English // Area
Reading Comprehension
Age coverage
Ages 4 to 14
Starts at age 4 // 1 topic
Starting at age 4
- Predicting what happens next
Predict what might happen next in a story based on what has been read so far; discuss the significance of titles and events
Ages 4 to 10Thinking skill
Starts at age 5 // 11 topics
Starting at age 5
Your child is building reading skills — understanding stories by identifying characters and events, asking questions about what they read, and connecting books to their own experiences.
- Listening to Texts Read Aloud
Listen to and discuss poems, stories, and non-fiction at a level beyond independent reading; confirm understanding of texts read aloud by asking and answering…
Ages 5 to 10Method - Characters, settings, and events
Identify characters, settings, and major events in stories; become familiar with key stories, fairy tales, and traditional tales and retell them with key…
Ages 5 to 8Concept - Main Topic of Informational Texts
Identify the main topic and retell key details of informational texts; describe connections between individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information
Ages 5 to 7Method - Reading between the lines
Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do
Ages 5 to 10Method - Self-Correcting While Reading
Check that text makes sense while reading and self-correct inaccurate reading by re-reading or using context
Ages 5 to 11Thinking skill - Book Features and Author's Reasons
Identify front cover, back cover, and title page of a book; identify the reasons an author gives to support points in informational text
Ages 5 to 8Concept - Comparing Characters Across Stories
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories; identify similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic
Ages 5 to 9Thinking skill - Connecting reading to experience
Link what is read or heard to own experiences; draw on background knowledge and vocabulary to support understanding of texts
Ages 5 to 7Thinking skill - Discussing Texts as a Group
Participate in discussions about what is read, taking turns and listening to others; explain understanding clearly; actively engage in group reading activities
Ages 5 to 10Thinking skill - Different Types of Texts
Recognise common types of texts (storybooks, poems, non-fiction); name the author and illustrator and define the role of each in telling or presenting a text
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Pictures and Text Working Together
Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear; use pictures to support and extend comprehension
Ages 5 to 9Representation
Starts at age 6 // 6 topics
Starting at age 6
Your child is developing deeper reading skills — understanding how stories are structured, identifying main ideas in informational texts, comparing characters' perspectives, and recognising how different text features help organise information.
- Story Sequence and Central Message
Discuss the sequence of events in narrative texts and how items of information are related in non-fiction, retelling stories including key details and…
Ages 6 to 8Concept - Non-Fiction Text Features
Recognise different non-fiction text structures and features (headings, contents, glossary, index), understanding how texts are organised to present information
Ages 6 to 9Concept - Characters' Viewpoints and Responses
Identify and compare characters' points of view, recognise who is narrating a story, describe how characters respond to events and challenges, and compare…
Ages 6 to 8Concept - Retelling Stories with Structure
Retell stories including key details in sequence, describe characters, settings, and major events using evidence from the text, and describe the overall…
Ages 6 to 8Concept - Expressive and Sensory Language
Recognise recurring literary language in stories and poetry, identify words and phrases that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses, and discuss favourite…
Ages 6 to 9Concept - Main Topic & Key Details
Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text, determine the focus of specific paragraphs, and explain how key details support the main idea
Ages 6 to 10Method
Starts at age 7 // 6 topics
Starting at age 7
Your child is developing deeper reading skills — identifying main ideas across multiple paragraphs, making inferences about characters and themes, and understanding how authors use language and text features to create meaning and effect.
- Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motives
Draw inferences from independently-read texts, such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with…
Ages 7 to 10Method - Main Ideas & Note-Taking
Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise them; retrieve and record information from non-fiction texts using notes, tables or other…
Ages 7 to 10Method - Forms of Poetry and Performance
Recognise different forms of poetry (free verse, narrative poetry, haiku) and discuss their features; prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform…
Ages 7 to 10Concept - Themes and messages
Identify recurring themes (good vs evil, friendship, bravery) and conventions (once upon a time, moral at the end, hero's journey) across a wide range of books…
Ages 7 to 10Concept - Story Lessons and Morals
Determine the central message, lesson, or moral of a story, fable, or folktale, explaining what the story teaches the reader and supporting the interpretation…
Ages 7 to 8Concept - Text Features & Presentation
Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and…
Ages 7 to 10Concept
Starts at age 8 // 5 topics
Starting at age 8
Your child is learning to think deeply about texts — making connections between ideas, analysing characters' motivations, identifying central messages in stories, and distinguishing between their own viewpoint and that of authors or characters.
- Character Traits and Motivation
Analyse character traits, motivations, and feelings using text evidence, and distinguish one's own point of view from that of the narrator or characters
Ages 8 to 9Concept - Morals in Fables, Folktales and Myths
Explain how the central message, lesson, or moral of a story is conveyed through key details across diverse text types including fables, folktales, and myths
Ages 8 to 9Concept - Connecting Ideas in Texts
Describe connections between events, ideas, or concepts in informational text using time, sequence, cause-and-effect, and comparison language, and identify…
Ages 8 to 9Concept - Why the author wrote it
Distinguish one's own point of view from that of the author of an informational text and identify the author's purpose
Ages 8 to 9Concept - Structural terminology
Use structural terminology (chapter, scene, stanza) to refer to parts of literary texts and describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections
Ages 8 to 9Language
Starts at age 9 // 14 topics
Starting at age 9
Your child is developing sophisticated reading skills — analysing how authors structure texts, comparing different perspectives, understanding themes and literary devices, and integrating information from multiple sources.
