safal_framework handbook

SAFAL Structured Assessment for Analyzing Learning Language Assessment Framework Handbook



Table of Contents Preface 5 Background and Overview of SAFAL 6 Purpose and Objectives of SAFAL 7 Principles for Development of SAFAL Assessment 8 Principles underlying Development of Language 8 Framework under SAFAL 9 • Salient Features of SAFAL Language Framework 10 Understanding the Structure of Language Assess- ment Framework 11 • Strands & Competencies under Language Framework - 14 Grades 3, 5 and 8 16 18 • Grade 3 Language Framework (English) 20 • Grade 3 Language Framework (Hindi) 21 • Grade 5 Language Framework (English) 24 • Grade 5 Language Framework (Hindi) • Grade 8 Language Framework (English) 27 • Grade 8 Language Framework (Hindi) 28 Reporting and Interpretation of Results 34 Appendix Acknowledgements



Preface The National Education Policy (2020) recognizes high quality Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) as an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning. The quality of assessments in elementary grades can play a pivotal role in measuring progress towards achieving this goal and also provide guidance to each stakeholder in the system for improving learning levels. NEP 2020 recommends transforming the assessment system to promote development of students and suggests a shift from testing rote memorization to competency-based learning. To map progress throughout school years, the NEP 2020 proposes an annual school examination for all students in Grades 3, 5, and 8. This assessment will focus on testing core concepts, application of knowledge and higher order thinking skills. Structured Assessment for Analyzing Learning (SAFAL) will ensure progress throughout school years by providing diagnostic information about students’ learning to schools and thus, support school education to move towards competency-based education. A competency based SAFAL assessment framework has been designed for grades 3, 5 and 8 to achieve the same. The SAFAL Assessment Framework communicates the purpose and characteristics of the assessments. It emphasises the validity of the assessment by making explicit the aim of the assessment, and what it will cover in terms of content, skills, knowledge, and context. It includes domains, strands competencies, and defines learning outcomes or indicators at various levels. The framework is the key guiding document for item development. The objective of sharing the framework is to help the wider community understand what the assessment is about and what the assessment results mean. The results of this assessment will largely be used to provide development feedback to schools and not for promotion of students to the next grade. Team CBSE SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 5

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW OF SAFAL The effective use of data from learning and additional information for decision- assessments is fundamental to education making. When embedded throughout systems. teaching, assessment serves as both Learning assessments provide data on a metric and a mechanism for quality, the status of learning, which can be accountability, and equity in the classroom. used to monitor the quality of education A strong learning assessment system can systems and student learning outcomes. help students, their parents, teachers, Assessments conducted at regular and school administrators track progress intervals can reveal changes over time on learning, and intervene as and when in response to interventions to improve needed. student outcomes, providing feedback 6 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

There are different kinds of learning along with relevant higher-order skills assessments that are used for different and application of knowledge in real-life purposes and in different contexts: situations, rather than rote memorization.’- NEP 2020 1. Systemlevelassessments:assessments that seek to evaluate the effectiveness The National Education Policy 2020 of an education system proposes annual assessments in grades 3, 5 and 8 to monitor progress on core 2. Classroom level assessments : competencies in all elementary schools. assessments used to make changes to This assessment is intended to steer curriculum or instruction away from rote memorisation and test core concepts, higher order skills, ‘To track progress throughout the school and application. The data from these years, and not just at the end of Grades assessments can be used to identify 10 and 12 - for the benefit of students, schools that are performing poorly on the parents, teachers, principals, and the entire critical foundational competencies and schooling system in planning improvements improve accountability to reach the FLN to schools and teaching-learning processes - goals. all students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted In consonance with the NEP’s by the appropriate authority. These recommendations, CBSE has launched examinations would test achievement SAFAL (Structured Assessment For of basic learning outcomes, through Analyzing Learning), a competency-based assessment of core concepts and knowledge assessment for grades 3, 5, and 8. from the national and local curricula, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF SAFAL SAFAL, as a diagnostic assessment, will measure the achievement levels of students across grades 3, 5 and 8 and across the core competencies in curricular areas of Language, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies/Science. It has been designed to provide developmental feedback to schools and teachers to improve teaching-learning, without additional examination pressure on students, in order to help students, parents, and teachers to track learning progress throughout the school years and not just in Grades 10 and 12. The purpose of SAFAL is to: 1. Nudge system towards competency based learning: SAFAL will establish a formal protocol to collect valid and reliable data to chart students’ performance on competencies at and below the grade-level and to monitor progress. 2. Measure school performance on key competencies: SAFAL will provide rich and reliable data on a school's achievement across critical outcomes, aiding in measuring system’s effectiveness through monitoring and reporting of students’ learning levels. 3. Identify areas of academic intervention: School managements and school systems (eg. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, State government running CBSE schools, etc.) can use data from SAFAL for targeting academic support and data-based management. SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 7

4. Provide remediation and support: SAFAL will provide teachers information on students’ achievement levels, allow them to reflect on their instructional practices, and identify how to support learning needs of students. SAFAL will provide a reliable and comparable ‘absolute’ metric for parents, schools, and state officials to assess school performance on core concepts. It is to be noted that SAFAL will not decide to pass or fail at any stage. Rather it will be used for developmental purposes as envisaged in NEP 2020. PRINCIPLES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SAFAL ASSESSMENT The SAFAL assessments will be developed developed at the outset of the assessment to be valid and reliable for all the stated program. It acts as a communication purposes and fair and accessible for all tool for the program, giving information students who are assessed, and to assess to education agencies, school leaders, content that is instructionally relevant. teachers, domain experts and the wider In order to operationalise the above public. It provides information about the principles, it will be ensured that the test purpose, content and structure of an instruments and items comply with the assessment. It supports the work of those design principles and best practices in involved in the design and implementation educational assessments. Further, for an of the assessment. It gives technical assessment to be robust and valid, it is guidance to test developers and supports essential that the assessment framework is a program’s stability over time. What does an assessment framework include? An assessment framework is a description and discussion about what an assessment intends to measure. It also helps them to understand what the assessment results mean. The framework includes a definition of “domain” i.e. the area of learning that is being measured. It explains which aspects of the domain are covered in the assessment. The framework also outlines how the assessment is constructed, by highlighting the proportion of items for each of the aspects of the learning domain that makes up the assessment. Further, it describes the response or item formats that are used, the length and the number of items in the assessment. The framework may also outline how results of the assessment may be reported. PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK UNDER SAFAL The Language framework under SAFAL young children to read is not only the acknowledges that Reading is a gateway foundation of improving educational skill to all other learning. In fact, teaching outcomes, but also has important 8 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

implications for future learning. If children learning to read is comprehension, or “the do not learn to read in the early years, process of simultaneously extracting and they may fall further behind in later constructing meaning through interaction years because they cannot read printed and involvement with written language” information, follow written instructions (Snow & the Rand Reading Study Group, or communicate in writing (Gove & 2002, p. 11). Wetterberg, 2011). It further appreciates that Learning to read is a complex task for The above definition consists of three beginners. They must coordinate many elements: the reader, the text, and the cognitive processes to read accurately activity or purpose for reading. The and fluently, including recognizing words, RRSG developed a heuristic to show how constructing the meanings of sentences these elements interrelate in reading and text, and retaining the information comprehension, an interrelationship read in memory. that occurs within a larger sociocultural context that shapes and is shaped by the The understanding of reading reader and that interacts with each of comprehension informing SAFAL’s the elements iteratively throughout the Language framework is an outgrowth of process of reading. The details regarding earlier and current literature on reading this model have been provided in Annexure comprehension (Anderson & Pearson, 1. 1984; Kintsch, 1998; RAND Reading Study Group, 2002; 5 Pearson, et al., 2020). At Further, the Language framework is also the core of the Language framework is guided by the important developments in the definition of Reading Comprehension reading comprehension theory, research provided by the RAND Reading Study and practice. Refer to Annexure 2 for Group (RRSG). The ultimate goal of models of reading comprehension Salient Features of SAFAL Language Framework The assessment framework for Language that might require instructional focus or has been designed to assess the student’s remediation. This approach helps avoid reading and comprehension competencies floor effects in the assessments. The choice across grades 3, 5 and 8. of strands and competencies proposed in the framework has been guided by The domain of reading has been an extensive review of literature on the represented in a broader sense to include domain of reading comprehension. foundational literacy skills (or building blocks) for Grade 3, as well as reading Further, the framework has been comprehension for Grades 3, 5 and 8. developed based on the Global Proficiency Framework for Reading by UNESCO and For the purpose of scaffolding, the other partner organisations. The Global framework includes competencies of Proficiency Framework for Reading (also below two grade-levels in addition to referred to as the GPF) defines the global grade-level competencies. This has been minimum proficiency levels that learners done to diagnose the key areas in reading are expected to demonstrate at the end SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 9

