Learning Skills Goal: Improving Literacy Skills (LSV.01)
LS1.01 Identify and use a variety of reading skills and strategies to improve understanding of texts (e.g. , identifying purpose, applying prior knowledge, skimming and scanning, highlighting key words, using text features to find information);
LS1.04identify and use a variety of strategies to improve writing (e.g., identifying purpose and audience, organizing ideas, mapping, editing).
LS1.02identify and use oral communication skills to support reading, writing, and positive interaction with others (e.g., asking questions to clarify meaning, using a think/ pair/share strategy in problem solving, brainstorming to generate ideas, making oral presentations of group work);
Novice (50-59%) / Apprentice (60-69%) / Practioner (70-79%) / Expert (80-100%)Understanding (20%) / Reading Comprehension / Identifies main idea/problem but may have difficulty expressing these clearly. / Identifies main idea/problem but may miss less important details. / Identifies main idea & supporting details. / Insightfully identifies the main idea & supporting details.
Thinking (20%) / Use of Reading process / Before reading the student previews the text with limited success or only when prompted to do so. S/he may require an explicitly stated purpose for reading or activities to activate prior knowledge. Predictions may be vague or unjustified. During reading the student uses active reading strategies, monitors comprehension & uses fix up strategies sporadically, with a lot of assistance or with limited success. After reading the student can sometimes identify the main idea but may require guidance to accurately identify theme or supporting details. S/he may not see the text’s wider application. / Before reading the student previews the text randomly/incompletely, attempts to connect prior knowledge to the selection & make predictions when prompted. Student may rely on teacher to establish a purpose & pick strategies to use during reading. During reading the student uses active reading strategies, monitors comprehension & uses fix up strategies some of the time, with some assistance or with some success. After reading the student inconsistently summarizes the theme/main idea & supporting details. S/he may need some assistance reflecting upon the text’s wider application. / Before reading the student independently establishes a purpose for reading, purposefully previews the text, connects helpful prior knowledge to the selection, makes meaningful predictions & picks appropriate strategies. During reading the student effectively uses active reading strategies to construct meaning from the text, usually monitors comprehension & chooses appropriate fix-up strategies to repair confusion. After reading the student can accurately summarize the theme/main idea & supporting details, & reflect upon the text’s wider application to own life or world. / Before reading the student independently establishes a clear & focussed purpose, previews the text with focussed intent, makes numerous connections which activate prior knowledge, makes insightful predictions & picks appropriate strategies to use during reading. During reading the student asks questions of self or text that demonstrate higher level thinking/raises issues to ponder, makes elaborate and valid text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections, & automatically monitors & applies fix-up strategies. After reading the student can insightfully connect the theme/main idea & supporting details to own life or world. S/he may even acknowledge different interpretations, analyze the author’s purpose and effectiveness, challenge the author’s ideas, implied bias, or distortions with clear rationale or arguments.
Research/
Note-taking / Requires assistance selecting keywords to use in researching the questions. Extracts a lot of information which isn’t relevant. Most notes are copied directly from the original source. / Selects some keywords that are not effective in researching the questions. Notes may include irrelevant facts or be missing some important facts. Some notes may be copied directly from the original source. / Selected mostly effective keywords to use in researching the questions. Notes include facts that answer most of the research questions and are written in the student’s own words. / Uses Boolean operators to research questions. Extracts most relevant information. Writes notes including succinct key facts which directly answered all of the research questions and were written in the student's own words.
Use of Writing process / Student requires a lot of assistance to plan what to say & is reluctant to participate in a writing conference with teacher and/or peers, or is reluctant to make changes to writing. S/he requires significant assistance to review content flow and organizational structure. Extensive editingstill required for publication. / Student requires some assistance to plan what to say & participates in a writing conference with teacher and/or peers & attempts to make some changes to writing as a result of conferencing. S/he requires some assistance to review content flow and organizational structure. Moderate editing still required polishing the text for publication. / Student plans what to say by using clusters, charts, lists, brainstorming, drawings, and discussions, willingly participates inwriting conferences with teacher and/or peers & makes some changes to writing as a result of conferencing. S/he independently revises content flow and organizational structure. Some editing still required to polish the text for publication. / Student plans what to say by using clusters, charts, lists, brainstorming, drawings, and discussions; prepares for and willingly participates inwriting conferences with teacher and/or peers & effectively incorporates input from conferencing into writing. S/he independently refines and reviews content flow and organizational structure. The piece is very close to being ready to publish.
