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Grade 4 Language Arts Scoring & Interpretation Guide 2020
Grade 4 Language Arts Scoring & Interpretation Guide 2020
Grade 4 Language Arts Scoring & Interpretation Guide 2020
INFORMATION
LANGUAGE ARTS
SEPTEMBER 2020
Table of Contents
The 2020 Grade 4 Diagnostic Test was developed to be administered to students who have
completed Grade 3 and are preparing to begin Grade 4. The purpose of the test is to identify
students’ strengths and weaknesses in the critical content areas needed to access content at the
next grade level. The objectives measured by this test were therefore selected after a thorough
audit of the grade 3 curriculum, taking into consideration objectives from that domain which are
critical to student learning in grade 4.
This test consists of sixty (60) multiple choice items. The items consist of a stem and three
options (A, B, C) from which students are required to select only one. Each item seeks to
distinguish between students’ levels of understanding of the content being measured based on the
option selected. The Pearson Distractor Rationale Taxonomy was used as the framework in the
development of the options. Each option represents a different level of student understanding.
The taxonomy has three levels which are described in the table below. Levels 1 and 2 describe
the nature of students’ misunderstanding, while level 3 represents the correct response.
Level of
Student Error
Understanding
Teachers are expected to use the students’ choices to inform the design of the intervention
programme required.
Strand: Phonics
Read words with consonant blends in the initial and final positions.
Objective:
Item
This item requires students to identify the end sound of a given word
Description:
3 C st Correct Response
Strand: Phonics
Identify long vowel sounds and blend these with consonant sounds to read
Objective:
words
Item
This item requires student to identify a word with the long ‘o’ sound
Description:
Strand: Phonics
Determine the silent letters in targeted words
Objective:
Read words with silent letters ‘w’ ‘l’ ‘b’ ‘t’ ‘k’ ‘u’ and ‘h’
Item
This item requires students to identify a word with the silent ‘w’
Description:
student pronounces the ‘wh’ sound but associates it with the silent
2 B whistle
‘w’.
Strand: Phonics
Read words with vowel digraphs, diphthongs and vowels controlled by ‘l’ ‘r’
Objective:
and ‘w’
Item This item requires students to identify the word that in which the vowel is
Description: controlled by the ‘w’
Strand: Phonics
Objective: Read words with clusters in the initial and final position.
Item This item requires students to identify a word which has a cluster in the initial
Description: position
Strand: Phonics
Spell and practice correct pronunciation of the ‘ear’, ‘er’, ‘ar’ vowels by
Objective: applying appropriate articulation of the sounds, given the words in which the
vowels are used.
Item
This item requires students to identify a word that is correctly spelled.
Description:
A. torezim
B. tourism
C. tourism
Strand: Vocabulary
Use different strategies to spell tricky words or words with irregular grapho-
Objective:
phonic relationships
Item
This item requires students to select a word that is spelled correctly
Description:
Strand: Vocabulary
Objective: Revise and use syllabications rules to improve vocabulary and spelling.
Item
This item requires students count the number of syllables in a given word
Description:
3 A 3 Correct Response
Strand: Vocabulary
Item This item requires the students to give the correct meaning of a given word
Description: (with multiple meanings).
Strand: Vocabulary
Begin to use the knowledge of root words and affixes to determine the meaning
Objective:
of words
Item This item requires students identify the prefix that changes the meaning of a
Description: word when added
3 C un Correct Response
Strand: Vocabulary
Objective: Read in isolation and in context, sight words appropriate to the grade level
Item This item requires students to use context clues to select the correct sight word
Description: to complete the sentence.
Correct Response
3 A eight
Strand: Vocabulary
Use context clues, pictures, words, sentences, paragraphs as an aid to gain new
meaning of unfamiliar words
Item This item requires students to use context clues to confirm the meaning of the
Description: underlined word in the sentence.
1 A counts to a dozen Student associates the word with matching letters in the
word (dozes) in the sentence.
Student associates snoring with sleeping as mentioned in
2 C snores
the sentence.
Strand: Vocabulary
Use context clues, pictures, words, sentences, paragraphs as an aid to gain new
meaning of unfamiliar words
Item This item requires the student to use context clues to confirm the meaning of
Description: the underlined word in the sentence.
