Standard 1:  Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process

Interval Benchmark 1: Uses a variety of strategies to define and extend understanding of text

a:

Interprets text to new or literal situations

b:

Applies knowledge of organizational features (such as sequencing, cause and effect, compare and contrast, story grammar, fact and opinion) to aid comprehension of a variety of text formats

c:

Distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information in written text to aid comprehension

d:

Makes and supports inferences using explicit and implicit information

e:

Determines main ideas

f:

Draws and supports conclusions using explicit and implicit text information

g:

Recognizes prior knowledge and experience brings more meaning to text

Interval Benchmark 2: Uses a variety of strategies to define and extend understanding of words

a:

Determines meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases using context clues

b:

Use idioms, analogies, similes, and metaphors to infer literal and figurative meanings of words

Interval Benchmark 3: Understands devices used to support author's purpose

a:

Recognizes authors write for a variety of purposes

b:

Recognizes specific devices that an author uses to accomplish his/her purpose

c:

Uses strategies to preview material for purpose and structure

	Standard 2:  Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for comprehending a variety of literary texts

Interval Benchmark 1: Utilizes a variety of reading strategies to determine meaning in a literary passage or text

a:

Reads a variety of literary texts and genres to apply reading strategies and skills

b:

Uses prior knowledge, personal experience, and text clues to evaluate and respond to literature (written, visual, oral and kinesthetic) and connect text to his/her own life

c:

Recalls stated information or restates or paraphrases text to identify a concept

d:

Understands words in context

Interval Benchmark 2: Applies critical thinking skills to derive meaning from literary text

a:

Draws conclusions using implicit and explicit text

b:

Infers traits, feelings, motives, or view point of a character in a literary text

c:

Interprets non-literal (figurative) language to derive meaning

d:

Determines main ideas

Interval Benchmark 3: Recognizes writing techniques and devices to understand the author's purpose and viewpoint

a:

Interprets text using specific literary devices

b:

Recognizes common historical, cultural, and social themes and issues and how the author reflects his/her own heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs

c:

Determines the speaker of a passage and the point of view

d:

Analyzes the author's style of writing to determine meaning

e:

Analyzes the author's choice of words used to achieve an effect

Interval Benchmark 4: Recognizes the defining characteristics and elements of literary forms and genre

a:

Recognizes the different literary forms and their characteristics

b:

Recognizes the elements of plot development

c:

Understands devices used to develop characters in literary text

d:

Recognizes that literary themes recur in literary texts

e:

Understands that story is defined by a particular structure (i.e., character, setting, plot, events, theme, conflict, etc.)

f:

Understands the relationships among story elements (i.e., character, setting, plot, events, theme, conflict, etc.)

	Standard 3:  Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for comprehending a variety of informational texts

Interval Benchmark 1: Applies a variety of reading strategies to determine meaning of informational text

a:

Reads a variety of informational text including functional texts

b:

Uses stated, restated, or paraphrased information from the text to aid comprehension

c:

Defines a word from the text's context

Interval Benchmark 2: Applies critical thinking skills to derive meaning from informational text

a:

Draws conclusions or makes inferences using implicit and explicit text clues

b:

Interprets non-literal (figurative) language to derive meaning

c:

Connects concepts that are presented to new contexts

d:

Determines main ideas

Interval Benchmark 3: Interprets a text's style, structure, mood, or tone to determine author's purpose or viewpoint

a:

Analyzes the author's writing style to understand the text

b:

Uses knowledge of a particular text structure to derive meaning

c:

Identifies author's purpose by interpreting the mood or tone of the text

d:

Recognizes prior knowledge and experience brings more meaning to text

e:

Recognizes that an author's purpose is to inform or explain

Interval Benchmark 4: Understands different devices used to support claims in informational texts

a:

Identifies differences between fact and opinion in informational texts

Interval Benchmark 5: Understands the defining characteristics and organizational patterns/structures of informational texts

a:

Uses text structure to determine meaning

b:

Uses comparison and contrast, sequencing, and cause and effect to determine meaning

c:

Understands different treatment, scope, and organization of ideas in a variety of texts

Interval Benchmark 6: Evaluates informational texts

a:

Uses strategies to evaluate the accuracy, validity, and reliability of information