Reading Comprehension (Written Reception)

Green — Sufficient

• The pupil understands grade-level texts and can take full part in class with standard support.
• Move from simple retrieval to higher-order comprehension: connect information across different parts of a text, analyze information, draw inferences and conclusions, and build a complete picture of the text.

Yellow — In need of intervention

• First pinpoint the source of the difficulty by comparing with the other tasks:
  
  • Significant difficulty with word reading (characterized by challenges with decoding, slow and labored reading, or both): low Oral Passage Reading scores, but at least average Spoken Reception scores.
  • A clear challenge with vocabulary: a low Vocabulary score, possibly also low Spoken Reception scores.
  • Difficulty with syntactic knowledge: a low Word Order score, possibly also low Spoken Reception scores.
  • Lack of comprehension strategies: may also show in Spoken Reception scores.
  • Difficulty with particular question types: succeeds with literal questions (finding specific information) but struggles with inference and conclusion questions.
• Target the specific sub-skill the student struggles with by using explicit, guided practice:
  
  • Locating Key Information: Help students skim and scan for explicit facts (e.g., names, dates, or specific actions) instead of trying to read every word perfectly.
  • Separating Details from Main Ideas: Guide students to tell the difference between the "big picture" concept and the minor details that merely describe it.
  • Connecting Basic Concepts: Teach students how to map simple relationships between different sentences or paragraphs, such as Cause and Effect (Why did this happen?) or Sequence (What happened first, next, and last?).
• Structured Strategy Implementation Plan:
  
  • Sub-Skill: Locating Evidence
    
    • Targeted Strategy: Text Mapping
    • Practical Activity: Give students a physical yellow highlighter. Have them underline the exact sentence that answers the question.
  • Sub-Skill: Key Details vs. Supporting Ideas
    
    • Targeted Strategy: The "Umbrella" Method
    • Practical Activity: Draw an umbrella (Main Concept). Write small raindrops under it (Supporting Details). Ask if a detail is big enough to be the umbrella.
  • Sub-Skill: Connecting Concepts
    
    • Targeted Strategy: Arrow Mapping
    • Practical Activity: Draw physical arrows between two separate sentences to visually show a "Cause and Effect" relationship.

Red — In need of intensive intervention

• The pupil often focuses only on locating explicitly stated information in short texts.
• Create success-oriented opportunities for the student by helping them identify known vocabulary, familiar content, and pre-existing knowledge in short, high-interest, and accessible texts prior to expecting them to work on the task on their own.
• Parallel the work on reading with language learning that is not reliant only upon print (e.g., using multi-sensory techniques, oral practice, or visual aids).
• Go back to foundational skills: check the word-reading and Word Order results. If decoding presents a major barrier, start with standard decoding remediation materials.
• Work with short, reduced-complexity passages. Pre-teach a small set of high-value vocabulary, chunk the reading task, and build basic relationships between ideas step by step. Scaffold heavily and monitor progress closely.
• Some Ideas for Heavy or In-Depth Scaffolding:
  
  • Use choices: "Is this story about a cat or a dog?"
  • Use fill-in-the-blanks: "I like to play _______ because it is _______."