of each grade level, from grades one to definition of the minimum knowledge and nine, providing a picture of the common skills learners must demonstrate at key expectations countries have for learners’ points along their learning trajectory. performance in reading. The overarching purpose of the GPF is to provide countries Finally, a detailed mapping of the and regional/international assessment framework to the NCERT curriculum organisations with a common reference or and learning outcomes has been done to scale for reporting progress on indicator ensure validity. 4.1.1 of the SDGs, in the form of a common UNDERSTANDING THE STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK This section describes how the domain of Language is represented in the SAFAL framework. It is a vital issue as the organisation and representation of the domain determines the test design and, ultimately, the evidence about student proficiencies that can be collected and reported. The domain of language has been structured into three main elements: I. Strands represent the critical component skills in reading. II. Competencies are the specific sub-strands or key knowledge and/or skills proposed under each strand. III. Proficiency level & Descriptors summarises what learners know and can do under the four proficiency levels - Below Basic, Basic, Proficient and Advanced. Table 1: Proficiency Levels Proficiency Levels Description Level 1 - Below Basic The student is able to demonstrate skills and competency fit for 2 levels below the actual Level 2 - Basic grade of study. For eg. a grade 5 student is only able to solve grade 3 level questions Level 3 - Proficient Level 4 - Advanced The student is able to demonstrate skills and competency fit for 1 level below the actual grade of study. For eg. a grade 5 student is able to solve up to grade 4 level questions The student is able to demonstrate skills and competency fit for the actual grade of study. For eg. a grade 5 student is able to solve up to grade 5 level questions The student is able to demonstrate skills and competency fit for actual grade and higher-order skills. For eg. a grade 5 student is able to solve a Higher Order grade 5 level questions Organising the Language domain in this format will help schools and teachers build a more nuanced picture of learners across key competencies and overall progress towards meeting or exceeding the Grade-level proficiency levels in reading. 10 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

STRANDS & COMPETENCIES UNDER LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (ENGLISH AND HINDI) - GRADES 3, 5 AND 8 The Language framework has been designed in a matrix form with Grade 5 and Grade 8 primarily covering the reading comprehension strand. The strand is then further subdivided into competencies that dissect and break down the strand into isolated and individual areas of evaluation. For the purpose of this assessment and to ensure simplification for the end user we have limited the scope of the assessment to only critical competencies mapped to the strand. Table 2: Strand and Competencies under Language Framework (English and Hindi) - Grade 3, 5 and 8 Domain Strand Competency Grade 3 Grade 5 Grade 8 Oral/ 1. Comprehend spoken or signed language at Expressive the word or phrase level Language 2. Recognize the meaning of common Decoding grade-level words in a short, grade-level continuous text read to or signed for the Language learner 3. Retrieve explicit information in a short grade-level continuous text read to or signed for the learner 4. Interpret information in a short grade-lev- el continuous text read to or signed for the learner 1. Decode isolated words 2. Say or sign a grade-level continuous text at pace and with accuracy (Oral Reading Fluency) Reading 1. Recognize the meaning of common grade- comprehension level words 2. Retrieve explicit information in a grade- level text by direct- or close-word matching 3. Retrieve explicit information in a grade- level text by synonymous word matching 4. Make inferences in a grade-level text 5. Identify main and secondary ideas in a grade-level text 1. Identify the purpose and audience of a text 1. Identify, compare and contrast points of view 2. Evaluate the status of claims made in a text I. Oral/Expressive Language Oral or Expressive Language, also commonly known as Listening comprehension is defined as one’s ability to comprehend spoken language at the discourse level, SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 11

including conversations, stories (i.e. narratives) and informational oral texts, that involves the processes of extracting and constructing meaning (Kim et al., 2016). The competencies proposed under Oral/Expressive Language : 1. Ability to comprehend spoken or signed language at the word or phrase level 2. Ability to recognize the meaning of common grade-level words in a short, grade-level continuous text read to or signed for the learner 3. Ability to retrieve explicit information in a short grade-level continuous text read to or signed for the learner 4. Ability to interpret information in a short grade-level continuous text read to or signed for the learner II. Decoding Decoding is the act of using skills such as sound-blending and sound-symbol matching to turn letters and groups of letters into understandable words. There are two constructs being proposed under the Decoding Strand: Precision and Fluency, as captured in the competencies below : 1. The ability to say or sign isolated words accurately (precision) 2. The ability to say or sign continuous text at pace and with accuracy (fluency) III. Reading Comprehension Reading comprehension is defined as one’s ability to extract and construct literal and inferred meaning from linguistic discourse represented in print. In other words, it is the ability to understand written/printed text. The reading comprehension strand encompasses the processes or cognitive approaches to guide the development of assessments. These are retrieval of information, interpretation of information and reflection on information given in the text. Following are the competencies under reading comprehension: 1. Recognize the meaning of common grade-level words The competency is limited to the recognition of meaning of common grade-level words increasing in difficulty with grade progression. 2. Retrieve explicit information in a grade-level text by direct- or close-word matching The competency assesses a child’s ability to locate and retrieve explicit information from the text by matching the direct/close word given in the text. For below grade- level competencies (L1 and L2), students will be assessed on their ability to retrieve a single piece of explicit information by direct or close word matching and only limited competing information will be presented to the test taker. Consequently, for higher grades (L3 and L4), the complexity increases and information required for retrieval is of higher grade and may or may not be adjacent to the matched word along with limited competing information. 12 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

3. Retrieve explicit information in a grade-level text by synonymous word matching The competency again doubles down on the retrieval ability of the test taker but assesses the same via synonymous word matching. The complexity and difficulty level of text increases with progressing grade levels. For below grade-levels, information would be prominent for L1 and less prominent for L2, with only limited competing information for both the levels. At higher proficiencies (L3 and L4), information required is made less and less prominent and more competing information is presented to the test taker. 4. Make inferences in a grade-level text The competency assesses the ability of the test taker to make simple inferences in different grade-level text. The test takers are expected to establish relation between two pieces of information in consecutive sentences or in non-consecutive paragraphs, and draw inferences in light of limited competing information for below grade-levels (L1 and L2). For the proficient and advanced level (L3 and L4), the inferences would have to be made by relating two or more pieces of explicit/implicit information, from non- consecutive paragraphs or multiple paragraphs which are placed at a distance. 5. Identify the main and secondary ideas in a grade-level text The competency entails the identification of the main idea from different grade-level texts where for below grade-level (L2), the information is prominent but not explicit, and with progressing grades the information becomes less and less explicit (L3). For advanced levels the test taker is expected to distinguish between the prominent main idea and secondary idea (L4) . 6. Identify the purpose and audience of a text The competency assesses the reader's ability to identify the purpose of the text or the reason for which the text is written and the audience for whom it is intended. 7. Identify, compare and contrast points of view The competency assesses the reader’s ability to identify, compare and contrast different viewpoints (eg. of a group, character or author) presented in a grade-level text in presence of limited or a lot of competing information. 8. Evaluate the status of claims made in a text The competency assesses the reader’s ability to distinguish between the factual information and opinion as presented in the grade-level text. SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 13

GRADE 3 LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (ENGLISH) Table 3: SAFAL Assessment Framework for Grade 3 Language (English) Domain Strand Competency L1- Below Basic L2-Basic L3-Proficient (Grade L4-Advanced (Grade 1) (Grade 2) 3) (Grade 3) Comprehend When listening When listening Not applicable Not applicable spoken or to common grade to common grade signed 1-level word, match 2-level word, match language at the the word to an the word to an word or phrase object or a picture object or a picture level Recognize the When listening When listening Not applicable Not applicable meaning to a short to a short, grade of common (approximately 2-level continuous grade-level 2 or 3 sentence), text, identify the words in simple, grade meaning of common a short, 1-level continuous words grade-level text, identify continuous the meaning of text common words read to or signed for the learner Expressive Retrieve When listening When listening When listening to a When listening to a Language explicit to a simple 2 or 3 to a short, short, grade 3-level short grade 3-level information in sentences of grade grade 2/3-level continuous text, continuous text, Language a short 1-level continuous continuous text, retrieve explicit retrieve explicit (English) grade-level text, retrieve retrieve prominent, information by information by continuous explicit information explicit information direct- or close-word direct- or close- text read to or by simple by direct- or close- matching or simple word matching or signed for synonymous word matching synonymous word synonymous word the learner word matching when there is matching when there matching when there when there is no competing is limited competing is a lot of competing no competing information information information information. Interpret Not applicable When listening When listening to a When listening information to a short, grade short, grade 3-level to a short, grade in a 3-level continuous continuous text, 3-level continuous short grade- text, make simple make simple infer- text, make simple level inferences by ences by connecting inferences by continuous connecting pieces of pieces of explicit connecting pieces of text read to prominent, explicit information explicit information or signed for information located in different located in different the learner when there is parts of the text and parts of the text no competing when there is limited when there is a information and competing informa- lot of competing the answer is not tion and the answer information, the explicitly stated is not explicitly information is less stated prominent, and the answer is not explicitly stated Decoding Decode Accurately say Accurately say Accurately say Accurately say or isolated words or sign common, or sign common, or sign common, sign more difficult, isolated grade isolated grade isolated grade isolated grade 1-level words 2-level words 3-level words 3-level words (language-specific) (language-specific) (language-specific) (language-specific) 14 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

