Literal Reading Comprehension – Students can recall, identify, classify, and sequence details, facts, and stated main ideas from a variety of written materials, and can interpret directions.

 

Skills and Concepts                                                                                  

 

RIT Scores between 151 and 160    

Sequencing

• Format: Read approximately 30 word passages
• Follow straightforward sequence of events
• Use clue words supplied: first, next, last, before, after, later…
• Identify what happened after another event
• Identify what happened last in a sequence of events

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read short passages – up to 40 words
• Locate answers by finding exact words from question

New Vocabulary: last, after, story

 

RIT Scores between 161 and 170

Reading Directions

• Format: Read short simple sentences
• Follow 3-6 steps, no more than 60 words
• Find literal detail in simple directions
• Determine the purpose of simple directions

Sequencing

• Format: Read up to 70 word passages where clue words are rarely supplied
• Identify what happened after another event
• Identify what happened first or last
• Recognize first or last in a subset of events from a passage

Locating Information

• Use a sign: understand the meaning of information

• Use a title: determine the content of a book
• Use a simple index (one word descriptors, each on one page): page numbers where information can be found
• Use a table of contents: identify which story is found on a particular page

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read short passages up to 50 words, which range from very short, simple sentences to longer more complex sentences
• Locate answers by finding exact words in passage
• Recognize pronoun substitutions for nouns
• Combine details from two simple sentences to arrive at answer
• Understand the meaning of details to generalize an answer
• Discriminate between similar sentences and details to find an answer
• Isolate details necessary to answer question when given many details

New Vocabulary: after, book, first, directions, sentences, poem, index, table of contents, sign, passage

 

RIT Scores between 171 and 180

Reading Directions

• Format: Read some complex sentences in passages that include up to 7 steps, 60 words
• Determine what to do before or after specific steps
• Understand directions in a simple label
• Find detail in simple directions

Sequencing

• Format: Read up to 150 word passages with clue words rarely given
• Determine first or last event from list of events in scrambled order
• Recognize simultaneous events (when this happens, something else happens)
• Recognize first in order of events when written not in actual order of occurrence
• Identify what happens first in a subset of events from a longer passage
• Recognize what happens after another event when reading a schedule
• Identify what happens next or second, clue words supplied
• Paraphrase events, recognizing first or last in order
• Discriminate small but import details in ordering events

Locating Information

• Use table of contents:

• Find page number for a particular story
• In which part of a book information can be found

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read longer passages, some up to 100 words; at upper RIT ranges, passages contain less familiar content and more difficult vocabulary
• Isolate details necessary to answer a question when given many details
• Find exact words in a passage to answer a question
• Recognize pronoun substitution for noun
• In a letter, understand “I” and the author are the same person
• Recognize important details when in a sentence with complex phrasing (no longer simple, straight forward sentences)
• Combine details from several sentences or rephrase details to answer a question
• Identify the speaker in a short one-speaker passage
• Use important details to generalize an answer
• In a longer passage with longer, more complex sentences and more difficult vocabulary, locate important details necessary to answer a question
• Understand the relationship between details
• Discriminate between details that are and are not stated in a passage
• Use reasoning, word clues, and recognition of pronoun meaning to identify speaker in a short passage containing more than one person

Cause and Effect

• Format: Read short passages with relatively simple sentences and basic vocabulary where cause and effect are stated in same sentence with some clue words supplied (because, so…)
• Determine cause and effect relationship in a passage containing extraneous information

• Identify causes and effects stated in different sentences
• Identify causes and effects implied, not stated directly
• Read longer passages containing less familiar content

New Vocabulary: before, second, paragraph, following, letter, label, note, article, list

 

RIT Scores between 181 and 190

Reading Directions

• Format: Read more complex sentences with up to 9 steps and 100 words
• Find literal detail in “how to” directions
• Understand literal detail in directions to a place using “left” or “right” or compass directions
• Determine what to do before or after certain steps
• Understand directions on a typical label
• Infer the purpose of written directions
• Find the detail in a typical recipe
• Determine the order of simple directions