Another name for zipper is a Student associates of the action of zipping and
1 C
fly unzipping to ‘movement’.
A fly was buzzing outside Student associates meaning is with a fly (noun)
2 B
my window moving through the air
I fly my new kite every day
3 A after school Correct Response
Strand: Vocabulary
Item This item requires students to use context clues and the knowledge of antonym
Description: to find the opposite of the underlined word.
Strand: Vocabulary
Item This item requires students to apply the concept of homonyms to select the
Description: most appropriate word to complete the sentence.
Strand: Vocabulary
Use with greater effectiveness and accuracy context clues, pictures, words,
Objective:
sentences, paragraphs as an aid to gain meaning of unfamiliar words
Item This item requires students to apply context clues along with pictures to state
Description: the meaning of the highlighted word in the sentence.
Use negative forms of verbs “to be” and “to do”, ie ‘am not’, ‘is not’, ‘do not’,
Objective:
‘did not’ to write for a variety of purposes
Item This item requires students to use knowledge of the verb “to be” to generate the
Description: negative variant in a context.
Item This item requires the student to use their knowledge of regular and irregular
Description: verbs to complete the sentence.
Item
This item requires the students use their knowledge of gender specific nouns.
Description:
Item This item requires students to use the content of the story to develop a suitable
Description: heading for the story.
Item
This item requires students to use their knowledge of pronouns.
Description:
3 A I Correct Response
Item This item requires students to apply their knowledge of pronouns in different
Description: contexts.
Item This item requires students to use their knowledge of conjunction to show
Description: contrasting ideas.
Item
This item requires students to correctly use subject/verb agreement?
Description:
Demonstrate knowledge of the various forms of the verb i.e. present, past and
Objective:
past participle (regular and irregular)
Item
Student will be required to use correct verb tense to complete the sentences.
Description:
Item
Student will be required to use correct verb tense to complete the sentences.
Description:
Objective: Identify and use the concept of the past participle to build writing skills
Item
Student will be required to use correct verb tense to complete the sentences.
Description:
Use of the forms of ‘to have’, ‘to do’, and ‘to be’ to construct sentences
Objective:
(present and past) that can be negated using the negative form ‘not’ e.g. has
not, have not, had not, do not, does, did not
Item
Student will be required to use correct verb tense to complete the sentences.
Description:
Objective: Apply the use of the future tense form of verbs using will + verb
Item
Student will be required to use correct verb tense to complete the sentences.
Description:
Apply the concept of subject verb agreement with we/they and other plural
Objective: subjects e.g. We write They listen…
Item Student will be required to use correct subject/verb agreement to complete the
Description: sentences.
Item This item requires students to use their knowledge of prepositions to identify
Description: the most appropriate word to complete the sentence.
Practice the use of adjectives (regular) when comparing two nouns (-er) and
Objective:
more than two nouns (-est)
Item This item requires students to apply their knowledge comparative and
Description: superlative adjectives.
Item
Student will be required to make comparisons using “more” and “than”.
Description:
Formulate and apply rules for the use of singular and plural demonstrative
Objective:
pronouns
Item
This item requires students to use singular and plural demonstrative pronouns.
Description:
Use a range of adjectives (oral and /or written) when describing size, shape,
Objective:
colour, texture
Item Student will be required to use adjectives to describe size, shape, colour,
Description: texture
Item
This item requires students to use suffixes to complete the sentence.
Description:
1 B box noun
2 C read verb
Item
The student is required to use the correct adverb to complete the sentence.
Description:
Use punctuation marks accurately (full stop, comma, and question sign) to
Objective:
compose simple sentences/paragraphs
Item
This item requires students to use correctly use punctuation marks.
