Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy

Literacy Sample Reading Tasks at 1st Level

What to do

o In this booklet there are 2 different reading tasks for you to

do.

o Each task has a piece of text for you to read and then some

questions for you to answer.

o You should either tick your answer or write your answer in the

space provided.

o Remember to look back at the text while you answer the

questions.

o If a question is too hard, leave it, and go on to the next one.

o If you do not understand what you have to do, ask your

teacher.

Task 1: One Morning text

It was a wet morning, and Stevie was going to school in the rain. He was walking through the park, because that was his quickest way. The park had two ponds in it. One pond was very clean and tidy. The other pond had bushes round it, and all sorts of things living in the water.

Stevie liked this pond very much. He liked to bend down and watch the fish swimming. Sometimes he saw frogs and bee-tles too. Often he spent so long watching them that he was late for school.

This morning he went round by the pond as usual and stopped to have a look. Then he got a surprise. A little green frog hopped on to the grass near his feet! Stevie went down on his knees to take a closer look at the frog.

It had bright, shining eyes. It had arms with four fingers and legs with four toes. Stevie picked the frog up. It felt cold, like a fish, and it wriggled in his hand. He popped it into the pocket of his jacket.

This morning he went round by the pond as usual and stopped to have a look. Then he got a surprise. A little green frog hopped on to the grass near his feet! Stevie went down on his knees to take a closer look at the frog.

It had bright, shining eyes. It had arms with four fingers and legs with four toes. Stevie picked the frog up. It felt cold, like a fish, and it wriggled in his hand. He popped it into the pocket of his jacket.

When Stevie came to school he took the frog out of his pocket and put it into his schoolbag. He knew the frog would not like his bag very much, but he thought he could take it back to its home at lunch time. Stevie sat and thought about a name for it. He thought he would call it Flip.

Mrs Lane was Stevie’s teacher. Every morning she asked the children if they had any news to tell her. Stevie wished he could tell about Flip, but he did not say anything. He kept looking at his schoolbag in case Flip jumped out. When news time was past, Stevie painted a picture of Flip.

Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. © Jessie Reid and Joan Low

One Morning

Task 1: One Morning questions

1. Where was Stevie going that morning? (tick one answer)

a) to the playground b) to the shops c) to the school d) to the pond

2. Why did Stevie go through the park? ___________________________________________________________

3. How can we tell that Stevie is interested in nature? ___________________________________________________________ 4. How did Stevie feel when the frog jumped out of the pond? ___________________________________________________________ Write a word to complete this sentence. 5. Stevie planned to take the frog back to the pond at _______________

time.

6. Why did Stevie keep looking at his schoolbag?

___________________________________________________________ 7. Stevie does things without thinking. How do we know this? ___________________________________________________________

8. What kind of book would you find this in? (tick one answer)

a) a wildlife book b) a story book c) a poetry book d) a travel book

9. Why was Flip a good name for the frog?

___________________________________________________________ 10. Why didn’t Stevie tell Mrs Lane about the frog?

___________________________________________________________

Task 2: Stop and Think text

STOP... and think!

STOP

Task 2: Stop and Think questions

1. Why is STOP written in capital letters? ___________________________________________________________ 2. What does the poster say that drivers should do when they see children

crossing the road? (tick one answer) a) Peep the horn loudly. b) Slow down and take care. c) Drive very fast. d) Park on the lines.

3. Where does the poster ask drivers not to park? (tick one answer)

a) in the school car park b) in the drive way c) in the garage d) in the shopping centre

4. What does the poster ask drivers to do before opening the car door? ___________________________________________________________ 5. How many children are hurt or killed on the roads every week? ___________________________ 6. What is the main message for drivers in this poster? ___________________________________________________________ 7. Who made this poster? ___________________________________________________________

All SSLN Reading questions are written to address the CfE Experience and Outcomes and the SSLN cognitive domains detailed below.

• Access and retrieve This involves finding, selecting and sorting information. Learners will find information by using knowledge of the structures and features of texts. In print this may involve using headings and captions to locate the relevant section; in digital texts learners may use menus or tabs to navigate across several pages. (Lit 14a) • Integrate and interpret This involves making connections between different parts of a text to make sense of the whole. Learners may identify main concerns and supporting details, considering how they link together, as well as making inferences to read beyond what is directly stated. Learners will use their knowledge of language to work out implications and connotations. (Lit 16a) • Reflect and evaluate This involves using knowledge and personal experience to make judgements about a text. Learners may, for example, evaluate the reliability and credibility of a newspaper report or a website. (Lit 18a) The following table list relates each question to the relevant CfE experience & outcome and to the

SSLN cognitive domain. Task 1: One Morning

CfE experience & outcome SSLN Cognitive Domain 1 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 2 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 3 LIT1-16a Integrate and Interpret 4 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 5 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 6 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 7 LIT1-18a Reflect and Evaluate 8 LIT1-16a Integrate and Interpret 9 LIT1-18a Reflect and Evaluate 10 LIT1-16a Integrate and Interpret

Task 2: Stop and Think

CfE experience & outcome SSLN Cognitive Domain 1 LIT1-18a Integrate and Interpret 2 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 3 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 4 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve 5 LIT1-18a Reflect and Evaluate 6 LIT1-18a Reflect and Evaluate 7 LIT1-14a Access and Retrieve