Sequencing

• Determine correct order of events when presented in scrambled order
• Paraphrase order of events in a longer passage (up to 150 words)
• Use clue words and reasoning skills to determine order of events when written out of order of occurrence (understanding flashbacks)

Locating Information

• Use an index:

• More complex with main topics and subtopics
• Information listed on multiple pages
• Use a table of contents:
• Understand that page number listed is the beginning page and that information continues on subsequent pages
• Use chapter title to determine content and page number to read
• Use a title: Use word clues to determine content
• Use a weather report: Paraphrase information
• Use a sign or announcement: Understand the meaning of information
• Use a bibliography:
• How to read
• Understand the meaning of (ed.) for editor

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read passages frequently around 100 words, containing a variety of descriptive sentences and vocabulary, rich with detail
• Isolate small but significant details necessary to answer a question
• Understand sentences containing explanatory phrases set off by commas (my dog, Spot… my friends, Jane and Sally…), recognizing that they are not items in a list
• Understand relationships between details, combining details from several sentences to form an answer
• Recognize and understand pronouns substituted for nouns
• Note he/she pronoun use to determine gender
• Isolate significant detail, combine with prior knowledge to answer a question
• Discriminate between details which are and are not stated in a passage
• Determine who is the speaker in a passage

Cause and Effect

• Format: At lower RITs, read simpler passages, vocabulary, and content; at higher RITs, read more complex content in passages
• Identify basic cause and effect relationships, stated in same or adjoining sentences
• Use clue word “because” supplied in answer choices to help focus thinking
• Identify implied cause and effect relationships

Compare and Contrast

·        Given factual paragraph, compare information (how are they alike?)

New Vocabulary: recipe, instructions, order of events, information, describe, ad, bibliography, editor, character

 

RIT Scores between 191 and 200

Reading Directions

• Format: Read some adult vocabulary, vocabulary difficulty increases as RIT increases with up to 12 steps and 200 words
• Understand specific detail in a typical recipe
• Analyze detail in directions:

• Determine important information in directions
• Determine missing steps in a set of directions
• Given directions and actions taken, determine which part of directions not followed correctly
• Understand directions on a label containing adult vocabulary
• Determine purpose of directions
• Understand directions in a recipe written in paragraph rather than list format
• Understand directions on a test or worksheet

Sequencing

• Format: Determine order of events in a passage containing more difficult vocabulary, more complex phrasing, or less familiar content
• Determine sequence of events in a passage containing a flashback
• Paraphrase order of events in passage containing more complex vocabulary, phrasing, or figurative language
• Use re-reading and cross checking to determine specific order of events
• Determine which event comes before another
• Determine which events occur simultaneously
• Use reasoning and word clues to determine sequence of events in a passage contain a flashback
• Determine order of events when presented in a scrambled order (more complex sentences, less direct language than previous RIT levels)
• Determine which comes last from up to 9 events presented in scrambled order
• Determine which occurs first AND last from events presented in scrambled order
• Find first in a subset of events in the middle of a passage
• Use re-reading and cross-checking to identify the order of events in a passage up to 200 words

Locating Information

• Use a table of contents:
• Locate information on multiple pages
• Use clue words from chapter title to determine contents
• Use a list of facts: Use to find information
• Use a schedule:
• Understand the format, how days, events, and times are listed
• Read to understand how long particular events last
• Understand when events start
• Use an index:
• Meaning of “see” and “see also”
• Organized in main topics and subtopics
• How drawings, photos, and maps are listed
• Difference between pages separated by commas or by hyphens (45, 48, 50-53)
• Use an advertisement:
• Determine what is being advertised
• Locate and understand specific details in ad
• Use reference materials: Determine best source of information (dictionary, encyclopedia, television program guide, almanac, field guide, atlas)
• Use a recipe:
• Determine number served
• Determine amounts of ingredients
• Use a glossary: Understand relationship between dictionary and glossary
• Use a title: Use clue words to determine content