- In-Depth Character and Setting Analysis
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details from the text such as a character's thoughts, words, actions…
Ages 9 to 10Method - Narrator's Point of View
Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including distinguishing between first-person and third-person narration and…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Recommending Books
Recommend books to peers, giving reasons for choices based on knowledge of a wide range of genres, authors, and themes, and making comparisons within and across…
Ages 9 to 10Thinking skill - Poems, Drama & Prose
Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, identifying structural elements unique to each form: verse, rhythm, and meter in poetry; cast of…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Finding Theme and Summarising
Determine the theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, and provide an objective summary that captures the key events without personal opinions
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Structure of information texts
Describe the overall structure of an informational text (chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) and explain how the author's chosen structure…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Themes Across Cultures and Traditions
Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes, topics, and story patterns (e.g., good vs evil, quest narratives, trickster tales) in stories, myths, and…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Combining information from texts
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, combining and comparing what each source…
Ages 9 to 10Method - Explaining Events & Ideas
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in an informational text, including what happened and why, by citing specific textual evidence about causes…
Ages 9 to 10Method - Interpreting visual information in texts
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively in informational texts (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations) and explain…
Ages 9 to 10Method - Cultural Allusions and Word Meaning
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in literary texts, including understanding references to mythology and cultural allusions (e.g., Herculean…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts
Compare and contrast a firsthand account (autobiography, diary, letter) with a secondhand account (biography, textbook, news report) of the same event or topic…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - How authors support their points
Explain how an author of an informational text uses reasons and evidence to support particular points, evaluating whether the reasoning is sound and the…
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Text & Media Connections
Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific…
Ages 9 to 10Method
Starts at age 10 // 17 topics
Starting at age 10
Your child is developing sophisticated reading skills — comparing texts, analysing how authors use evidence and perspective, integrating information from multiple sources, and supporting their interpretations with quotes and reasoning.
- Justifying Views About Texts
Provide reasoned justifications for views about texts, supporting interpretations and opinions with evidence and logical arguments
Ages 10 to 11Method - Using Multiple Sources
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or solve a problem efficiently
Ages 10 to 11Method - Comparing Characters, Settings and Events
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details about how characters interact, settings…
Ages 10 to 11Method - Different viewpoints in texts
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described, recognising the difference between limited and omniscient narration…
Ages 10 to 11Concept - Comparing Books
Make comparisons within and across books, identifying similarities and differences in themes, characters, settings, and authorial choices across multiple texts
Ages 10 to 11Method - Quoting Accurately from Texts
Quote accurately from literary and informational texts when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences, using quotation marks and…
Ages 10 to 11Method - Summarising Non-Fiction Main Ideas
Determine two or more main ideas of an informational text and explain how they are supported by key details, then summarise the text without personal opinions
Ages 10 to 11Method - Comparing Structure in Information Texts
Compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more informational texts, identifying patterns such as…
Ages 10 to 11Concept - How Authors Treat Similar Themes
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics, identifying how different authors treat common ideas
Ages 10 to 11Concept - How Language Choices Affect the Reader
Evaluate how authors use language including figurative language, considering the impact of word choices, imagery, and literary devices on the reader
Ages 10 to 11Concept - Synthesising across multiple texts
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, combining information without…
Ages 10 to 11Method - Explaining Relationships in Texts
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in historical, scientific, or technical texts based on…
Ages 10 to 11Method - How Parts Build a Whole Text
Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a story, drama, or poem, analysing how each part…
Ages 10 to 11Concept - Fact vs opinion
Distinguish between statements of fact and statements of opinion in texts, recognising how authors blend factual information with subjective viewpoints
Ages 10 to 11Concept - Multiple Accounts of Events
Analyse multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent
Ages 10 to 11Concept - Supporting ideas with evidence
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which specific points
Ages 10 to 11Concept - Multimedia elements in texts
Analyse how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text such as graphic novels, multimedia presentations, or illustrated…
Ages 10 to 11Method
Starts at age 11 // 12 topics
Starting at age 11
- Evaluating Arguments in Non-Fiction
Evaluate arguments and claims in non-fiction texts — assess whether reasoning is sound, evidence is relevant and sufficient, distinguish between fact and…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Figurative Language and Literary Devices
Determine the meaning of figurative and connotative language in context, analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, and identify literary…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Using and Evaluating Textual Evidence
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly and what can be inferred, distinguishing between strong and weak evidence and…
Ages 11 to 14Method - Poetic forms and conventions
Recognise and understand poetic conventions — including form (sonnet, ballad, free verse), metre, rhyme scheme, stanza structure, imagery, and sound devices…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Narrative Perspective and Unreliable Narrators
Analyse point of view and narrative perspective — including first person, third person limited and omniscient, and unreliable narrator — and how the author's or…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Plot Structure and Character Development
Analyse how plot structure unfolds through episodes or key events, and how characters develop, respond to challenges, and change over the course of a narrative…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Understanding drama and performance
Understand how dramatists communicate meaning through performance — including staging, direction, set design, lighting, and actors' choices — and how different…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Critical comparison across texts
Make critical comparisons across texts — comparing themes, characters, settings, styles, or arguments in two or more works, including texts from different…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Wide Independent Reading Across Genres
Read widely and independently across fiction and non-fiction — including whole novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and non-fiction from different genres…
Ages 11 to 14Thinking skill - Tracing Theme Across a Text
Determine and analyse the theme or central idea of a text, trace how it develops across the text through key details and events, and provide an objective…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Purpose, audience, and context
Identify the purpose, audience, and context of a text and use this knowledge to support comprehension — recognising how writing aimed at different audiences…
Ages 11 to 14Concept - Analysing Text Structure
Analyse how a text's structure — including its overall organisation, use of chapters, stanzas, scenes, paragraphs, or sections — contributes to its meaning…
Ages 11 to 14Concept