Massachusetts Adult Basic Education

Curriculum Framework

for the

English Language Arts

Massachusetts Department of Education

Adult and Community Learning Services

December 2005

Note:  This document has been excerpted or adapted from its original format for functional and consistency purposes within the Adult Education Content Standards Warehouse. The Massachusetts ABE Reading standards and benchmarks document located in the Warehouse was extracted from the full Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework, which also contains standards and benchmarks for Writing, Oral Communication, and Critical Thinking, as well as supplementary materials. Pagination is not identical to the original document. To obtain the full document and supplementary materials, please visit the state’s website at: 

http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/frameworks/

Reading Strand: Standards and Benchmarks

Reading Standard 1: Learners will comprehend and analyze a variety of texts for various purposes.

Level 1: Initial (GLE 0-1.9)	Level 2: Emerging (GLE 2-3.9)	Level 3: Transitional (GLE 4-5.9)	Level 4: Advancing (GLE 6-8.9)	Level 5: Adept (GLE 9-12.9)
By the end of this level learners will . . . R1.1a Use visual clues to gain meaning (e.g. drawings, photographs) R1.1b Read simple sentences	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R1.2a Extract critical information from adapted formatted texts (e.g. forms, labels, maps, schedules) R1.2b Make predictions about the content of a reading passage on the basis of title, pictures, and type of material R1.2c Follow simply- written multi-step instructions	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R1.3a Identify critical information in formatted texts (e.g. forms, timelines, tables, maps, calendars, advertisements, charts, graphs) R1.3b Locate critical information in functional prose of increasing length and complexity of content (e.g. invitations, bulletins) R1.3c Determine author’s purpose (e.g. to entertain, inform, persuade) from a variety of texts (e.g. newspaper article, travel brochure, store catalog, ad) R1.3c Identify the main idea, refer to supporting details, and draw inferences and conclusions from simple reading passages R1.3d Compare / contrast information from simple or adapted multi-paragraph texts	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R1.4a Distinguish between fact and opinion, fact and fiction, relevant and irrelevant information R1.4b Identify and interpret common figurative language (e.g. simile, metaphor) and other poetic devices such as alliteration, puns, personification, and hyperbole found in a literary work R1.4c Identify the main id ea or theme in texts of increasing length and complexity of content R1.4d Summarize ideas and information from texts of increasing length and complexity of content R1.4e Describe the events, setting, mood, plot, characters and meaning of reading selections from works of fiction, drama, and poetry R1.4f Draw conclusions and make predictions and inferences from information or ideas presented in texts of various genres (e.g. historical documents, newspaper and magazine articles, fiction and non-fiction, job-related materials)	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R1.5a Determine the tone (feeling that the writer is trying to convey) of a variety of writing samples (e.g. editorials, magazine articles, literary texts) R1.5b Evaluate the persuasiveness of a text on the basis of the quality of evidence provided to support its argument R1.5c Compare how the key elements of literature (e.g. events, setting, mood, plot) are treated by different authors R1.5d Explain how an author’s life and time are reflected in his/her work R1.5e Describe the literary elements and characteristics of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry

Reading Standard 2: Learners will acquire skills and vocabulary for reading and comprehending written text.

Level 1: Initial (GLE 0-1.9)	Level 2: Emerging (GLE 2-3.9)	Level 3: Transitional (GLE 4-5.9)	Levels 4 and 5: Advancing and Adept  (GLE 6-12.9)
By the end of this level, learners will . . . R2.1a Recognize words though visual/picture cues R2.1b Recognize upper and lower case letters, and cardinal numbers R2.1c Recognize letter/sound correspondence R2.1d Recognize simple high frequency words (e.g. and, it), basic personal information words (e.g. name, address), and signs, (e.g. stop, exit) R2.1e Recognize common abbreviations (e.g. street/St., Monday/Mon.) R2.1f Recognize word and sentence boundaries R2.1g Recognize and sound out simple letter combinations[1] R2.1h Recognize basic punctuation and capitalization (make sure this is included in other reading charts here) R2.1i Identify simple words by sounding out letter combinations	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R2.2a Decode familiar words of several syllables through recognition of phonological patterns (e.g. family, teacher) R2.2b Recognize an increased number of phonetically regular and irregular high-frequency words (e.g. today, there, have) R2.2c Distinguish the meanings of frequently used synonyms, antonyms and homonyms R2.2d Recognize common contractions, prepositions, and conjunctions (e.g. he’s, don’t, in the box, on the box, because) R2.2e Identify common base words that comprise compound words (e.g. birthday, toothbrush) R2.2f Locate and arrange words alphabetically R2.2g Recognize basic parts of speech (e.g. noun, verb, adjective, adverb) R2.2h Recognize more complex punctuation (e.g. apostrophe for possession and contraction, quotation marks) R2.2i Read aloud short, simple sentences with minimal hesitation	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R2.3a Use knowledge of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine meaning of words (e.g. interest/disinterest, careful/careless) R2.3b Recognize intermediate function words (e.g. pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs) R2.3c Follow punctuation cues when reading aloud R2.3d Use dictionary to learn meaning of an unfamiliar word	By the end of the level, continue demonstrating previous benchmarks at increasing degrees of complexity and ease.