Say or sign a Not applicable Accurately say Accurately say or sign Accurately say or sign grade-level or sign a grade a grade 3-level a grade 3-level continuous text 2-level continuous text at continuous text at at pace and with continuous text a pace that meets a pace that exceeds accuracy minimum minimum standards for fluency standards for fluency for the language for the language in which the in which the assessment is assessment is administered administered Recognize the Recognize the Recognize the Recognize the Recognize the meaning meaning of meaning of common meaning of meaning of common of less common grade common grade- grade 1- common grade 2- grade 3- level words 3- level words level words level words level words Retrieve explicit Not applicable Retrieve a single Retrieve a single piece Retrieve multiple information in piece of explicit of explicit information pieces of explicit a grade-level information from from a grade 3-level information from a text by direct- a grade 2-level text by direct- or grade 3-level text by or close-word text by direct- closeword matching direct- or closeword matching or closeword when the information matching when the matching when required is adjacent information required the information to the matched is adjacent to the required is word and there is matched word and adjacent to the limited competing there is limited matched word information competing information and there is no competing information Language (English) Reading Retrieve explicit Not applicable Not applicable Retrieve a single Retrieve a single piece Compre- information in a piece of prominent, of explicit information hension grade-level text explicit information from a grade 3-level by synonymous from a grade 3-level text by synonymous word matching text by synonymous word matching when word matching when the information there is no competing required is not information prominent and there is limited competing information Make inferences Not applicable Not applicable Make simple Make simple in a grade-level inferences in a inferences in a grade text grade 3-level text by 3-level text by relating relating two pieces of two pieces of explicit explicit information information in one or in consecutive more paragraphs when sentences when there there is more distance is limited competing between the pieces information of information that need to be related and/ or a lot of competing information Identify main Not applicable Not applicable Identify the general Identify the general and secondary topic of a grade topic of a grade 3-level ideas in a grade- 3-level text when it text when it is less level text is prominent but not prominent and not explicitly stated explicitly stated SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 15

Sample item Grade 3 Strand Expressive Language Competency Recognize the meaning of common grade-level words in a short, grade level continuous text read to or signed for the learner Learning When listening to a short, grade 2-level continuous text, identify the meaning of common words. outcome Instructions to Listen to the passage carefully and answer the questions based on it say out loud Stimulus (Read out a grade level text to the child and ask to identify the meaning of common words from the text.) Anita is in class 3. Her hobby is reading. She likes to read story books and children’s magazines. She visits her school library regularly. Item stem What is a library ? Answer key A place where books are kept GRADE 3 LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (HINDI) Table 4: SAFAL Assessment Framework for Grade 3 Language (Hindi) विषय विषयवस्/तु दक्षता स्तर 1-बुनियादी से नीचे स्तर 2-बुनियादी स्तर 3- कु शल (कक्षा स्तर 4-उन्नत /पारंगत कौशल (कक्षा 1) (कक्षा 2) 3) (कक्षा 3) बोले जाने वाली कक्षा 1 स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 2 स्तर के सामान्य लागू नहीीं लागू नहीीं या सकं े त भाषा को शब्द सनु कर, शब्द को शब्द सनु कर, शब्द को समझना शब्द या किसी वस्तु या चित्र से किसी वस्तु या चित्र से वाक्य स्तर पर मिलाना मिलाना कक्षा-स्तर के सामान्य एक सकं ्षिप्त (2-3 वाक्ययों एक सकं ्षिप्त कक्षा लागू नहीीं लागू नहीीं प्रचलित शब्ददों के अर्थ् वाला) कक्षा 2 स्तर के पाठ 2 स्तर के पाठ को को पहचानना, एक को सनु कर, सामान्य शब्ददों सनु कर, सामान्य शब्ददों सकं ्षिप्त कक्षा - स्तर के अर््थ की पहचान करना के अर््थ की पहचान के पाठ मे,ंे जो बोला करना भाषा अभिव्जयं क या सकं े त द्वारा बताया (िहदं ी) भाषा गया हो एक सकं ्षिप्त कक्षा कक्षा 1 स्तर के सरल 2-3 कक्षा 2/3 स्तर के कक्षा 3 स्तर के सकं ्षिप्त कक्षा 3 स्तर के सकं ्षिप्त - स्तर के पाठ मेंे वाक्ययों को सनु कर, स्पष्ट सकं ्षिप्त पाठ को पाठ को सनु कर, सीधे पाठ को सनु कर, सीधे या स्पष्ट रूप से व्यक्त रूप से व्यक्त जानकारी को सनु कर, एक प्रमखु / या मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों के जानकारी को प्राप्त समानार्थी शब्ददों के मिलान प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी को के मिलान द्वारा या मिलान द्वारा या समानार्थी करना, जो बोला या द्वारा प्राप्त करना जब समानार्थी शब्ददों के समानार्थी शब्ददों के शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा सकं े त द्वारा बताया मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त मिलान द्वारा जानकारी जानकारी को प्राप्त करना गया हो जानकारी न दी गई हो करना; जब मिलती- को प्राप्त करना जब जब बहुत अधिक मिलती- जलु ती भ्रामक थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी जानकारी न दी गई हो भ्रामक जानकारी दी दी गई हो गई हो 16 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

कक्षा-स्तर के एक लागू नहीीं कक्षा 3 स्तर के सकं ्षिप्त पाठ कक्षा 3 स्तर के सकं ्षिप्त पाठ कक्षा 3 स्तर के सकं ्षिप्त पाठ सकं ्षिप्त पाठ मेंे दी गई को सनु कर, अलग-अलग को सनु कर, पाठ मेंे अलग- को सनु कर, पाठ मेंे अलग- जानकारी की व्याख्या प्रमखु / प्रत्यक्ष जानकारियोों अलग जगहोों मेंे दी गई स्पष्ट अलग जगहोों मेंे दी गई स्पष्ट करना, जो बोला या को जोड़कर सरल निष्कर््ष जानकारियोों को जोड़कर जानकारियोों को जोड़कर सरल सकं े त द्वारा बताया निकालना जब मिलती- सरल निष्कर्ष् निकालना जब निष्कर्ष् निकालना जब बहुत गया हो जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी ना थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक अधिक मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक दी गई हो और उत्तर स्पष्ट जानकारी दी गई हो और उत्तर जानकारी दी गई हो, जानकारी रुप से ना दिया गया हो स्पष्ट रुप से ना दिया गया हो प्रमखु रुप से ना हो और उत्तर स्पष्ट रुप से ना दिया गया हो पृथक शब्ददों को कक्षा 1 स्तर के सामान्य, पृथक कक्षा 2 स्तर के सामान्य, कक्षा 3 स्तर के सामान्य, पथृ क कक्षा 3 स्तर के कठिन, पृथक डिकोड करेें शब्ददों को सही बोलना या पथृ क शब्ददों को सही शब्ददों को सही बोलना या चिन्ह शब्ददों को सही बोलना या चिन्ह चिन्ह करना (भाषा-विशिष्ट) बोलना या चिन्ह करना करना (भाषा-विशिष्ट) करना (भाषा-विशिष्ट) (भाषा-विशिष्ट) डिकोडििंग कक्षा स्तर के पाठ को लागू नहीीं कक्षा 2 स्तर के पाठ को सही कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ को सही कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ को सही बोलना या चिन्ह करना बोलना या चिन्ह करना बोलना या चिन्ह करना एक बोलना या चिन्ह करना ठीक से एक गति के गति से जो न्यूनतम मानक एक गति से जो भाषा की साथ को परू ा कर रहा हो भाषा की फ्एुल ं सी के न्यूनतम मानक से फ्एुल ं सी का जिसमेें मलू ््यांकन अधिक हो जिसमेंे मलू ््यांकन प्रशासित किया जाता है प्रशासित किया जाता है कक्षा-स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 1 स्तर के सामान्य शब्ददों कक्षा 2 स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 3 स्तर के सामान्य शब्ददों कक्षा 3 स्तर के सामान्य शब्ददों शब्ददों के अर्थ् को के अर्थ् को पहचानना शब्ददों के अर््थ को पहचानना के अर््थ को पहचानना के अर्थ् को पहचानना पहचानना सीधे या मिलते जलु ते लागू नहीीं सीधे या मिलते जलु ते कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से किसी कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से कई शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा लागू नहीीं शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा कक्षा एक जानकारी को सीधे या जानकारियोों को सीधे या कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ मेंे दी 2 स्तर के पाठ मेंे दी गई मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों के मिलान मिलत-े जलु ते शब्ददों के मिलान गई जानकारी को प्राप्त जानकारी को प्राप्त करना द्वारा प्राप्त करना; जब आवश्यक द्वारा प्राप्त करना; जब आवश्यक करना जब आवश्यक जानकारी जानकारी मिलत-े जलु ते जानकारी मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों के शब्ददों के आसपास हो और के आस-पास हो और थोड़़ी आस-पास हो और मिलती- थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी न जानकारी भी दी गई हो भी दी गई हो दी गई हो पठन बोध कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ मेंे कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से किसी कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से किसी एक (समझ के साथ स्पष्ट रूप से व्यक्त एक प्रमखु / प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी को प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी को समानार्थी पढ़ना) जानकारी को समानार्थी समानार्थी शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त करना; जब मिलती-जलु ती करना; जब आवश्यक जानकारी प्राप्त करना लागू नहीीं भ्रामक जानकारी न दी गई हो प्रमखु रूप से न दी गई हो और थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी भी हो कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ से लागू नहीीं लागू नहीीं कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से एक के कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ के एक या निष्कर््ष निकालना बाद दूसरे वाक्ययों मेंे आई दो अधिक अनचु ्छेदोों मेंे दी गयी, दो प्रत्यक्ष जानकारियोों को जोड़कर या अधिक स्पष्ट जानकारियोों को सरल निष्कर्ष् निकालना; जब जोड़कर सरल निष्कर््ष निकालना; थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक जब जानकारियाँ अलग-अलग जानकारी भी दी गई हो जगह पर हो और/या बहुत ज्यादा मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी दी गई हो SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 17

कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ के लागू नहीीं लागू नहीीं कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ से मुख्य तथा अन्य विचारोों सामान्य विषय की पहचान सामान्य विषय की पहचान को पहचानना करना जब वह प्रमखु रुप से करना जब वह प्रमखु रुप से हो लके िन स्पष्ट/सीधे रूप ना दिया गया हो और स्पष्ट/ से व्यक्त न किया गया हो सीधे रूप से व्यक्त न किया गया हो Sample item Grade 3 Strand Reading Comprehension Competency कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ से निष्कर््ष निकालना Proficiency level उन्नत /पारंगत Passage नीचे दी गई कहानी को पढ़कर दिया गया प्रश्न पछू े । नानी के बगीचे मेंे एक बड़़ा सा आम का पडे ़ है । उस पर बहुत सी चिड़़ियाँ आती है । आरव को आम के पडे ़ पर छु पना बड़़ा अच्छा लगता है । Item Stem नीचे दिए गए विकल्पपों से चिड़़ियाँ शब्द के लिए समान अर््थ वाला शब्द चनु िए । Item Stem a. कोयल Correct Answer b. पक्षी c. तोता d. गडु ़़िया b. पक्षी GRADE 5 LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (ENGLISH) Table 5: SAFAL Assessment Framework for Grade 5 Language (English) Domain Strand Competency L1- Below Basic L2-Basic L3-Proficient L4-Advanced (Grade 3) (Grade 4) (Grade 5) (Grade 5) Recognize the Recognize the meaning Recognize the Recognize the meaning Recognize the meaning of of common grade 5 meaning of less common grade- of common grade 3 meaning of common level words common grade 5 level level words words level words grade 4 level words Language Reading Retrieve explicit Retrieve a single piece Retrieve a single Retrieve a single piece Retrieve multiple (English) Compre- information in of explicit information piece of explicit of explicit information pieces of explicit hension a grade-level from a grade 3 level information from from a grade 5 level information from text by direct- text by direct- or a grade 4 level text continuous text by a grade 5 level or close-word close-word matching by direct- or close- direct- or close-word continuous text by matching when the information word matching when matching when the direct- or close-word required is adjacent the information information required is matching when the to the matched word required is adjacent nearby but not adjacent information required and there is limited to the matched to the matched word is not prominent competing information word and there is and there is limited and/or there is a limited competing competing information lot of competing information information 18 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

Retrieve Retrieve a Retrieve a single Retrieve a single Retrieve multiple explicit single piece piece of explicit piece of explicit pieces of explicit information of prominent, information information from information from in a grade- explicit from a grade a grade 5 level a grade 5 level level text by information 4 level text by continuous text continuous text synonymous from a grade synonymous by synonymous by synonymous word 3 level text by word matching word matching word matching matching synonymous when the when the when the word matching information information information when there is required is not required is not required is not no competing prominent and prominent and prominent or information there is limited there is limited there is a lot competing competing of competing information information information Make Make simple Make simple Make inferences Make inferences inferences in inferences in inferences in a in a grade 5 in a grade 5 level a grade-level a grade 3 level grade 4 level text level continuous continuous text text text by relating by relating two text by relating by relating two two pieces pieces of explicit two or more pieces of explicit of explicit information in pieces of explicit and/or implicit information in a paragraph, and/or implicit information from consecutive but not in information one or more sentences when consecutive (eg. causal paragraphs when there is limited sentences, when relationship or there is more competing there is limited comparisons) distance between information competing from a paragraph the pieces of information but not in information consecutive and/or a lot sentences, when of competing there is limited information competing information Identify the Not applicable Identify the main Identify the main Distinguish main and Not applicable idea in a grade 4 idea in a grade 5 between a secondary level text when level text when prominent ideas in a it is prominent it is not explicitly main idea and grade-level but not explicitly stated secondary ideas text stated in a grade 5 level text Identify the purpose and Identify the purpose Identify the purpose Identify the purpose audience of a text of a grade 4 level of a grade 5 level of a grade 5 level text text text when there are less when there are when there are prominent clues and prominent clues and prominent clues and the the the purpose is not purpose is not purpose is not explicitly stated explicitly stated explicitly stated Sample item Grade 5 Strand Reading Comprehension Competency Retrieve explicit information in a grade-level text by direct- or close-word matching Proficiency level Basic SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 19

