Checklist for identifying reading difficulties

at each of the levels of text

Highlighted areas in the checklist below are linked to corresponding teaching strategies

Click here to print the PDF format of this checklist

Identify the student's demonstrated reading behaviours by ticking the boxes.

Levels of text	Knowledge of writing conventions, the 'what' of reading.
WORD LEVEL Word bank may have less accurate sound and/or spelling forms.	The student: has difficulty blending sounds to form a word has difficulty sounding out words into sounds (segmenting) has difficulty identifying letters and/or letter clusters takes longer to recall names and sounds of letters, letter clusters and words has difficulty using letter cluster knowledge used in one word to assist reading another word with a similar cluster pattern- analogy (eg. Reads w-ent, should be able to read s-ent, w-ant) doesn't recognise letter clusters (e.g. sp-ent) or digraphs (e.g. oa / th) in words is inconsistent with letter identification, learning the visual code The student relies heavily on these reading strategies: converts each letter to a sound and blends sounds segments words into letters or inappropriate clusters (e.g. wi-nd-ow) predicts words on the basis of an individual letter and/or a letter cluster
SENTENCE LEVEL	The student: has restricted, immature grammar demonstrates limited use of punctuation to gain sequence of meaning is less likely to use rehearsal and/or chunking strategies has limited recall of a story just read does not re-read sentences to assist comprehension does not paraphrase text read has difficulty generating questions about text has difficulty visualising information from text reads word-by-word, with uneven flow, in monotone
CONCEPTUAL AND TOPIC LEVELS Knowledge may be organised in episodes with contextual links rather than in a networked format	The student: makes limited use of prior knowledge to assist reading new texts makes limited use of title and pictures as part of story orientation appears unable to link ideas occurring early in a text to ideas that occur later in the same text does not demonstrate knowledge of genre type does not elaborate, infer, predict and/or summarise while reading

Self-management and control strategies
Examples of strategies you might see student's use are: review or consolidate what they have readinitiate corrective action monitor how their reading is progressing decide when to re-read take further strategic action if necessary review and self-question, self talk self-correctorganise information to fit purpose for reading * uses contextual cues Please tick the most appropriate box This student has the knowledge and demonstrates reading strategies This student has the knowledge but does not demonstrate reading strategies This student doesn't have the knowledge or demonstrate reading strategies This student overuses one or two of these reading strategies
*Oral language knowledge* The student may have difficulty in oral language at word level, learning how words are said ('crinimal' for 'criminal' ) less aware of sounds in words remembering names of items difficulty building a word bank (receptive vocabulary) smaller expressive vocabulary difficulty learning word meanings a less developed network of word meanings (e.g. antonyms, synonyms) at sentence level understanding complex grammatical forms in oral comprehension at conceptual level how ideas are linked into themes at topic or theme level how a theme is communicated in a narrative, description at the pragmatic or dispositional level how the social context affects how ideas are communicated the attitudes and values of the writer towards the ideas in the text.			Experiential knowledge; The student demonstrates: use of personal experiences visual imagery knowledge motor knowledge knowledge of symbols
Sensory input to the knowledge base and motor aspects of expressive language
Auditory input The student has a history of hearing problems	Visual input The student has a history of vision problems	Motion input The student has a history of motor problems		Articulatory processes The student has a history of speech problems


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