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Task Summary
The student was asked to read a non-fiction text at their independent reading level. Before reading, the student was prompted to make some predictions based on the title and illustrations on the front cover and their previous experiences. The text was Owls by Elizabeth Russel-Arnot
Duration: 6 minutes 14 seconds
Owls transcript (docx - 50.21kb)
Level 2 English, Reading and Viewing achievement standard (extract only)
This non-fiction text example provides evidence of student achievement for:
... understand how similar texts share characteristics by identifying text structures and language features used to ... communicate factual information. They recognise all Standard Australian English phonemes, and most letter–sound matches. They read texts that contain varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency sight words and images that provide additional information. They monitor meaning and self-correct using context, prior knowledge, punctuation, language and phonic knowledge. They identify literal ... meaning, main ideas ...
For more information, please see: Victorian Curriculum F–10: English - Level 2 - Reading and Viewing
Video segments with annotations against achievement standard extracts
Some text within annotations is taken directly from the book: Owls, Elizabeth Russel-Arnot, Nelson Publishers, 1999
Duration: 1 minute 37 seconds
The student:
Predicts the main topic as well as some specific facts on an unfamiliar text by referring to the title and images.
Predicts that the non-fiction text would provide details about life, diet and breeding habits of an owl, for example what they do, what they eat and making nests, demonstrating an understanding that different texts have different structures.
Demonstrates knowledge of text organisation by defining the contents page and then using the contents page to choose where to begin reading.
Articulates responses and elaborates answers to clearly explain prior knowledge when questioned by the teacher.
Demonstrates sound and letter knowledge through reading the title and contents pages.
Duration: 2 minutes 21 seconds
The student:
Shows understanding of the non-fiction text features including the requirement to read the page heading before reading the page text.
Demonstrates knowledge of most sound–letter relationships through sounding out syllables of topic specific vocabulary, for example a boobook owl.
Applies knowledge of phonics and contextual clues to pronounce the written descriptions of the sounds owls make. Rereads corrected words, for example ‘Tawny’, to ensure meaning in maintained.
Reads fluently, with attention to grammar, using pauses to decode when faced with new and unfamiliar words.
Scans the page with attention to both the text and images continuing to monitor for meaning.
Compares and analyses texts within the context of personal experience, telling the teacher about an experience with owls.
Communicates factual information with specific vocabulary, for example camouflage, and explains the meaning and use of the word further when questioned by the teacher.
Duration: 2 minutes 12 seconds
The student:
Reads aloud at a steady pace with fluency while monitoring for meaning.
Pauses to decode words when required.
Demonstrates established knowledge of sound–letter relationships.
Deliberately scans the features on each page to gain a full understanding of the text.
Responds correctly to the literal and follow up questions with a summary of the ideas presented, demonstrating accurate and full comprehension of the text.
Planning the next stage of student learning
When planning the next stage of the teaching and learning program to progress this student’s learning, focus on the following skills and knowledge:
- Understand how different types of texts vary in use of language choices, depending on their purpose, audience and context, including tense and types of sentences (VCELA246)
- Understand how to apply knowledge of letter–sound relationships, and blending and segmenting to read and use more complex words with less common consonant and vowel clusters (VCELA249)
- Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (VCELA250)
- Read an increasing range of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts by combining phonic, semantic, contextual and grammatical knowledge, using text processing strategies, including confirming, rereading and cross-checking (VCELY256)
- Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features (VCELY257)