Passage Under My Bed: I am Mohan. I wake up at night feeling thirsty. I want to get some water. I start looking for my slippers un- Sample Item der the bed. Oh my God! There is a tiger under my bed. Should I call Ma? What if the tiger roars? Should I just go back to sleep? But I am not sleepy anymore. Then someone turns on the light. Ma is standing at the door. “What happened dear?” “Did you call me?” asks Ma. I point towards the tiger. Ma bends and pulls the tiger out from under the bed! Hey, this is no tiger. This is my thick yellow and black sweater. Its buttons shine like a tiger’s eyes. I got scared for nothing! Ma gets me some water. Now I will sleep and dream about real tigers in a jungle! Q. Mohan starts looking for ______________ under the bed. a. water b. tiger c. slippers d. sweater GRADE 5 LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (HINDI) Table 6: SAFAL Assessment Framework for Grade 5 Language (Hindi) विषयवस्/तु स्तर 1-बुनियादी से स्तर 2-बुनियादी स्तर 4-उन्नत /पारंगत विषय नीचे (कक्षा 3) (कक्षा 4) दक्षता स्तर 3- कु शल (कक्षा 5) (कक्षा 5) कौशल कक्षा-स्तर के कक्षा 3 स्तर के कक्षा 4 स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 5 स्तर के सामान्य शब्ददों कक्षा 5 स्तर के सामान्य शब्ददों सामान्य शब्ददों के सामान्य शब्ददों के अर्थ् शब्ददों के अर््थ को के अर्थ् को पहचानना के अर््थ को पहचानना अर्थ् को पहचानना को पहचानना पहचानना सीधे या मिलते सीधे या मिलते जलु ते सीधे या मिलते जलु ते कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ (अनचु ्छेद कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ (अनचु ्छेद जलु ते शब्ददों के शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा के रुप मेंे जसै -े कहानिया)ँ के रुप मेें जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से मिलान द्वारा कक्षा- कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 4 स्तर के पाठ मेें दी से किसी एक जानकारी को कई जानकारियोों को सीधे या स्तर के पाठ मेें दी गई मेंे दी गई जानकारी गई जानकारी को प्राप्त सीधे या मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों मिलत-े जलु ते शब्ददों के मिलान जानकारी को प्राप्त को प्राप्त करना।जब करना।जब आवश्यक के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त करना; द्वारा प्राप्त करना; जब मिलती- करना आवश्यक जानकारी जानकारी मिलते जलु ते जब आवश्यक जानकारी जलु ती भ्रामक जानकरियाँ मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों शब्ददों के आस-पास हो मिलत-े जलु ते शब्ददों के बहुत अधिक होों और आवश्यक के आस-पास हो और और प्रमखु रूप से ना दे आसपास हो पर साथ न हो और जानकारी प्रमखु रूप से नहीीं प्रमखु रूप से ना दे गई हो थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक दी गई हो गई हो जानकारी भी दी गई हो भाषा पठन बोध कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 4 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ (अनचु ्ेछद कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ (अनचु ्छेद (िहदं ी) (समझ के मेें स्पष्ट रूप से से किसी एक प्रमखु / से किसी एक प्रत्यक्ष के रुप मेंे जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से के रुप मेें जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से साथ पढ़ना) व्यक्त जानकारी को प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी को जानकारी को समानार्थी किसी एक प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी कई जानकारियोों को समानार्थी समानार्थी शब्ददों के समानार्थी शब्ददों के शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा को समानार्थी शब्ददों के शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त प्राप्त करना; जब मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त करना; करना; जब आवश्यक जानकारी करना करना; जब मिलती- आवश्यक जानकारी प्रमखु जब आवश्यक जानकारी प्रमखु रूप से न दी गई हो या जलु ती भ्रामक रूप से न दी गई हो और प्रमखु रूप से न दी गई हो और बहुत अधिक मिलती-जलु ती जानकारी न दी गई हो थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक भ्रामक जानकारी दी गई हो भ्रामक जानकारी भी हो जानकारी भी हो कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ से कक्षा 3 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 4 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ (अनचु ्छेद कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ (अनचु ्ेछद निष्कर््ष निकालना से एक के बाद दूसरे के अनचु ्छेद मेंे अलग- के रुप मेें जसै -े कहानिया)ँ के रुप मेंे जसै -े कहानिया)ँ के वाक्ययों मेें आई दो अलग वाक्ययों (एक-साथ के अनचु ्ेछद के अलग-अलग एक या अधिक अनचु ्छेदोों मेंे प्रत्यक्ष जानकारियोों को नहीीं) मेें आई दो प्रत्यक्ष वाक्ययों ( लगातार वाक्ययों दी गयी, दो या अधिक स्पष्ट जोड़कर सरल निष्कर्ष् जानकारियोों को जोड़कर मेंे नहीीं) मेें दी गयी, दो या और अप्रत्यक्ष (पाठ मेंे निहित निकालना; जब थोड़़ी सरल निष्कर््ष निकालना; अधिक स्पष्ट और अप्रत्यक्ष है लके िन स्पष्ट रूप से नहीीं मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक जब थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती (पाठ मेंे निहित है लके िन दी गई ह)ै जानकारियोों को जानकारी भी दी गई हो भ्रामक जानकारी भी दी स्पष्ट रूप से नहीीं दी गई ह)ै जोड़कर निष्कर्ष् निकालना; गई हो जानकारियोों को जोड़कर जब जानकारियाँ अलग-अलग निष्कर््ष निकालना,(जसै -े जगह पर हो और/या बहुत सबं धं या तलु ना द्वारा ); जब ज्यादा मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी दी गई हो जानकारी भी दी गई हो 20 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ लागू नहीीं कक्षा 4 स्तर के पाठ के कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ के कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ मेंे के मुख्य तथा अन्य लागू नहीीं मखु ्य विचार को पहचानना/ मखु ्य विचार को पहचानना/ प्रमखु रुप से बताए गए विचारोों को पहचानना समझना; जब वह प्रमखु रुप समझना; जब वह स्पष्ट/ मखु ्य विचार और द्वितीयक/ से हो; लके िन स्पष्ट/सीधे रूप सीधे रूप से व्यक्त न किया अन्य विचारोों के बीच अतं र पाठ के उद्शदे ्य और से व्यक्त न किया गया हो गया हो करना श्रोताओं/ जिनके लिए पाठ लिखा गया है कक्षा 4 स्तर के पाठ के कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ के कक्षा 5 स्तर के पाठ के उनको पहचानना उद्शदे ्य को पहचानना/ उद्शेद ्य को पहचानना/ उद्शेद ्य को पहचानना/ समझना; जब अलग- समझना; जब अलग- समझना; जब सीध-े अलग जगह मेंे सीध-े सीधे अलग जगह मेंे सीध-े सीधे सकं े त कम दिए सकं े त दिए गए हो; लके िन सीधे सकं े त दिए गए गए हो और ना ही उद्शदे ्य उद्शदे ्य स्पष्ट/सीधे रूप से हो; लके िन उद्शदे ्य स्पष्ट/ स्पष्ट/सीधे रूप से नहीीं बताया गया हो सीधे रूप से नहीीं बताया बताया गया हो गया हो Sample item Grade 5 Strand Reading Comprehension Competency कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ से निष्कर्ष् निकालना Proficiency level उन्नत /पारंगत चतरु चजू ़़ा Passage एक मरु ्गी और उसके आठ चजू ़े़ खाना ढू ँढते हुए इधर-उधर चोोंच मार रहे थ।े अचानक एक सियार वहाँ आ धमका। मोटे ताज़़े चजू ़़े देखकर उसके महँु मेें पानी भर आया। उसने तय कर लिया कि वह सारे के सारे चजू ़े़ खा जाएगा। वह मरु ्गी अम्मा से बोला, “तमु ्हारी तबियत कु छ ठीक नहीीं लग रही ह।ै मैैं तमु ्हहें डॉक्टर के पास ले जाता हूँ।ू ” सियार उसे झट झाड़़ी की आड़ मेें ले गया और उसे खा गया। वह बाकी सब चजू ़े़ भी खाना चाहता था। सियार चजू ़ों के पास गया। उसे पता नहीीं था कि उसकी लबं ी मछूँ ोों पर मरु ्गी के पर चिपके हुए थ।े उन्हंहे देखकर सारे चजू ़़े डर के मारे भाग गए। सबसे नन्हा चजू ़़ा भाग नहीीं पाया। वह एक लौकी के खोल मेें छु प गया। Sample Item Q. सियार मरु ्गी अम्मा को डॉक्टर के पास क्ययों ले जाना चाहता था ? a. मरु ्गी अम्मा की तबियत ठीक नहीीं थी | b. वह मरु ्गी को खाना चाहता था | c. चजू ़ों की तबियत ठीक नहीीं थी | d. सियार को मरु ्गी के बारे मेें चििंता थी| GRADE 8 LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (ENGLISH) Table 7: SAFAL Assessment Framework for Grade 8 Language (English) Domain Strand Competency L1- Below Basic L2-Basic L3-Proficient L4-Advanced (Grade 6) (Grade 7) (Grade 8) (Grade 8) Language Reading Recognize the Recognize the meaning Recognize the Recognize the meaning Recognize the (English) Compre- meaning of of common grade 8 meaning of less hension common grade- of common grade 6 meaning of common level words common grade 8 level level words words level words grade 7 level words SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 21

Retrieve Retrieve a Retrieve a single Retrieve a single Retrieve multiple explicit single piece piece of explicit piece of explicit pieces of explicit information of explicit information information information in a grade- information from a grade 7 from a grade 8 from a grade 8 level text by from a grade level continuous level continuous level continuous synonymous 6 level text by direct- text by direct- text by direct- word continuous text or close-word or close-word or close-word matching by direct- or matching when matching when matching when close-word the information the information the information matching when required is required is required is not the information nearby but not nearby but not prominent and/ required is adjacent to adjacent to or there is a lot nearby but not the matched the matched of competing adjacent to word and there word and there information the matched is competing is competing word and there information information is competing information Retrieve Retrieve a Retrieve a single Retrieve a single Retrieve multiple explicit single piece piece of explicit piece of explicit pieces of explicit information of explicit information from information from information from in a grade- information a grade 7 level a grade 8 level a grade 8 level level text by from a grade continuous text continuous text continuous text synonymous 6 level by synonymous by synonymous by synonymous word continuous text word matching word matching word matching matching by synonymous when the when the when the word matching information information information when the required is required is required is not information not prominent not prominent prominent or required is and there is and there is there is a lot not prominent competing competing of competing and there is information information information competing information Make Make Make inferences Make inferences Make inferences inferences in inferences in in a grade 7 in a grade 8 in a grade 8 level a grade-level a grade 6 level level continuous level continuous continuous text text continuous text text by relating text by relating by relating two by relating two two or more two or more or more pieces or more pieces pieces of explicit pieces of explicit of explicit and/ of explicit and/ and/or implicit and/or implicit or implicit or implicit information information information information (eg. causal (eg. causal (eg. causal (eg. causal relationship or relationship or relationship or relationship or comparisons) comparisons) comparisons) comparisons) from a paragraph from a paragraph from one or from a but not in but not in more paragraphs paragraph consecutive consecutive when there is but not in sentences, when sentences, when more distance consecutive there is limited there is limited between the sentences, competing competing pieces of related when there information information information is limited and/or a lot competing of competing information information 22 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

