Northwest Evaluation Association Learning Continuum Release 1.0

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
- 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