pointing to each word as it is read.

• attempting unknown words by using knowledge of letter sounds.

• breaking words into parts.

• noticing if the word attempt fits the story.

• reading stories with expression

• reading smoothly

• Reading at a good pace using the punctuation correctly.

• fixing errors by using ‘does it look right, sound right or make sense’?

• fixing errors with the teacher’s help.

• answering questions correctly about the story.

Reading Year 2

• Reading at a good pace using the punctuation correctly.

• understanding that speech marks means that someone is talking and will read it with expression.

• using current word knowledge to work out unknown words

• reading with phrasing and expression.

• predicting what is going to happen next and explaining the reasons.

• retelling main ideas in the story.

• understanding the story as it is read.

• referring back to the text for answers.

Year 3 Reading

• using prior knowledge to help understanding.

• retelling main ideas of the text (beginning, middle and possible endings).

• making inferences by finding the deeper or hidden meaning

• using context to understand new vocabulary

• finding proof in the story to support ideas

• recognising different parts of a book

• using parts of a book to find extra information

• identifying the main ideas in a paragraph

• reading and recognising speech in a story

• reading with fluency and expression

Reading Year 4

• Using prior knowledge to understand more abstract ideas.

• Making inferences by finding the deeper or hidden meaning

• Reading a range of texts such as poetry, recount

• Reading and understanding more complex texts.

• Using context, graphics, and written explanations, to understand unknown words and phrases.

• Reading and understanding additional information presented in eg charts and maps.

• Making meaning from figurative language, such as metaphor, simile or personification.

Reading Year 5/6

• Identifying key words and main ideas in a text

• Inferring and interpreting underlying meaning of text

• Finding and using the relevant part of a text to accurately answer a question

• Understanding the author’s point of view and purpose

• Analysing and discussing the effect of a range of language features and vocab choices

• Regularly reading longer texts over a longer period of time.

• Using clues in text, along with prior knowledge to help understanding of specific vocab

• Using clues in text, along with prior knowledge to help comprehension.

Year 7 Reading

• skimming and scanning to find relevant information

• making inferences and responding using key information from text

• using a range of resources to find information

• interpreting and presenting information from a range of sources

• understanding vocabulary that is more difficult and specific

• gathering, evaluating and synthesising information from a text

• using prior knowledge along with information from the text to interpret/understand a text

• identifying and evaluating a writers purpose

Year 8 Reading

• confidently and deliberately choosing the most appropriate strategies for reading in different learning areas

• reading a greater variety and more complex texts

• working out more difficult words using a range of skills

• choosing the right skills and technologies to locate and information and to source reading material appropriate to a topic or purpose

• gathering, evaluating and synthesising information across a range of texts

• interpreting ideas in a text using our own knowledge along with the information given

• identifying and resolving issues arising from varying information from a text.

• identifying and evaluating the writer’s purpose

• identifying the way that the author uses language and ideas to suit their purpose