Novice (50-59%) / Apprentice (60-69%) / Practioner (70-79%) / Expert (80-100%)
Communication (20%) / Paragraph organization / There is no real lead to set-up what follows, no real conclusion to wrap things up; topic sentences & transitions are confusing or absent; sequencing is random and needs lots of work / The introduction may not create a strong sense of anticipation; the conclusion may not tie-up all loose ends; topic sentences & transitions sometimes work but are sometimes unclear; sequencing shows some logic, but not under control enough that it consistently supports the development of ideas. The structure may be predictable and taking attention away from the content; / The text has a recognizable introduction and conclusion;topic sentences, sequencing & transitions make the writer’s points easy to follow; / The writer speaks directly to the reader in a way that is individual, compelling, engaging, and appropriate for the audience and the purpose of writing; consistent and appropriate point of view; An inviting introduction draws the reader in; a satisfying conclusion leaves the reader with a sense of closure and resolution; Thoughtful transitions clearly show how ideas connect; Details seem to fit where they're placed; sequencing is logical and effective;
Writing Conventions / Spelling errors are frequent, even on common words; punctuation (including terminal punctuation) is often missing or incorrect; capitalization is random and only the easiest rules show awareness of correct use; the reader must read once to decode, then again for meaning; MLA citations and Works Cited missing; / Spelling is usually correct or reasonably phonetic on common words, but more difficult words are problematic; End punctuation is usually correct; internal punctuation is sometimes missing/wrong; most words are capitalized correctly but control over more sophisticated capitalization skills may be spotty; MLA citations and Works Cited attempted but inconsistent or incorrect. / Shows control over those conventions that are grade/age appropriate: mostly accurate spelling, punctuation and capitalization; MLA citations and Works Cited / Shows skill in using a wide range of conventions: spelling is generally correct, even on more difficult words; the punctuation is accurate, even creative, and guides the reader through the text; a thorough understanding and consistent application of capitalization skills, MLA citations and Works Cited; the writer may manipulate conventions for stylistic effect – and it works!
Oral Communication / Usually does not use active listening behaviors: conveys overt disrespect for others’ views; withdraws; exhibits disruptive behavior; shows little interest or ability to understand or explore ideas orally; usually remains silent, responds passively, or makes inappropriate, irrelevant remarks / Inconsistently uses active listening behaviors: sometimes conveys lack of interest in others’ views; lets attention wander from the speaker and/or topic; participates inconsistently: shows difficulty receiving, expressing, and supporting ideas; often remains silent, or asks questions showing partial understanding and/or engagement / Uses active listening behaviors: maintains an open mind; listens courteously to others; looks at the speaker; orally participates: clearly shares and supports ideas and opinions; asks questions to aid understanding; acknowledges and usually responds appropriately to others’ remarks / Uses active listening behaviors: maintains an open mind; listens courteously to others; uses body language to convey interest and respect; orally participates: advances and explains relevant ideas and opinions with insight and clarity; asks well-timed questions to clarify points for oneself and the group; responds directly, clearly, and specifically to others’ remarks
Application (40%) / Reading Behaviours / respects other readers by reading quietly some of the time &/or may have distracted others occasionally;
moves around too much &/or sometimes appears bored/distracted; only reads because it’s required &/or may not be sureof level / respects other readers by reading quietly most of the time &/or talking is quiet and limited to book talk; changesreading spots or not always lost in the book; chooses books that are too easy/too challenging &/or spends a great deal of time selecting books / respects other readers by reading quietly for the whole 20 min & doesn’t interrupt any conferences/ distract other readers; settles down in a good reading spot & gets lost in the book; chooses “just right” books / may do extra reading while waiting for SSR to start &/or when finished a task &/or at home; gets comfortable & lost in the book; often has books waiting for when this one’s finished