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read passages containing rich detail, vocabulary, description, and complex phrasing with extensive vocabulary necessary to understand meaning of detail
• Locate specific details in a passage to discriminate between similar answer choices
• Recognize significant details when paraphrased
• Recognize and understand detail referenced by “this, that, these, or those”
• Recognize and understand characters when referred to alternately by name and by descriptive phrases
• Understand and interpret significant details

Cause and Effect

• Format: Read passages with complexity of content and vocabulary, that include some clue words like “since” and “so” and “because”
• Identify “cause” presented at beginning of passage relating to “effect” presented at end of passage

New Vocabulary: literature, advertising, schedule, statement, announcement, biography, entries, chapter, introduction, comparison, glossary

 

RIT Scores between 201 and 210

Reading Directions

• Find detail in a typical adult language recipe
• Understand complex directions involving multiple variables (if you want this, do that, if you want something else, do something else…)
• Understand typical medicine or product labels
• Understand vocabulary specific to typical recipes and product labels
• Find detail in complex, multi-step directions containing adult language
• Paraphrase complex directions
• Understand complex directions—must find one detail, then re-read to incorporate previous information
• Use skills that progress in difficulty:
• Skim, scan to locate details
• Re-read specific parts
• Combine two or more sets of information to complete understanding
• Paraphrase

Sequencing

• Format: Read longer and more complex sentences where the content becomes less familiar and the difficulty of the vocabulary increases (soon after this happened, that happened)
• Read passages where word clues are less direct: from “first, later, and finally” to “after the frost”, “in the spring”, “when they had eaten lunch”
• Use indirect word clues to determine sequence of sentences from scrambled order
• Determine which event came second or next from sentences in scrambled order
• Determine sequence of key events from complex paragraph
• Determine events that occur after or simultaneously in longer, more complex paragraph
• Determine first event from a sequence of events written in the middle of a paragraph
• Use key words to paraphrase order of events
• Use re-reading and cross checking to identify order of events
• In a paragraph of unfamiliar content and vocabulary, determine what comes next, after another event
• Use direct word clues to determine what comes before
• Determine what comes first in a paragraph containing a flashback

Locating Information

• Use a table of contents:
• Use chapter summaries to determine contents
• Use clue words from chapter title to determine contents
• Determine the LAST page of a chapter (if chapter 2 begins on p. 20, chapter 1 ends on p. 19)
• Use an announcement: (lengthy and detailed, containing common abbreviations, and adult level vocabulary)
• Find and understand information
• Use an advertisement:
• Find and understand specific information
• Determine what is being advertised
• Understand abbreviations and shortened phrases in a classified ad
• Use a food label: Determine the relative amounts of ingredients
• Use reference materials:
• Determine the best source of information (encyclopedia, catalog, advertisement, magazine article, picture book)
• Understand information contained in a dictionary entry
• Use a bibliography:
• How it is organized
• How to read information (author, title, publisher, etc.)
• Recognizing simple listing of magazines
• Use a list: Meaning of information

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read passages that contain rich and varied detail, often unfamiliar content, extensive vocabulary, complex sentence phrasing
• Recognize and understand a variety of word referents
• Recognize and understand sentences containing explanatory phrases, sometimes set off by commas
• Isolate small but significant detail necessary to answer a question in long, detail-filled passages

Cause and Effect

• Read slightly longer passages, with more difficult content and vocabulary which use clue words “since” and “because of”
• Demonstrate combining several pieces of information to understand the cause and effect relationship
• Identify which is the “cause” and which is the “effect” when given a situation

Compare and Contrast

·        Contrast information (how are they different?) when given a factual paragraph

·        Locate appropriate information to compare or contrast in longer passages with unfamiliar content

