VELS+Level+4+(5-6)

  The [|learning focus] statement provides advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 4. At Level 4, students read, interpret and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday and media texts in print and in multimodal formats. They analyse these texts and support interpretations with evidence drawn from the text. They describe how texts are constructed for particular purposes, and identify how sociocultural values, attitudes and beliefs are presented in texts. They analyse imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting. They use strategies such as reading on, using contextual cues, and drawing on knowledge of text organisation when interpreting texts containing unfamiliar ideas and information. At Level 4, students produce, in print and electronic forms, a variety of texts for different purposes using structures and features of language appropriate to the purpose, audience and context of the writing. They begin to use simple figurative language and visual images. They use a range of vocabulary, a variety of sentence structures, and use punctuation accurately, including apostrophes. They identify and use different parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, adverbs, comparative adverbs and adjectives, and use appropriate prepositions and conjunctions. They use a range of approaches to spelling, applying morphemic knowledge and an understanding of visual and phonic patterns. They employ a variety of strategies for writing, including note-making, using models, planning, editing and proofreading. At Level 4, students plan, rehearse and make presentations for different purposes. They sustain a point of view and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They adjust their speaking to take account of context, purpose and audience, and vary tone, volume and pace of speech to create or emphasise meaning. When listening to spoken texts, they identify the main idea and supporting details and summarise them for others. They identify opinions offered by others, propose other relevant viewpoints and extend ideas in a constructive manner.
 * Progressing towards Level 4**
 * ~  ||~ Progression point 3.25 ||~   ||~ Progression point 3.5 ||~   ||~ Progression point 3.75 ||~   ||
 * ^  ||< At 3.25, the work of a student progressing towards the standard at Level 4 demonstrates, for example: ||^   ||< At 3.5, the work of a student progressing towards the standard at Level 4 demonstrates, for example: ||^   ||< At 3.75, the work of a student progressing towards the standard at Level 4 demonstrates, for example: ||^   ||
 * ^  ||< **Reading*** interpretations of and responses to a range of literary and everyday texts
 * understanding of how authors construct print and electronic texts for different intended audiences and purposes; for example, a letter to a friend or report for the school newsletter
 * connections between evidence stated and inferred in texts and their own knowledge and experience to clarify understanding of texts
 * predictions and inferences about possible consequences of actions and events during reading
 * recognition that texts reflect sociocultural values, attitudes and beliefs ||^  ||< **Reading*** identification of the intended purposes of a wide range of literary and everyday texts
 * understanding of features of different kinds of texts; for example, characterisation and plot in narratives, or headings and visual information in informative texts
 * use of evidence drawn from the text to support interpretations
 * use of strategies for interpreting texts with unfamiliar ideas and vocabulary; for example, reading on and reading back, summarising or paraphrasing
 * identification of sociocultural values, attitudes and beliefs represented in literary texts ||^  ||< **Reading*** interpretations of and responses to a wide range of print and multimodal texts
 * understanding and discussion of the textual features of different texts; for example, sequence of ideas in persuasive texts
 * analysis and discussion of a range of perspectives presented in different texts on the same topic
 * use of a variety of comprehension strategies; for example, reviewing, summarising, asking questions or predicting
 * identification of the ways in which texts present a range of values and attitudes ||^  ||
 * ^  ||< **Writing*** inclusion of familiar ideas and information for different purposes and audiences in print and electronic texts
 * use of strategies for planning, drafting, proofreading, editing and revising
 * appropriate vocabulary, punctuation and tense according to context, purpose and audience
 * typical features and structures of different texts such as narratives and reports
 * correct spelling of frequently occurring two- and three-syllable words and use of strategies to spell unknown words ||^  ||< **Writing*** production of texts for a range of different audiences and purposes in print and electronic forms
 * use of strategies for planning; for example, using models of others’ writing or mind mapping
 * deletion of unnecessary information or addition of new information when editing and revising writing
 * inclusion of appropriate visual images and information in print and electronic texts ||^  ||< **Writing*** use of structures and features appropriate to purpose and audience of print and electronic texts
 * appropriate use of topic sentences and organisation of main and subordinate ideas
 * selection of vocabulary, text structures and visual features to effectively communicate ideas and information
 * maintenance of plot, characterisation and setting throughout extended narrative texts
 * use of knowledge about spelling patterns, including morphemic knowledge, visual and phonic patterns ||^  ||
 * ^  ||< **Speaking and listening*** awareness of purpose and audience in short presentations
 * active contribution to the preparation and presentation of performances when working with small groups
 * relevant questioning to clarify meaning of others’ presentations
 * attentive listening to a range of spoken texts, live and recorded, about familiar ideas and information ||^  ||< **Speaking and listening*** consideration of purpose and audience in preparation of presentations
 * variation in tone, volume, and pace of speech to add emphasis
 * use of multimedia to enhance meaning when communicating ideas and information to others
 * attentive listening and appropriate responses to spoken and multimodal texts that include unfamiliar ideas and information ||^  ||< **Speaking and listening*** rehearsal of presentations, with attention to variation of pace, volume, pitch and pronunciation to enhance meaning
 * constructive responses to verbal and non-verbal audience feedback; for example, by rephrasing for clarification
 * identification of main ideas and some supporting details in spoken and multimodal texts
 * summary of main ideas after listening to others’ presentations ||^  ||
 * Level 4 standard**
 * Reading**
 * Writing**
 * Speaking and listening**