[1] See next page for specific descriptions of the phonological combinations and patterns referred to in R1.1g, R1.1.h, R1.2a and R1.2b.

Phonological Combinations and Patterns to Be Mastered at Reading Levels 1 and 2

Note:  These concepts and skills should be taught and mastered in a sequential order.  For students with dyslexia, multi-sensory teaching, structure and sequence are critical.  One possible order is below, which was adapted from the Wilson Reading System.  There are various structured, sequential, multi-sensory phonics programs, most based in the Orton-Gillingham method originally developed in the 1930’s.   

§ short vowels with single consonants (one syllable words) (CVC).

§ short vowels with initial and final consonant digraphs (ship,” “mash,” “thin,” “path”)

§ short vowels with final “ff,” “ll,” “ss,” and “ck” (“egg,” “cliff,” “clock”)

§ suffix “s”

§ sounds with –ng and –nk

§ short vowels with two letter initial or final consonant blends (CCVC e.g. stop, CVCC e.g. last)

§ long vowel sounds with –ild, –ind, –old, –ost, –olt

§ short vowels with two and three letter blends, initial and/or final (CCCVC e.g. splash, CCVCC e.g. branch)

§ syllable division and reading multi–syllable words, where each syllable follows patterns already learned

§ –ed and –ing endings

§ vowel, consonant, silent “e” in one–syllable and multi–syllable words

§ long vowels at the end of words (“be”, “go”, “why”).

§ long vowels at the end of syllables, in multi–syllable words (candy, donut)

§ more words with suffixes: –er, –est, –ful, –ness, –ment)

§ final –le (little, castle)

§ soft “c” and “g” words (“cent,” “gem”), –dge ending (fudge)

§ “tch” (“match”)

§ “tion” and “sion”

§ “r-controlled” vowel sounds (e.g. er, ir, ur, ar, or) in one– and multi–syllable words

§ vowel digraph in one– and two–syllable words (e.g. ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, oe, ui, ue)

§ vowel dipthongs (e.g. ou, ow, au, aw, oi, oy) in one and two syllable words

§ plural –es (“dishes”) and plurals of nouns ending in “y” or “f” (babies,” “lives”)

§ “ei/ie,” “igh,” “eigh”

§ silent consonants (e.g. “kn,” “gh”)

§ “w” affecting vowels (“water”)

Reading Standard 3: Learners will use a variety of strategies to comprehend written English.

Level 1: Initial (GLE 0-1.9)	Level 2: Emerging (GLE 2-3.9)	Level 3: Transitional (GLE 4-5.9)	Level 4: Advancing (GLE 6-8.9)	Level 5: Adept (GLE 9-12.9)
By the end of this level learners will . . . R3.1a Seek assistance when aware that own reading is not accurate R3.1b Re-read to clarify meaning	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R3.2a Identify, count, and divide syllables to decode words (e.g. fam/i/ly, moth/er) R3.2b Use a place-holder word (e.g. “something”) for an unknown word and continue reading	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R3.3a Focus on units or chunks of meaning rather than on individual words R3.3b Think-aloud (verbalize thoughts) and visualize (make a mental picture) while reading (e.g. ask yourself questions as you read, visualize the characters or scenes) R3.3c Scan text before reading and note chapter titles and/or sub-headings	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R3.4a Identify and search for key words to make meaning (e.g. If reading for information about diabetes, look for words like “cause,” “symptom,” “treatment” to aid comprehension) R3.4b Look for key phrases to locate a definition of an unfamiliar word elsewhere in the text (e.g. “In other words,” “that is to say,” “for example”) R3.4c Underline or highlight key ideas or words while reading R3.4d Adjust reading rate depending on the purpose (e.g. reading for detail vs. for general idea) R3.4e Use a graphic organizer to organize information, ideas, words (e.g. web, Venn diagram, timeline, k-w-l chart)	By the end of the level, demonstrate previous benchmarks as needed, plus… R3.5a Take notes of key ideas while reading (e.g. paraphrase in the margins, outline) R3.5b Vary reading strategies for different texts and for different purposes