cs all esl efls final 6-09

Basic Skills Content Standards For

English as a Second Language

English as a Second Language Reading and Listening Beginning Literacy Low Beginning Page 5 High Beginning Page 9 Low Intermediate Page 13 High Intermediate Page 17

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NCPDC CASAS/BEST Plus English as a Second Language Content Standards, June 8, 2009 1

mailto:[email protected]

http://ae.stvrain.k12.co.us/ncpdc.html

Basic Skills Content Standards

Adult English as a Second Language

What are Basic Skills Content Standards? Content Standards are clear statements of what students should know and be able to do at specific instructional levels. Content Standards are also called basic skills or statements of achievement. Lists of basic skills content standards are clear benchmarks that guide and inform instruction and curriculum design in the field of adult education. Why are Basic Skills Content Standards important?

Content standards support instructional planning scope and sequence. The leveled content standards provide guidelines for what to teach at each proficiency level.

In competency-based education, content standards identify the underlying basic skills at specific

proficiency levels that should be taught in the context of competencies or life skills.

Learning content standards helps adult students master a specific competency to attain their goals.

As in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001, the impending reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) stresses the importance of states developing or adapting a content standards continuum to guide the teaching and learning process from adult basic education and ESL through high school completion and beyond.

Standardized assessments are in alignment with basic skills content standards and measure learner

performance of the skills at a variety of proficiencies. If assessment, content, and instruction are aligned the assumption is that learner achievement will improve.

How can Adult Education providers use this document? The lists of skills at each ESL proficiency level in this document were prepared using the CASAS Content standards (www.casas.org). The reading and listening skills are assessed with CASAS assessments and some of the listening skills are assessed with BEST Plus. A companion document of skills for ABE proficiency levels is also available. Teachers and curriculum developers may find this document a helpful resource to:

Link instruction to assessment Evaluate textbooks or other instructional materials Develop and plan level-appropriate instruction Provide clear statements of learner outcomes for stakeholders such as employers, funders, higher

education providers Align adult education standards with Colorado K-12 standards or community college standards


http://www.casas.org/


English as a Second Language Beginning Literacy SPL 0-1

Reading CASAS 180 and below

Beginning Literacy/Phonics Identify letters of the alphabet (upper and lower case) Recognize that letters make words and words make sentences Read from left to right, top to bottom, front to back Relate letters to sounds

Identify initial consonants Decode familiar CVC words using knowledge of sound/symbol correspondence

Use common word patterns to sound out unfamiliar words and to learn vowel sounds in context (i.e., van, pan, man) Vocabulary Interpret common symbols (e.g., restroom signs, traffic signs, # ) Read basic sight words Interpret high frequency words in phrases in everyday contexts (e.g., signs, ads, labels) Use capitalization as a clue to interpret words (e.g., names, place names, other proper nouns) General Reading Comprehension Interpret common punctuation and sentence writing conventions (i.e., capitalized first words) Use supporting illustrations to interpret text Text in Format Read numbers Read clock times Read dates Read money amounts


Reference Materials Use a simple picture dictionary

Listening CASAS 180 and below Best Plus 400 and below

Phonology Recognize and distinguish between the various sounds of English (e.g., vowels, consonants, minimal pairs, rhymes) Recognize words and sounds when they are modified by adjacent sounds (e.g., final “s”: walks[s] vs. plays[z]; final “-ed”: walked [t] vs. played [d]) Distinguish individual words in connected speech Distinguish basic stress and intonation patterns in English words and sentences (e.g., rising intonation for yes/no questions, emphasis) Demonstrate understanding of simple words in context of common everyday situations (i.e., foods, parts of body, types of transportation, clothing items) Vocabulary Comprehend simple words and phrases in basic communication in familiar contexts (e.g., basic courtesies, personal information, survival, emergency) Recognize letters of the alphabet, letters in words, and numbers when spelled or dictated Comprehend high frequency words, phrases, phrasal verbs and simple idioms used in a variety of everyday contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, simple descriptions, directions) Comprehend simple words, phrases, and idioms drawn from functional life skill topics (e.g., shopping, housing, health, transportation, employment Grammar Comprehend basic grammar and structures with present tense verbs and modals of high-frequency usage (e.g., to be, to do, to need, to have, can) Distinguish between simple questions (e.g., WH- & yes/no) and statements Recognize negative constructions Recognize pronouns and follow pronouns across a statement (e.g., Carlos lives with his mother.)


