Making sense of text: reading critically resources

Students identify statements of fact from a range of statements.

The assessment focus is on the ability to make inferences about character and justify these with evidence from text.

This resource assesses points of view on the issue of keeping score in sport, with the task being to match statements to the views expressed by four students.

Students read fifteen statements and identify the six statements of opinion.

This comprehension task assesses student ability to identify and justify evidence used to visualise and make inferences about a character and setting.

Students read a narrative then complete three tasks that focus on one of the characters. Assessment focus: an evaluation of a character and the author's construction of that character. SJ-4-3-2004. Text provided.

After reading the article, 'Flax Flyers', students classify statements from the article as persuasive or factual. SJ-1-4-1997. Text provided.

Students read a narrative about a girl's experience of the birth and death of her baby brother. They then use evidence from the text and their background knowledge to complete the task. Assessment focus: evaluating. SJ-3-1-2009. Text not provided.

Students read a narrative about a girl who behaves like an overly enthusiastic parent and her father who behaves like a reluctantly involved adolescent. They use and evaluate evidence from the text, alongside their background knowledge, to complete the task. SJ-3-2-2010. Text not provided.

After reading a narrative about a shrewd boy, students identify evidence in the text that supports their thinking. Assessment focus: analysing and evaluating a character and the author's construction of him. (There is a link to the text used for this resource in the Task administration section of the Teacher information pages.) Reading age 8-9. SJ-2-4-2000. Text provided.

Students read a narrative about how a girl deals with her anxiety over Sports Day. They then use evidence from the text and their background knowledge to complete the task. Assessment focus: evaluating. SJ-2-3-2009. Text provided.

Students read a narrative about a mother-child relationship. They then use evidence from the text and their background knowledge to complete the task. Assessment focus: evaluating. SJ-1-1-2005. Text provided.

Students are assessed on the ability to identify important information in order to establish the main idea of a narrative text about being judgemental. Reading age 10-12. SJ-4-3-1994. Text provided.

This comprehension task assesses student ability to evaluate the ideas and information in a text about an environmental issue. Students are asked to read a text, then respond to four questions. SJ-4-3-2005. Text provided.

Students read a narrative that is about being different and about group dynamics. Assessment focus: an evaluation of characters and the author's construction of them. (A link to the text is provided. Reading age <8.) SJ-1-4-2005. Text provided.

Students read a narrative about a family's encounter with a stray cat. They then use evidence from the text and their background knowledge to evaluate the characters. SJ-1-3-2008. Text provided.

Students read a narrative about how a character copes with changes in her family dynamics. Students then complete three tasks focusing on that character. Assessment focus: an evaluation of a character and the author's construction of her. (The text used for this resource is reproduced under the "Working with Students" tab.) Reading age 10-12. SJ-4-2-2000. Text not provided.

This task assesses students' ability to analyse a text to identify and justify character traits and points of view, including the author's.

Students read a play (retold from a traditional Persian folktale) about the interactions at a market place in old Baghdad. They then use evidence from the text and their background knowledge to complete the task. Assessment focus: evaluating. SJ-4-2-2009. Text not provided.

This comprehension task assesses student ability to use evidence in text to make inferences about characters' points of view, and to analyse and synthesise understandings of these characters.

Students read a narrative about relationships and wanting to impress others. Assessment focus: the author’s construction of a character and an evaluation of this character.

Students read a personal recount about family relationships in a Pacific context. Assessment focus: the author's construction of two characters and an evaluation of them.

A poem about Samoa is read and then retrieval and inference questions are answered about the author's choice of title and her key ideas. Text provided.

A story about getting rid of family junk is the context for this task. Students find evidence to make inferences about the characters. SJ-1-4-1998. Text not provided.

The assessment focus is on the ability to make inferences about character and justify these with evidence from text.