Identify, Identify a point Identify a point Identify, Identify, compare, Compare of view (eg. of view (eg. of a compare, or or contrast points & Contrast of a group, group, character, contrast point(s) of view (eg. of a points of character, or or the author) of view (eg. of a group, character, view the author) in a grade 7/8 group, character, or the author) in a in a grade 6 level text when or the author) grade 8 level text level text when there is limited in a grade 8 when there is a there is limited competing level text when lot of competing competing information there is limited information and information and when the competing when the point and when the point of view is information of view is less point of view is prominent but and when the prominent and prominent but not explicitly point of view is not explicitly not explicitly stated prominent but stated stated not explicitly Distinguish stated Distinguish Establish the Distinguish between a between the main and between a prominent Distinguish main idea and secondary prominent main idea and between a secondary ideas ideas in a main idea and secondary ideas prominent in a grade 8 level grade-level secondary in a grade 7 level main idea and text or part of a text ideas in a grade text or part of a secondary ideas text 6 level text or text in a grade 8 level part of a text text or part of a text Identify the Identify the Identify the Identify the Identify the purpose of purpose of a purpose of a purpose of a purpose of a the Text grade 6 level grade 7 level grade 8 level grade 8 level text or features text or features text or features text or features of the text of the text (eg. of the text (eg. of the text (eg. (eg. images/ images/graphics, images/graphics, images/graphics, graphics, paratextual paratextual paratextual paratextual features, and features, and features, and features, and vocabulary) vocabulary) vocabulary) vocabulary) when there when there when there are when there are multiple are multiple fewer or less are prominent clues, limited clues, limited prominent clues, clues, limited competing competing a lot of competing competing information, and information, and information, and information, the purpose is the purpose is the purpose is not and the not explicitly not explicitly explicitly stated purpose is not stated stated explicitly stated Evaluate Distinguish Distinguish Distinguish Distinguish the status of between factual between factual between factual between factual claims made information and information and information and information and in a text opinion (as opinion (as opinion (as opinion (as presented) in presented) in a presented) in a presented) in a a grade 6 level grade 7 level text grade 8 level text grade 8 level text text and use evidence when the clues to justify are prominent SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 23

Sample item Grade 8 Strand Reading Comprehension Competency Recognize the meaning of common grade-level words Proficiency level Basic Passage The Magic Letter Ijas lives in Haryana and Vikram lives in Andhra Pradesh. Even though they live so far away from each other, they are best friends. Ijas had been sad when his best friend moved away, but Vikram’s letters always cheered him up. On the day of Eid, an envelope from Vikram arrives. Ijas opens it and pulls out a card. Eid Mubarak, Ijas! A surprise awaits you. Read the letter. As Ijas opens the letter, he wonders what Vikram has sent him. BUT WAIT. The paper is BLANK! Is this a mistake? Is he supposed to turn the piece of paper into something? That’s when he notices the orange and yellow flame on the card. Ijas rushes to the kitchen. “Ammi, I need something hot!” Ijas explains that he wants to heat the letter. He holds the paper a safe distance from a candle and taps his foot impatiently. What will happen? A few moments later, brown lines appear on the paper, as if by magic. “WOW! Look at these words, Ammi!” shouts Ijas. Ammi reads the words out loud along with Ijas. \"Where we play with marbles.\". “I know where to go,” yells Ijas. He runs down two flights of stairs, past a parking area and stops in front of a bench. But there is nothing there. Ijas is sad. He turns around and gasps. “VIKRAM! What are you doing here?” Ijas can’t believe his eyes. This is the best surprise ever! “Can’t you guess?” says Vikram, beaming. “I came because I was missing your Ammi’s biryani.” Ijas laughs and hugs him. At that exact moment, Ammi calls out to Ijas. “BIRYANI IS READY!” Sample Item Q. Ijas can’t believe his eyes. This is the best surprise ever! “Can’t you guess?” says Vikram, beaming. “I came be- cause I was missing your Ammi’s biryani.” Ijas laughs and hugs him. To beam means ________________ A. to be impatient B. to smile happily C. to feel hungry D. to cry GRADE 8 LANGUAGE FRAMEWORK (HINDI) Table 8: SAFAL Assessment Framework for Grade 8 Language (Hindi) विषय विषयवस्/ुत दक्षता स्तर 1-बुनियादी से स्तर 2-बुनियादी स्तर 3- कु शल स्तर 4-उन्नत / कौशल (कक्षा 8) पारंगत नीचे (कक्षा 6) (कक्षा 7) (कक्षा 8) भाषा (िहदं ी) पठन बोध (समझ कक्षा-स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 6 स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 7 स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 8 स्तर के सामान्य कक्षा 8 स्तर के सामान्य के साथ पढ़ना) शब्ददों के अर््थ को शब्ददों के अर््थ को शब्ददों के अर््थ को शब्ददों के अर््थ को कम प्रचलित शब्ददों के पहचानना पहचानना पहचानना पहचानना अर्थ् को पहचानना 24 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ मेंे कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 7 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ स्पष्ट रूप से व्यक्त (अनचु ्ेछद के रुप मेंे जसै -े (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेें जसै -े (अनचु ्ेछद के रुप मेंे जसै -े (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेंे जानकारी को सीधे या कहानिया)ँ से किसी एक कहानिया)ँ से किसी एक कहानिया)ँ से किसी जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों जानकारी को सीधे या जानकारी को सीधे या एक जानकारी को सीधे कई जानकारियोों को के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों के मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों के या मिलते जलु ते शब्ददों सीधे या मिलत-े जलु ते करना मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त करना; मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त करना; के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त शब्ददों के मिलान जब आवश्यक जानकारी जब आवश्यक जानकारी करना; जब आवश्यक द्वारा प्राप्त करना; मिलत-े जलु ते शब्ददों के मिलत-े जलु ते शब्ददों के जानकारी मिलत-े जलु ते जब मिलती-जलु ती आसपास हो पर साथ न हो आसपास हो पर साथ न हो शब्ददों के आसपास हो भ्रामक जानकरियाँ और बहुत अधिक मिलती- और बहुत अधिक मिलती- पर साथ न हो और बहुत बहुत अधिक होों और जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी अधिक मिलती-जलु ती आवश्यक जानकारी भी दी गई हो भी दी गई हो भ्रामक जानकारी भी दी प्रमखु रूप से नहीीं दी गई हो गई हो कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 7 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ मेें स्पष्ट रूप से (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेें (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेंे (अनचु ्ेछद के रुप मेें जसै -े (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेंे व्यक्त जानकारी को जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से किसी जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से किसी कहानिया)ँ से किसी जसै -े कहानिया)ँ से समानार्थी शब्ददों के एक प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी को एक प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी को एक प्रत्यक्ष जानकारी कई जानकारियोों को मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त समानार्थी शब्ददों के मिलान समानार्थी शब्ददों के मिलान को समानार्थी शब्ददों समानार्थी शब्ददों के करना द्वारा प्राप्त करना; जब द्वारा प्राप्त करना; जब के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त आवश्यक जानकारी प्रमखु आवश्यक जानकारी प्रमखु करना; जब आवश्यक करना; जब आवश्यक रूप से न दी गई हो और रूप से न दी गई हो और जानकारी प्रमखु रूप से जानकारी प्रमखु रूप से बहुत ज़््यादा मिलती- बहुत ज़््यादा मिलती- न दी गई हो और बहुत न दी गई हो या बहुत जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी ज़््यादा मिलती-जलु ती अधिक मिलती-जलु ती भी हो भी हो भ्रामक जानकारी भी हो भ्रामक जानकारी दी गई हो कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ से कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 7 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ निष्कर््ष निकालना (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेें जसै -े (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेें जसै -े (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेंे (अनचु ्छेद के रुप मेें कहानिया)ँ के अनचु ्छेद कहानिया)ँ के अनचु ्ेछद जसै -े कहानिया)ँ के जसै -े कहानिया)ँ के एक के अलग-अलग वाक्ययों ( के अलग-अलग वाक्ययों ( अनचु ्ेछद के अलग- या अधिक अनचु ्छेदोों मेें लगातार वाक्ययों मेंे नहीीं) लगातार वाक्ययों मेंे नहीीं) अलग वाक्ययों ( लगातार दी गयी, दो या अधिक मेंे दी गयी, दो या अधिक मेें दी गयी, दो या अधिक वाक्ययों मेंे नहीीं) मेंे दी स्पष्ट और अप्रत्यक्ष (पाठ स्पष्ट और अप्रत्यक्ष (पाठ स्पष्ट और अप्रत्यक्ष (पाठ गयी, दो या अधिक स्पष्ट मेंे निहित है लके िन स्पष्ट मेंे निहित है लके िन स्पष्ट मेंे निहित है लके िन स्पष्ट और अप्रत्यक्ष (पाठ मेंे रूप से नहीीं दी गई ह)ै रूप से नहीीं दी गई ह)ै रूप से नहीीं दी गई ह)ै निहित है लके िन स्पष्ट जानकारियोों को जोड़कर जानकारियोों को जोड़कर जानकारियोों को जोड़कर रूप से नहीीं दी गई ह)ै निष्कर््ष निकालना; जब निष्कर्ष् निकालना,(जसै -े निष्कर्ष् निकालना,(जसै -े जानकारियोों को जोड़कर जानकारियाँ अलग- सबं धं या तलु ना द्वारा ); सबं धं या तलु ना द्वारा ); निष्कर््ष निकालना,(जसै -े अलग जगह पर हो जब थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती जब थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती सबं धं या तलु ना द्वारा और/या बहुत ज्यादा भ्रामक जानकारी भी दी भ्रामक जानकारी भी दी ); जब थोड़़ी मिलती- मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक गई हो गई हो जलु ती भ्रामक जानकारी जानकारी दी गई हो भी दी गई हो दृष्टिकोण को कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ मेें कक्षा 7/8 स्तर के पाठ मेें कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ पहचानना, तलु ना और (समहू ,पात्र या लखे क ) (समहू ,पात्र या लखे क ) मेंे (समहू ,पात्र या मेंे (समहू ,पात्र या अतं र करना के दृष्टिकोण को समझना; के दृष्टिकोण को समझना; लखे क) के दृष्टिकोण को लखे क) के दृष्टिकोण को जब थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती जब थोड़़ी मिलती-जलु ती पहचानना, तलु ना और पहचानना, तलु ना और भ्रामक जानकारी भी दी भ्रामक जानकारी भी दी अतं र करना, जब थोड़़ी अतं र करना, जब बहुत गई हो और दृष्टिकोण गई हो और दृष्टिकोण मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक ज़््यादा मिलती-जलु ती प्रमखु हो किन्तु स्पष्टता से प्रमखु हो किन्ुत स्पष्टता से जानकारी दी गई हो और भ्रामक जानकारी दी न दिया गया हो न दिया गया हो दृष्टिकोण प्रमखु ता से गई हो और दृष्टिकोण दिया गया हो पर स्पष्टता प्रमखु ता से ना दिया से ना बताया गया हो गया हो और ना ही स्पष्टता से बताया गया हो SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 25

कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ या कक्षा 7 स्तर के पाठ या कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ या कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ या के मुख्य तथा अन्य पाठ के भाग मेें प्रमखु पाठ के भाग मेें प्रमखु पाठ के भाग मेें प्रमखु पाठ के भाग मे बताए विचारोों को स्थापित रुप से बताए गए मखु ्य रुप से बताए गए मखु ्य रुप से बताए गए मखु ्य गए मखु ्य विचार और करना विचार और द्वितीयक/ अन्य विचार और द्वितीयक/ विचार और द्वितीयक/ द्वितीयक/ अन्य विचारोों विचारोों के बीच अतं र करना अन्य विचारोों के बीच अतं र अन्य विचारोों के बीच के बीच अतं र करनाv करना अतं र करना पाठ के उद्शदे ्य और कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ ( चित्र कक्षा 7 स्तर के पाठ ( चित्र कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ श्रोताओं/ जिनके लिए /ग्राफिक्स/शब्दावली ) /ग्राफिक्स/शब्दावली ) ( चित्र /ग्राफिक्स/ ( चित्र /ग्राफिक्स/ पाठ लिखा गया है या विशषे ताएं को उद्शेद ्य या विशषे ताएं को उद्शदे ्य शब्दावली ) या शब्दावली ) या उनको पहचानना समझना, जब प्रमखु रुप समझना, जब बहुत सारे विशषे ताएं को उद्शेद ्य विशषे ताएं को उद्शेद ्य से सकं े त दिए गए हो, थोड़़ी सकं े त दिए गए हो, थोड़़ी समझना, जब बहुत सारे समझना, जब कम मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक भी मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक सकं े त दिए गए हो, थोड़़ी सकं े त दिए गए हो, बहुत दी गई हो और उद्शेद ्य सीध-े भी दी गई हो और उद्शदे ्य मिलती-जलु ती भ्रामक ज़््यादा मिलती-जलु ती सीधे न दिया गया हो सीध-े सीधे न दिया गया हो भी दी गई हो और उद्शेद ्य भ्रामक भी दी गई हो सीध-े सीधे न दिया और उद्शदे ्य सीध-े सीधे गया हो न दिया गया हो पाठ मेें दी गई कक्षा 6 स्तर के पाठ मेंे दी कक्षा 7 स्तर के पाठ मेें दी कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ कक्षा 8 स्तर के पाठ जानकारी/तथ्ययों की गई जानकारी - विचार और गई जानकारी - विचार और मेें दी गई जानकारी - मेें दी गई जानकारी - वास्तविकता समझना तथ्ययों के बीच अतं र करना, तथ्ययों के बीच अतं र करना, विचार और तथ्ययों के विचार और तथ्ययों के जब सकं े त प्रमखु रुप से जब सकं े त प्रमखु रुप से बीच अतं र करना, जब बीच अतं र करना और नहीीं दिए गए होों नहीीं दिए गए होों सकं े त प्रमखु रुप से नहीीं साबित करने के लिए दिए गए होों प्रमाण का उपयोग करना Sample item Grade 8 Strand Reading Comprehension Competency कक्षा-स्तर के पाठ मेें स्पष्ट रूप से व्यक्त जानकारी को समानार्थी शब्ददों के मिलान द्वारा प्राप्त करना। Proficiency level बनु ियादी मधमु क्खियाँ मधमु क्खियाँ उड़ते हुए भन-भन की आवाज़ करती है।ंै यह आवाज़ उनके पखं ोों के हिलने से होती है। Passage मधमु क्खियाँ एक बहुत फायदे के काम के लिए भी भन-भन करती है।ंै जब मधमु क्खियाँ शहद चसू ने के लिए फू लोों पर बठै ती है,ंै तभी पराग के दाने उनके पावँ ोों व शरीर पर चिपक जाते हैंै फिर वे पराग को अपने पखं ोों से उड़ते हुए एक फू ल से दूसरे तक ले जाती है।ैं इन परागोों से पौधे के बीज बनते है।ंै मधमु क्खियोों की यह प्रक्रिया चलती रहती ह।ै भन-भन की आवाज़ मधमु क्खियोों के सासँ लने े से भी होती ह।ै उनका शरीर छोटा व कई टुकड़ों मेंे बटँ ा होता ह।ै तो जब सासँ लने े से हवा अदं र जाती ह,ै तो उसे कई टढे ़े़-मढे ़़े व ऊँ च-े नीचे रास्ततों को पार कर के जाना पड़ता ह।ै और इसी वजह से भन-भन की आवाज़ होती ह।ै मधमु क्खियाँ बहुत महे नती होती है सर्दी के मौसम मेें यह नो महीने तक जिन्दा रह सकती है और गर्मियोों मेें सिर््फ दो महीने तक! लगातार काम करने से इनको कोई फर््क नही पड़ता | मधमु क्खियाँ भी सच मेें कमाल की है,ंै हैंै ना। Sample Item Q. गद््यांश मेंे मधमु खियोों द्वारा लगातार किये जाने वाले किस कार््य के बारे मेंे बताया गया ह?ै A. उड़ते हुए भिन्न की आवाज़ आना | B. पराग को एक फू ल से दुसरे तक पहुुँचाना | C. हर मौसम मेंे महे नत करना | D. फू लोों से शहद चसू ना | 26 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

REPORTING AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS Reporting for SAFAL will focus on school level achievement of learning/proficiency levels across grade-level competencies demonstrated in the assessment. Proficiency bands provide a convenient way to describe the profile of a school’s achievement. A national minimum standard (benchmark) would be established for each grade. SAFAL results will be reported using scaled scores. A scaled score is a conversion of a student's raw score on a test to a common scale that allows for a numerical comparison between students. Scaled scores are particularly useful for comparing test scores over time, such as measuring year-to-year growth of individual students or groups of students in a content area. The reports will provide diagnostic information to enable schools to plan for remediation for students, and professional development for teachers. Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced Understand need for food and procurement of food Understand importance of spices and reasons for food spoilage Describe methods of food preservations Describe the process of eating and digestion Knowing about the different type of houses and their construction Understanding about the 20% need and types of houses in different places and climates Applying the knowledge on the construction of houses its cleanliness and disposal of waste 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Figure : Sample school report card with proficiency levels for language A sample reporting format is presented above highlighting the proficiency level of grade 5 students across different competencies. SAFAL data can be used by school systems, school managements, and parents to improve learning outcomes by reporting school performance on predetermined competencies and proficiency levels. Student data will not be publicly disclosed and the data won’t be used to pass/fail students. Additionally, the school reports would provide insights and suggestions for targeted academic support and management. This would provide headmasters and teachers with actionable steps that would drive change from bottom- up right from the classroom level. SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 27