Recognize contracted forms Recognize imperative constructions Recognize noun plurals General Discourse Comprehend simple learned social exchanges Comprehend simple conversations Comprehend simply expressed states and feelings Informational Discourse Comprehend short emergency warnings and commands (e.g., Stop! Wait!)


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English as a Second Language Low Beginning SPL 2

Reading

CASAS 181-190 Beginning Literacy/Phonics Identify the letters of the English alphabet (upper and lower case) Relate letters to sounds Relate letters to a range of possible pronunciations, including recognizing common homonyms Use common phonological patterns to sound out unfamiliar words (e.g., man/van) Vocabulary Interpret common symbols (e.g., restroom signs, traffic signs, workplace signs; #, ↑, &) Read basic sight words (e.g., the, is) Use capitalization as a clue to interpret words (e.g., names, place names, other proper nouns) Interpret high frequency words and phrases in everyday contexts (e.g., signs, ads, labels) Interpret contractions Interpret basic abbreviations (e.g., Mr., apt., lb.) Interpret meaning from word formations (e.g., verb endings, plurals, possessives, comparative forms) General Reading Comprehension Interpret common punctuation and sentence-writing conventions (e.g., capitalized first word) Read and understand simple sentences that contain familiar vocabulary Interpret simple written instructions Interpret basic sentence structure and grammar (e.g., statements, questions, negatives; adjectives modifying nouns) Follow pronoun references within a text (e.g., Mrs. Smith…she) Use supporting illustrations to interpret text


Text in Format Read numbers Read dates Read money amounts Read simple handwriting Interpret simple forms (e.g., appointment sign-in sheet, class registration) Interpret information in charts and tables (e.g., bus schedule) Interpret written materials using formatting clues (e.g., headings, captions, bullets, print features such as bold) Reference materials Find a work or number in an alphabetical, numeric, or other ordered listing (e.g., telephone directory, list of part numbers at workplace) Use a picture dictionary Use a simplified dictionary or glossary Reading Strategies and Thinking Skills Predict the content of a text from title, pictures, type of material Scan simple text (e.g., ads, schedules, forms, paragraphs) to find specific information Determine the sequence of events in a simple narrative Identify the main idea of a simple paragraph

Listening CASAS 181-190 BEST Plus 401-417

Phonology Recognize and distinguish between the various sounds of English (e.g., vowels, consonants, minimal pairs, rhymes) Recognize words and sounds when they are modified by adjacent sounds (e.g., final “s”: walks[s] vs. plays[z]; final “-ed”: walked [t] vs. played [d]) Distinguish individual words in connected speech


Distinguish basic stress and intonation patterns in English words and sentences (e.g., rising intonation for yes/no questions, emphasis) Vocabulary Comprehend simple words and phrases in basic communication in familiar contexts (e.g., basic courtesies, personal information, survival, emergency) Recognize letters of the alphabet, letters in words, and numbers when spelled or dictated Comprehend high frequency words, phrases, phrasal verbs and simple idioms used in a variety of everyday contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, simple descriptions, directions) Comprehend simple words, phrases, and idioms drawn from functional life skill topics (e.g., shopping, housing, health, transportation, employment Grammar Comprehend basic grammar and structures with present tense verbs and modals of high-frequency usage (e.g., to be, to do, to need, to have, can) Distinguish between simple questions (e.g., WH- & yes/no) and statements Recognize negative constructions Recognize pronouns and follow pronouns across a statement (e.g., Carlos lives with his mother.) Recognize contracted forms Recognize imperative constructions Recognize noun plurals General Discourse Comprehend simple learned social exchanges Comprehend simple conversations Comprehend simply expressed states and feelings Informational Discourse Comprehend short emergency warnings and commands (e.g., Stop! Wait!) Comprehend brief messages (e.g., Your husband called. Ms. Garcia wants to see you right away.) Comprehend brief non-face-to-face messages or announcements (e.g., The store will close in ten minutes.) Comprehend simple single-step instructions, explanations, and directions (e.g., Turn off the lights. Put the boxes in the back.)


