New Primary Language Curriculum Reading Progression Steps A-D

Learning A B C D
outcomes: The child... The child... The child... The child...
Communicating

1. Engagement Listens and attends Enjoys listening to Enjoys read-aloud Enjoys read-aloud
to a range of stories and responds activities and talks activities and identifies
reading material. to focal points in about illustrations, and detail in illustrations and
illustrations. reads in play scenarios. shares interpretation of
these, and uses reading
more purposefully in
play scenarios.

2. Motivation Shows a preference Looks at books Independently and with Chooses and enjoys
and choice
for particular and chooses others, chooses and favourite books from
reading material. favourite ones. engages with texts for a range of genres
enjoyment and interest. expressing preferences.

3. Conventions of Explores books and Recognises and/or Understands that Identifies letters as
Print and sen-
tence structure demonstrates book identifies that print illustrations in books being different from
handling skills. such as signs, logos, carry meaning. other symbols and
pictures and words reads left to right, top
carry meaning. to bottom, page to
page and identifies
pictures in books.
4. Phonological and Acknowledges and Identifies Completes missing Identifies and generates
phoneme awareness
responds to familiar familiar sounds. lines in nursery rhyming words,
sounds, rhymes rhymes and recognising onset-rime.
and songs. Listens to and recognises sounds of
participates in familiar letters. Distinguishes between
familiar sounds, two spoken sounds.
rhymes and songs. demonstrates an
awareness of changes
Understanding

in sounds of words.

5. Phonics, word Explores sign, symbol Recognises Recognises and names Recognises, names and
recognition and
word study and word recognition. some letters familiar letters such sounds some lower-
from own name. as those in own name case and upper-case
and in the immediate letters and begins to
Identifies signs, environment, and blend phonemes.
symbols and words. recognises some
personal and other Recognises a few
familiar words. high-frequency words
in familiar contexts and
Links familiar printed uses one or two letters,
signs or names to often first and last, to
objects or people. identify other words.
recognises some uses pictorial cues to
similarities and/ read some words.
or differences
between a pair of
pictures/ objects.
 New Primary Language Curriculum Reading Progression Steps A-D

Learning A B C D
Understanding

outcomes: The child... The child... The child... The child...

6. Vocabulary Listens to new Listens to new Acquires new vocabulary Acquires new vocabulary
words and phrases words and phrases listening to a variety of listening to new words
represented by text, represented by text, texts read aloud and and phrases modelled by
modelled by another. modelled by another, repeats new words the teacher and begins
and uses them in and phrases in their to demonstrate some
emerging reading. emerging reading. understanding.

7. Purpose, Recognises the link Enjoys listening to Enjoys listening to Enjoys listening to and
genre and voice between text and the stories, rhymes and different genres◊ responding to a variety
meaning it conveys. poems read by others, expressing preferences of genres◊ including
and indicates favourites. and opinions and plays informational texts and
with language in rhymes, uses language playfully
riddles, jokes, nonsense and imaginatively in
words and songs. personal narratives.

Shows understanding of
purpose of reading, for
example, in play scenarios.

8. Response and Responds to a Responds to a range Expresses some thoughts Expresses thoughts and
authors intent range of texts. of texts, indicating and feelings about feelings about what has
preferences. what has been read in a been read and identifies
variety of ways. the main idea from the text.

9. Demonstrates Sequences a story Sequences main events Begins to determine the

Exploring and Using

Comprehension understanding of one read or a personal using a small number importance of information
or more signs, symbols experience using of pictures. and retells main points of
or text for enjoyment or 2-3 objects, marks, a story in sequence.
practical purposes. drawings or mimes. Predicts a story based
on the front cover and Predicts the story/topic
Finds specific objects internal illustrations based on title while
in stories read to them before and during the drawing on their prior
and responds non- teacher’s reading of it knowledge and visualises
verbally and/or verbally and makes inferences. while listening to the
to simple statements teacher read a story or
and questions about Makes connections informational text.
a main event or between points in a story
character. while listening to the
teacher read.

Responds non-verbally
and/or verbally to simple
stories and poems
and asks and answers
questions about main
events and characters.

10. Fluency and Participates in using Handles books and Understands that text Recognises when a word
self-correction reading material. takes part in group tells the same story each has been omitted or read
activities with familiar time it is read. tracks the incorrectly in repetitive
text begins to track the direction of reading with familiar text read to them.
direction of reading with their eyes, attending to begins to track pictures
their eyes, attending lines read in books read to and words using their
to each page change them by others. finger or object.
in books read to them
by others.