Developing & assessing young

learners’ reading and writing

Santander,

16th March 2017

• Can do statements for reading and writing

• Developing reading and writing skills

• Ways of testing reading and writing

Overview

Reading at A1 and A2 A1: I can understand familiar names,

words and very simple sentences.

A2: I can read very short, simple texts and

find information I need in longer texts such

as simple messages, stories

or internet texts.

The Reading and Writing Tests

Length Number of

tasks

Number of

questions

Starters 20 minutes 5 25

Movers 30 minutes 6 40

Flyers 40 minutes 7 50

Starters Reading and Writing 1

• What do students look at?

• What do they have to write?

Movers Part 4

Starters Movers Flyers

Kind of text a story

Language in text present simple, past

simple, conjunctions,

longer sentences,

several paragraphs

Number of gaps 6

Type of words

missing

Nouns, verbs,

adjectives

Number of distractors 2

Picture support? yes

Global

comprehension task?

yes

Part 4 Starters Movers Flyers

Kind of text descriptive,

factual

a story a story

Language in text present

simple, short

sentences

present simple,

past simple,

conjunctions,

longer sentences,

several

paragraphs

past simple, present

simple (direct

speech),

conjunctions, longer

sentences, several

paragraphs

Number of gaps 5 6 5

Type of words missing nouns Nouns, verbs,

adjectives

nouns, verbs,

adjectives, adverbs

Number of distractors 2 2 4

Picture support? yes yes no

Global comprehension

task? no yes yes

© UCLES 2013

Progression up the levels

• length of text

• language in text

• sentence length

• number of distractors

• picture support

• language needed for

answers

At the museum

Cognitive verbs

agree

find out

guess

learn

think

believe

decide

forget

mind

remember

teach

wish

(Cambridge English:

Starters)

choose

show

understand

Communication verbs

describe

explain

repeat

speak

teach

whisper

whistle

(Cambridge English:

Movers)

call

shout

(Cambridge English: Starters)

add

answer

ask

say

spell

tell

Writing at A1 and A2 A2: I can write a story using ideas,

pictures or words from the teacher.

I can write short, simple phrases

about pictures and familiar topics.

A1: I can spell some very simple

English words correctly.

Starters Reading and Writing 5

• What do students look at?

• What do they have to write?

Movers – new Reading and Writing task

Marks: Movers – New Reading and Writing Part 6

Possible answers which would receive

full marks

1 trousers / jeans

2 black and white / white and black

3 She is carrying some drinks. / She is

taking some drinks (to the children).

4 The flowers are next to the door. /

The flowers are under the tree.

5 The brown dog is playing in the

water. / A boy and a girl are jumping.

6 There is a red car in front of the

house. / There is a table and chair in

the garden.

What makes a good reading and writing

activity?

• age-appropriate

• level-appropriate

• integrates reading and writing

• achievable in length and demand

• has a purpose

• appealing to young learners

Results reporting changes and rationale

Questions

Further information Cambridge English Language Assessment C/ Alcalá, 21 3º Izda. 28014 - Madrid Tel: +34 91 541 24 22 annerobinsonspain@gmail.com

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