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English as a Second Language High Beginning SPL 3

Reading

CASAS 191-200 Beginning Literacy/Phonics Relate letters to a range of possible pronunciations, including recognizing common homonyms Use common phonological patterns to sound out unfamiliar words (e.g., man/van) Vocabulary Interpret common symbols (e.g., restroom signs, traffic signs, workplace signs; #, ↑, &) Read basic sight words (e.g., the, is) Use capitalization as a clue to interpret words (e.g., names, place names, other proper nouns) Interpret high frequency words and phrases in everyday contexts (e.g., signs, ads, labels) Interpret contractions Interpret basic abbreviations (e.g., Mr., apt., lb.) Interpret meaning from word formations (e.g., verb endings, plurals, possessives, comparative forms) Interpret common prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of words (e.g., unhappy, worker) General Reading Comprehension Interpret common punctuation and sentence-writing conventions (e.g., capitalized first word) Read and understand simple texts on familiar topics (e.g., short narratives, basic consumer materials) Read and understand moderately complex texts (e.g., general information materials, common workplace materials) Interpret simple written instructions Interpret basic sentence structure and grammar (e.g., statements, questions, negatives; adjectives modifying nouns) Follow pronoun references within a text (e.g., Mrs. Smith…she) Use supporting illustrations to interpret text


Interpret signal words as clues to the organization and content of a text (e.g., first…then) Text in Format Read dates Read simple maps, diagrams, graphs Read simple handwriting Interpret simple forms (e.g., appointment sign-in sheet, class registration) Interpret information in charts and tables (e.g., bus schedule) Interpret written materials using formatting clues (e.g., headings, captions, bullets, print features such as bold) Reference materials Find a work or number in an alphabetical, numeric, or other ordered listing (e.g., telephone directory, list of part numbers at workplace) Locate information organized in groups or categories (e.g., in a department directory, catalog) Use a simplified dictionary or glossary Reading Strategies and Thinking Skills Predict the content of a text from title, pictures, type of material Scan simple text (e.g., ads, schedules, forms, paragraphs) to find specific information Determine the sequence of events in a simple narrative Identify the main idea of a simple paragraph Make inferences and draw conclusions from a simple narrative

Listening CASAS 191- 200 BEST Plus 418-438

Phonology Recognize and distinguish between the various sounds of English (e.g., vowels, consonants, minimal pairs, rhymes) Recognize words and sounds when they are modified by adjacent sounds (e.g., final “s”: walks[s] vs. plays[z]; final “-ed”: walked [t] vs. played [d])


Distinguish individual words in connected speech Distinguish basic stress and intonation patterns in English words and sentences (e.g., rising intonation for yes/no questions, emphasis) Vocabulary Comprehend simple words and phrases in basic communication in familiar contexts (e.g., basic courtesies, personal information, survival, emergency) Recognize letters of the alphabet, letters in words, and numbers when spelled or dictated Comprehend high frequency words, phrases, phrasal verbs and simple idioms used in a variety of everyday contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, simple descriptions, directions) Comprehend simple words, phrases, and idioms drawn from functional life skill topics (e.g., shopping, housing, health, transportation, employment Comprehend speech that contains unfamiliar vocabulary using contextual clues Grammar Comprehend basic grammar and structures with present tense verbs and modals of high-frequency usage (e.g., to be, to do, to need) Distinguish between simple questions (e.g., WH- & yes/no) and statements Recognize negative constructions Comprehend comparative forms of adjectives (e.g., faster, fastest) Recognize contracted forms Recognize imperative constructions Recognize noun plurals Recognize the possessive form of nouns and pronouns and follow pronouns across a statement (e.g., Carlos lives with his mother.) General Discourse Comprehend simple learned social exchanges Comprehend simple conversations and brief non face-to-face communication (e.g., short phone calls, personal messages) Comprehend simply expressed states and feelings Comprehend abbreviated forms of speech (e.g., Want some?)


Informational Discourse Comprehend brief messages (e.g., Your husband called. Ms. Garcia wants to see you right away.) Comprehend brief non-face-to-face messages or announcements (e.g., The store will close in ten minutes.) Comprehend simple single-step instructions, explanations, and directions (e.g., Turn off the lights. Put the boxes in the back.) Strategies and Critical Thinking Identify the topic, main idea, or gist of brief discourse and listen for simple specific details (e.g., What time will the train leave?) Make inferences from simple statements or conversation and use non-language-based clues to guess meaning (e.g., gestures) Predict context of discourse types-genre that follow common patterns (e.g., doctor talking to patient, narratives)