Description:
3 C ? Correct Response
Use question marks to construct questions with ‘do’, ‘who’, ‘where’ , ‘which’
Objective:
, ‘when’
Item This item requires students to use construct questions with ‘do’, ‘who’,
Description: ‘where’ , ‘which’ , ‘when’
Item This item requires students to use construct questions with ‘do’, ‘who’,
Description: ‘where’ , ‘which’ , ‘when’
3 A Do Correct Response
Item
Students will be required to use the apostrophe to make contractions
Description:
Show appropriate use of the apostrophe (‘) when writing singular possessive
Objective:
nouns
Item Students will be required to use the apostrophe when writing singular
Description: possessive nouns
Show appropriate use of the apostrophe (‘) when writing singular possessive
Objective:
nouns
Item Students will be required to use the apostrophe when writing singular
Description: possessive nouns
Item
This item requires the student to identify the correctly punctuated sentence
Description:
Strand: Writing
Use a variety of pre-writing strategies (e.g. webbing, brainstorming, listening,
note taking, outlining, drafting, graphic organizers) to choose a topic and
organize ideas
Objective:
Develop headings for sets of simple sentences/paragraphs
Item
This item requires students to use multiple strategies to develop headings.
Description:
Strand: Writing
Write fully developed paragraphs using proper forms ( e.g. topic sentence,
Objective: details, summary, conclusion sentence)
Item
This item requires students to use supporting details to identify topic sentence.
Description:
Strand: Writing
Item
This item requires students to use supporting details to identify the main idea.
Description:
We relax in
1 B Statement of fact
hammocks.
Strand: Writing
Use a variety of pre-writing strategies (e.g. webbing, brainstorming, listening,
note taking, outlining, drafting, graphic organizers) to choose a topic and
Objective: organize ideas
Item This item requires students to use supporting details to help to develop story
Description: titles
Strand: Writing
Write fully developed paragraphs using proper forms ( e.g. topic sentence,
Objective:
details, summary, conclusion sentence)
This item requires students to use supporting details to identify topic
Item Description:
sentence.
2 C I love to sit under the logwood tree. Student has some knowledge of content
Trees help us to have fresh air to
3 A Correct Response
breathe.
Item This item requires students to use supporting details and main idea to
Description: summarize texts.
Item
This item requires students to use text information to make inferences.
Description:
Identify text features in text books and non-fiction texts (bold face prints,
Objective:
italics, diagraphs, headings, sub headings etc.)
Item
This item requires students to identify text features.
Description:
Item
This item requires students to distinguish between fact and opinion.
Description:
Item This item requires students to make a link between main idea and supporting
Description: details.
Item
This item requires students decipher the poem to respond to question asked.
Description:
1 C the leaves become dry Unrelated to text; use of prior knowledge, not text based.
the leaves fall off the Text based; reflects analysis and interpretation but
2 B
tree inference is secondary.
3 A the leaves tremble Correct Response
Item
This item requires students decipher the poem to respond to question asked.
Description:
Item
This item requires students decipher the poem to respond to question asked.
Description:
Item
This item requires students to decipher the poem to respond to question asked.
Description:
For each item number, tick the level of the response that the student selected.
Level of
Item DOK
Strand Objective Understanding
Number Level
1 2 3
Read words with consonant blends in
1
the initial and final positions 1
Spell and practice correct
pronunciation of the ‘aw’, ‘au’,
‘augh’, ‘ough’, ‘a’ vowels by
2
applying appropriate articulation of
the sounds, given the words in which 2
the vowels are used.
14 3
Use reference sources to confirm
words meanings and appropriate use
of targeted words in context.
55
Make text to text, text to self and text 3
to word connections
57
Discuss meaning in poetry 2
TOTAL
For each cluster, indicate the number of responses that the student selected at each of the four
levels. This will give you a summary of the student’s performance in the concepts measured by
the cluster.
Number of Responses at each
Number
Strand Level
of Items
1 2 3 4
Phonics 7
Vocabulary 10
Language Structure 29
Writing 5
Reading Comprehension 9
TOTAL 60
The teacher is encouraged to use the data gathered in the Individual Student Performance table
on page 75 to develop an intervention plan for students. Teachers should identify any patterns
that may exist in a student’s levels of understanding in a strand and develop instructional
approaches that directly address the student’s breakdown in understanding in the content areas
identified. To maximize the benefit of instructional intervention, teachers should also evaluate
the performance of their class and identify any patterns that may exist based on students’ levels
of understanding in various strands. Intervention plans should then be designed to address the
general weaknesses of the group in the content areas identified.