Learning focus
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in English, they consolidate and build on their foundational learning in English related to texts and language. Students compose, comprehend and respond to an expanding range of [|texts] in print and audiovisual and electronic forms that contain increasingly unfamiliar concepts, themes, information and issues. With guidance, they reflect on reading, viewing, writing, speaking and listening in ways that develop considered and critical approaches to a range of texts. These include extended [|literary texts] such as novels, short stories, poetry and non-fiction; [|everyday texts]; and [|media texts] including newspapers, film and websites. Students explore the relationship between the purpose and audience of texts and their structures and features, for example: sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, figurative language and organising structures in print texts; features of visual texts; and sound effects, characterisation and camera angles used in film. They develop their knowledge of how texts are constructed for particular purposes, and examine and challenge generalisations and simplistic portrayals of people and social and cultural issues. They learn how to draw evidence from texts to support their points of view. They experiment with several strategies when interpreting texts containing some unfamiliar ideas and information, for example, reading on, using diagrams, and differentiating between statements of fact or opinion. Students write texts for a range of purposes that demonstrate their developing understanding of the way imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting contribute to the meaning of written and [|multimodal texts]. They use this reflection, and their developing knowledge of the generic structures of different types of texts (such as narratives, reports and arguments), as the basis for composing an increasing range of written and spoken texts. Students become more systematic in their use of [|strategies for writing] (including note-making, using models, planning, editing and proofreading) and make decisions about appropriate [|structures and features of language] in texts for different purposes and audiences. They develop terminology or [|metalanguage] to talk about and describe particular structures and features of language. They develop a multi-strategy approach to spelling, applying[|morphemic knowledge] and an understanding of visual and phonic patterns, and select vocabulary for precise meaning. Students engage in exploratory talk to share and clarify their ideas, to formulate simple arguments and to seek the opinions of others. They participate in oral interactions for different purposes, including entertaining, informing and influencing others. Students learn to sustain a point of view, and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They experiment with spoken language features such as pace, pitch and pronunciation to enhance meaning as they plan, rehearse and reflect on their presentations. They build their capacity to combine verbal and visual elements in texts to communicate ideas and information by using, for example, presentation software or overheads. When listening, students practise identifying the main idea and supporting details of spoken texts and summarising them for others. They begin to identify opinions offered by others, propose other viewpoints, and extend ideas in a constructive manner.

National Statements of Learning
This learning focus statement, in conjunction with aspects of the Communication Level 4 learning focus statement, incorporates aspects of the Year 5 National Statement of Learning for English.

Reading
At Level 4, students read, interpret and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday and media texts in print and in multimodal formats. They analyse these texts and support interpretations with evidence drawn from the text. They describe how texts are constructed for particular purposes, and identify how sociocultural values, attitudes and beliefs are presented in texts. They analyse imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting. They use strategies such as reading on, using contextual cues, and drawing on knowledge of text organisation when interpreting texts containing unfamiliar ideas and information.

Writing
At Level 4, students produce, in print and electronic forms, a variety of texts for different purposes using structures and features of language appropriate to the purpose, audience and context of the writing. They begin to use simple figurative language and visual images. They use a range of vocabulary, a variety of sentence structures, and use punctuation accurately, including apostrophes. They identify and use different parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, adverbs, comparative adverbs and adjectives, and use appropriate prepositions and conjunctions. They use a range of approaches to spelling, applying morphemic knowledge and an understanding of visual and phonic patterns. They employ a variety of strategies for writing, including note-making, using models, planning, editing and proofreading.

Speaking and listening
At Level 4, students plan, rehearse and make presentations for different purposes. They sustain a point of view and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They adjust their speaking to take account of context, purpose and audience, and vary tone, volume and pace of speech to create or emphasise meaning. When listening to spoken texts, they identify the main idea and supporting details and summarise them for others. They identify opinions offered by others, propose other relevant viewpoints and extend ideas in a constructive manner.