English as a Second Language Low Intermediate SPL 4

Reading

CASAS 201-210 Vocabulary Interpret high frequency words and phrases in everyday contexts (e.g., signs, ads, labels) Interpret contractions Interpret basic abbreviations (e.g., Mr., apt., lb.) and abbreviations in specialized contexts (e.g., tsp., bnfts.) Interpret meaning from word formations (e.g., verb endings, plurals, possessives, comparative forms) Interpret common prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of words (e.g., unhappy, worker) Interpret familiar words used in a new context (e.g., enter a room, enter data on a computer) General Reading Comprehension Read and understand simple texts on familiar topics (e.g., short narratives, basic consumer materials) and read and understand moderately complex texts (e.g., general information materials, common workplace materials) Interpret simple written instructions Interpret basic sentence structure and grammar (e.g., statements, questions, negatives; adjectives modifying nouns) Follow pronoun references within a text (e.g., Mrs. Smith…she) Use contextual clues to determine the meaning of words and phrases (e.g., Save $10 on your next purchase.) Interpret idioms and collocations from context Interpret signal words as clues to the organization and content of a text (e.g., first…then) Text in Format Read simple handwriting Interpret maps, diagrams, and graphs Interpret simple forms (e.g., appointment sign-in sheet, class registration)


Interpret information in charts and tables (e.g., bus schedule) Interpret written materials using formatting clues (e.g., headings, captions, bullets, print features such as bold) Reference materials Locate information using a table of contents or index (e.g., of a book, manual) Locate information organized in groups or categories (e.g., in a department directory, catalog) Use a simplified dictionary or glossary Reading Strategies and Thinking Skills Predict the content of a text from title, pictures, type of material Scan simple text (e.g., ads, schedules, forms, paragraphs) to find specific information and skim simple text for general meaning Determine the sequence of events in a simple narrative Identify the main idea of a multiparagraph text Make inferences and draw conclusions from a simple narrative Increase reading fluency (accuracy, speed)


Phonology Recognize reduced forms of words and phrases (e.g., gonna, gimme; Did you/Didja) Vocabulary Comprehend high frequency words, phrases, phrasal verbs and simple idioms used in a variety of everyday contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, simple descriptions, directions) and comprehend speech that contains unfamiliar vocabulary using contextual clues Comprehend simple words, phrases, and idioms drawn from functional life skill topics (e.g., shopping, housing, health, employment) Comprehend homonyms in context (e.g., There’s a hole in the bag. / Get a whole bag.) Comprehend words changed by prefixes, suffixes, etc. (e.g., happy/unhappy; govern, government) Grammar Recognize contracted forms


Recognize imperative constructions Recognize negative constructions Distinguish between simple questions (e.g., WH- & yes/no) and statements Recognize noun plurals Comprehend comparative forms of adjectives (e.g., faster, fastest) Recognize the possessive form of nouns and pronouns and follow pronouns across a statement (e.g., Carlos lives with his mother.) Recognize signal words and cohesive devices that give clues to organization and content of a message (e.g., first…then, well, anyway etc.) General Discourse Comprehend simple conversations and brief non face-to-face communication (e.g., short phone calls, personal messages) Comprehend extended conversations Comprehend simply expressed states and feelings Comprehend abbreviated forms of speech (e.g., Want some?) Informational Discourse Comprehend brief messages (e.g., Your husband called. Ms. Garcia wants to see you right away.) Comprehend brief non-face-to-face messages or announcements (e.g., The store will close in ten minutes.) Comprehend simple single-step instructions, explanations, and directions (e.g., Turn off the lights. Put the boxes in the back.) Comprehend multi-step instructions (e.g., Turn off the lights when you leave and lock the door.) Strategies and Critical Thinking Identify the topic, main idea, or gist of brief discourse and listen for simple specific details (e.g., What time will the train leave?) Make inferences from simple statements or conversation and use non-language-based clues to guess meaning (e.g., gestures) Predict context of discourse types-genre that follow common patterns (e.g., doctor talking to patient, narratives) Listen for specific details of brief discourse (e.g., What time will the plane leave?) Demonstrate understanding of hypothetical situations (e.g., You are a patient. What do you say to the doctor?)


