Making sense of text: reading critically resources

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

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

This resource assesses students' ability to analyse text to identify and find evidence of the author's message and audience.