New Vocabulary: indicated, series of events, chronological order, definition, dictionary, sequence, description, catalog, journal, report

RIT Scores between 211 and 220

Reading Directions

• Synthesize/paraphrase directions
• Follow multi-step directions containing adult vocabulary where the outcome is not obvious
• Follow detail in typical medicine or product label
• Synthesize intention of directions
• Understand small but significant detail in directions

Sequencing

• Format: Read passages that contain unfamiliar content, adult vocabulary, few word clues, longer sentences, and complex phrasing
• Paraphrase sentence order from passage with phrases like “just before this happened, that happened” and “after this happens but before that happens”
• Determine last, first, and next, paraphrasing events from passage
• Use indirect word clues to determine the order of scrambled sentences
• Determine what comes after another event
• Determine the sequence of events in a subset of events in the middle of a passage
• Paraphrase the sequence of events in a complex passage

Locating Information

• Format: Read passages that are lengthy, detailed, and contain adult vocabulary.  They are typical examples one would find everyday, not specific to children
• Use an announcement:  find and understand specific information
• Use a handbook: Find and understand specific information
• Use a shipping and handling chart: Recognize, know it by name
• Use a phone book:
• Yellow pages: how to read, find, and understand specific information
• White pages: how to use guide letters
• Use a catalogue:
• Use summary information to determine which product to purchase
• Find and understand specific information
• Use an index:
• Organization of topics
• Using increased specificity of terms to locate information
• Understand page list format, difference between use of commas and hyphens (43, 57, 60-62)
• Use a bibliography:
• Find and understand information in an annotated bibliography
• Use a glossary: How to use
• Use a field guide: Find and understand specific information
• Use a dictionary: How to use to find word meaning

Reading for Detail

• Format: Read passages that contain rich and varied detail, often unfamiliar content, extensive vocabulary, complex sentence phrasing
• Locate small but significant detail in a detail-filled passage
• Understand and interpret significant detail
• Understand and paraphrase significant detail
• Discriminate between details which are and are not stated in a passage
• Locate more than one detail in a detail-filled passage

Cause and Effect

• Read longer passages, with more difficult content and vocabulary

• Identify which is not the effect of a stated cause

Compare and Contrast

·        Locate multiple pieces of information to compare or contrast

• Determine what information is being compared

New Vocabulary: guide, handbook, selections

 

RIT Scores between 221 and 230

Reading Directions

• Understand intent of directions
• Synthesize complex directions

Sequencing

• Summarize events in correct order
• Use reasoning to determine the correct order of scrambled sentences
• Determine what comes after in passages with complex phrasing (just before he did this, he did that)
• Use word clues and reasoning to determine what comes first when sentences contain flashbacks or are not written in exact time order

Locating Information

• Read passages where details being located are more specific and less obvious, requiring careful reading or re-reading
• Use an announcement:
• Find and combine specific pieces of information
• Find and understand specific, detailed information
• Compare specific pieces of information
• Use a weather report:  Find and understand small but significant details
• Use sports scores:  Understand commonly used abbreviations
• Use a recipe: Find and understand small but significant details

Reading for Detail

• Read passages that contain rich and varied detail, generally unfamiliar content, extensive vocabulary, complex sentence phrasing
• Isolate information not stated in a detail-filled passage
• Paraphrase and interpret significant detail
• Locate specific detail in a long, detail-filled passage
• Locate and interpret several details in a detail-filled passage

Cause and Effect

• Read passages with more difficult, less familiar content and vocabulary

New Vocabulary: publications, editorial

 

RIT Scores between 231 and 240

Reading Directions

• Synthesize/paraphrase directions

Reading for Detail

• Read passages that contain rich and varied detail, generally unfamiliar content, extensive vocabulary, complex sentence phrasing
• Locate, paraphrase, and interpret multiple details in a detail-filled passage

New Vocabulary: none