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English as a Second Language High Intermediate SPL 5

Reading

CASAS 211-220 Vocabulary Interpret abbreviations in specialized contexts (e.g., tsp., bnfts.) Interpret meaning from word formations (e.g., verb endings, plurals, possessives, comparative forms) Interpret common prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of words (e.g., unhappy, worker) and interpret less frequent prefixes and suffixes (e.g., impossible, anit-war, employee) Interpret familiar words used in a new context (e.g., enter a room, enter data on a computer) General Reading Comprehension Read and understand moderately complex texts (e.g., general information materials, common workplace materials) Make connections between related information across different sections of a text Interpret complex sentence structure and grammar (e.g., relative clauses, perfect tenses) Interpret the connotative meaning of a word (e.g., inexpensive vs. cheap) Use contextual clues to determine the meaning of words and phrases (e.g., Save $10 on your next purchase.) Interpret idioms and collocations from context Interpret signal words as clues to the organization and content of a text (e.g., first…then; however; it’s important that) Text in Format Interpret maps, diagrams, and graphs Interpret simple forms (e.g., appointment sign-in sheet, class registration) and interpret complex forms (e.g., rental, insurance, pay stubs) Interpret information in charts and tables (e.g., bus schedule) Interpret written materials using formatting clues (e.g., headings, captions, bullets, print features such as bold)


Reference materials Locate information using a table of contents or index (e.g., of a book, manual) Locate information organized in groups or categories (e.g., in a department directory, catalog) Use a simplified dictionary or glossary and use a standard dictionary to distinguish between multiple meanings of a word Reading Strategies and Thinking Skills Predict the content of a text from title, pictures, type of material Scan simple and complex text (e.g., ads, schedules, forms, paragraphs) to find specific information and skim simple and complex text for general meaning Determine the sequence of events in a complex narrative Identify the main idea of a multiparagraph text and identify details in text Make inferences and draw conclusions from a complex narrative Increase reading fluency (accuracy, speed) Paraphrase information Differentiate fact from opinion in a written text Compare related information from various sources (e.g., consumer ads)


Phonology Recognize reduced forms of words and phrases (e.g., gonna, gimme; Did you/Didja) Recognize location of stress in multi-syllable words (e.g., My address is 312 Date Street. vs. Please address this envelope.) Recognize moods, emotions, and attitudes conveyed by pronunciation and stress patterns (e.g., Stress and intonation can change I don’t believe it! from an expression of skepticism to an exclamation of surprise.)


Vocabulary Comprehend high frequency words, phrases, phrasal verbs and simple idioms used in a variety of everyday contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, simple descriptions, directions) Comprehend simple words, phrases, and idioms drawn from functional life skill topics (e.g., shopping, housing, health, transportation, employment) Comprehend homonyms in context (e.g., There’s a hole in the bag. / Get a whole bag.) Comprehend words changed by prefixes, suffixes, etc. (e.g., happy/unhappy; govern, government) Comprehend speech that contains unfamiliar vocabulary using contextual clues Grammar Comprehend intermediate level grammar and structures (e.g., simple past, modals, real conditional, present perfect, compound simple sentences) Comprehend comparative forms of adjectives (e.g., faster, fastest) Recognize signal words and cohesive devices that give clues to organization and content of a message (e.g., first…then, well, anyway etc.) Comprehend comparative forms of adjectives (e.g., faster, fastest) and adverbs (e.g., more quickly, the most quickly) Recognize a range of question types (e.g., embedded questions, tag questions) General Discourse Comprehend extended conversations and brief non-face-to-face communication (e.g., short phone calls, personal messages) Comprehend extended social narrative (e.g., a description of weekend activities) Comprehend simply expressed states and feelings Comprehend abbreviated forms of speech (e.g., Want some?) Recognize fillers and place holders in speech (e.g., you know, like) Comprehend media messages with visual support (e.g., TV news, weather reports) Understand humor, jokes, irony



Informational Discourse Comprehend multi-step instructions (e.g., Turn off the lights when you leave and lock the door.) Comprehend detailed instructions, explanations and directions in a range of contexts (e.g., specialized contexts such as workplace procedures) Strategies and Critical Thinking Identify the topic, main idea, or gist of brief discourse and listen for simple specific details in extended narrative (e.g., What time will the train leave?) Make inferences from simple statements or conversation and use non-language-based clues to guess meaning (e.g., gestures) Predict context of discourse types-genre that follow common patterns (e.g., doctor talking to patient, narratives) Listen for specific details of brief discourse (e.g., What time will the plane leave?) Demonstrate understanding of hypothetical situations (e.g., You are a patient. What do you say to the doctor?) Determine when clarification is necessary

cs all esl efls final 6-09

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