Appendix ANNEXURE 1 A Heuristic For Thinking About Reading Comprehension (RAND Reading Study Group, 2002) Figure 1. A Heuristic for Thinking About The RRSG defined reading comprehension Reading Comprehension as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language. Reading comprehension consists of three elements: the reader, the text, and the activity of reading. The RRSG developed a heuristic to show how these elements interrelate in reading comprehension. This three-way interrelationship occurs within a larger sociocultural context that shapes and is shaped by the reader and that interacts with each of the elements iteratively throughout the process of reading (see Figure 1). The Reader The reader brings to the act of reading his or her cognitive capabilities (attention, memory, critical analytic ability, the process of inferring, visualization); motivation (a purpose for reading, interest in the content, self-efficacy as a reader); knowledge (vocabulary and topic knowledge, linguistic and discourse knowledge, knowledge of comprehension strategies); and experiences. These attributes vary considerably among readers and even within an individual reader as a function of the particular text being read and the reading activity. The Activity The reading activity includes one or more purposes or tasks, some operations to process the text, and the outcomes of performing the activity, all of which occur within some specific context. Processing the text involves decoding the text, some higher-level linguistic and semantic processing, and self-monitoring for comprehension—all of which depend on the reader’s capabilities as well as on the various features of the text. Each element of text processing has varying degrees of importance depending on the type of reading being done, such as skimming (getting just the gist of the text) or studying (reading the text with the intent of retaining the information for a period of time). Finally, the outcomes of reading are part of the activity. The outcomes can include an increase in knowledge, a solution to some real-world problem, and/or engagement with the text. 28 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

The long-term outcomes of reading—improved reading comprehension ability, in- creased knowledge, and engagement with the text—are of the greatest direct relevance to educators. The Context When one thinks of the context in which reading is taught, the first thing that comes to mind is the classroom setting. But the learning process for reading takes place within a context that extends far beyond the classroom. In fact, differences among readers can, to some extent, be traced to the varying sociocultural environments within which chil- dren live and learn to read. Learning and literacy are viewed partly as cultural activities, not just because they are acquired through social interactions but also because they are an indication of how a specific cultural group or discourse community interprets the world and transxmits information. Sociocultural differences are often correlated with group differences. Groups may be identified by income, race, ethnicity, native language, or neighborhood. ANNEXURE 2 I. Models of Reading and Reading Comprehension Acquiring reading skills is a multi-phased process. Reading acquisition takes longer in some languages than others, with the length of time determined by the level of correspondence between the written language, or orthography (represented by graphemes [letters and symbols]), and the spoken language (represented by phonemes [sounds]). According to Seymour et al. (2003), for alphabetic languages, learners acquire reading in three phases. In the first phase, basic skills such as letter-sound knowledge (the ability to map each letter to its corresponding sound or sounds), word recognition (logographic process), and simple decoding of letters into sounds (alphabetic process) are established. The learner is acquiring a knowledge of the smallest building blocks of reading, by recognizing letter sounds (grapheme-phoneme correspondence) and their combination into simple words. Crucial to the development of the foundation laid in this first phase is identifying and storing familiar words by creating a bank of automatic or “sight” words—those that children can recognize on sight. Equally important is the establishment of fluent decoding, the ability to decipher new or unfamiliar words through an understanding of letter-sound correspondence. In the second and third phases, children encounter printed text that reinforces and helps them internalize language complexities—including rules and language patterns that they may know from the oral form of the language. Learners build an orthographic framework as they acquire a full understanding of the spelling system and fluency with rhymes (larger units of letter-sound correspondence). Subsequently, learners progress to fluency with morphemes (an association of phonemes with semantic meaning), building a framework that involves not only decoding letters into sounds but also, crucially, attributing meaning to written text. Regardless of the order of phasing, the model highlights the need for children to learn a large number of complex skills in order to become successful readers. SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 29

According to one prominent theoretical model, reading comprehension requires, at a minimum, the ability to decode printed words (word reading proficiency) as well as to comprehend oral language (linguistic comprehension) (called the ‘simple view of reading’; Gough & Tunmer, 1986; Hoover & Gough, 1990). The three components of Simple View of Reading framework are defined as follows: 1. Reading comprehension is the ability to extract and construct literal and inferred meaning from linguistic discourse represented in print. 2. Decoding is the ability to recognize printed words accurately and quickly to efficiently gain access to the appropriate word meanings contained in the internal mental lexicon. 3. Language Comprehension is the ability to extract and construct literal and inferred meaning from linguistic discourse represented in speech. Figure 2. The Simple View of Reading can adequately explain the act of reading but does not adequately explain the process of learning to read within both decoding and language comprehension. The Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read (Tunmer & Hoover, 2014) was developed to capture the developmental process within decoding and language comprehension. The Framework offers a description of the major cognitive capacities underlying learning to read and specifies the relationships between them. Another eminent line of work has shown that (text or oral) reading fluency – the ability to read connected texts with accuracy, speed and expression – is likewise critical to 30 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

reading comprehension, including in sub-Saharan Africa (Piper, Schroeder, & Trudell, 2015). Theoretically, text reading fluency is related to reading comprehension, because fluent reading affords readers the cognitive funds – such as working memory and attention – to be used for essential comprehension processes (Kim, 2015b; Kim & Wagner, 2015; LaBerge & Samuels, 1974; Samuels, 2006). Figure 3. Reading acquisition is seen as a developmental process (Chall, 1996). Higher-order skills (e.g., fluency and comprehension) build on lower-order skills (e.g., phonemic awareness, letter sound knowledge, and decoding), and the lower-order skills have been shown to be predictive of later reading achievement (Refer to Figure 1). In order to master the process of reading, there are a number of components that need to be mastered :oral language skills (vocabulary, syntax), print awareness, letter (symbol) knowledge, manipulation of symbol units (e.g., blending, segmentation), reading accuracy and speed, spelling and writing, and meta-linguistic awareness (i.e. the ability of children to reflect upon and manipulate the structural features of spoken language. These skills cover literacy learning regardless of context, language or writing system. The skills within each component are not sufficient on their own to produce successful reading, but they build on one another and work together to reach the ultimate goal of reading—i.e., comprehension. For comprehension to happen, children are required to master these component skills but are also required to engage with information on a deeper level . The Reading Pyramid : Figure 4. This framework holds that reading comprehension (top) is founded on language related (left facing) and print-related (right facing) knowledge and skill sets, with each set based on developmental hierarchies of other distinct skills. SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 31

The Reading Rope ( Scarborough, 2001) The Reading Rope framework talks about lower and upper strands. The word-recognition strands (phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition of familiar words) work together as the reader becomes accurate, fluent, and increasingly automatic with repetition and practice. Concurrently, the language-comprehension strands (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge) reinforce one another and then weave together with the word-recognition strands to produce a skilled reader. Figure 5. Adequacy in literacy and language skill form the building block of learning across academic disciplines. Acquiring these requisite competencies are essential to a child's overall academic journey. These skills enable students to make sense of material both orally and in writing, and derive meaning out of it. Developing these skills are key to acquiring proficiency in other disciplines. Consequently language competencies further enable students to respond and reciprocate with accuracy, which is not only an integral soft skill but also a necessary life skill for the overall development of a child. II. Importance of Listening Comprehension and Decoding for Reading Comprehension Research studies have shown that successful reading comprehension depends on decoding skills, such as phonological awareness and letter and word identification, and oral language skills such as vocabulary and discourse/listening comprehension. Both sets of skills make unique contributions to reading comprehension when children become conventional readers. One of the widely supported models of reading comprehension, the simple view of reading (mentioned above), specifies that linguistic comprehension is an essential skill in addition to decoding (or word reading proficiency) (Gough & Hoover, 1990). Much evidence has provided support for the simple view of reading in several languages, and 32 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook

showed that oral language skills such as vocabulary and listening comprehension are critical to reading comprehension, and their importance increases as children develop reading skills (Foorman, Koon, Petscher, Mitchell, & Truckenmiller, 2015; Kim, 2015b; Kim, Wagner, & Lopez, 2012; Kim & Wagner, 2015). Decoding is a key skill for learning to read that involves taking apart the sounds in words (segmenting) and blending sounds together. It requires both knowledge of letter-sound relationships, as well as an ability to apply that knowledge to successfully identify written words and make meaning. If a reader requires considerable processing capacity to decode a single word, his/her processing capacity is less available for higher order integrated processes—for example, memory for the just previously coded word may suffer, memory for the preceding phrase may decrease, and the subject's ability to \"predict\" what he is yet to encounter on the printed page may diminish. Oral Reading Fluency : Why is reading fluency a prerequisite for comprehension? The faster one reads a message, the more time one has to put it into the working memory, connect it with prior knowledge, and thus understand it. People who read beyond a minimum speed can understand the text because the mind is able to hold a message long enough in working memory, contemplate it and bring out long-term memory relevant knowledge to interpret it. Many studies have demonstrated a close relationship between speed and comprehension (review in Fuchs et al. 2001). Many studies have found that speed was a prerequisite for comprehension (Laberge and Samuels 1974, Daneman and Carpenter 1980, Breznitz 1997a and 1997b, Snow et al. 1998; Pikulski and Chard 2005). Struggling English readers who practiced recognition to the point of automaticity answered more comprehension questions than students who merely were instructed on word meanings (Tan and Nicholson 1997). Oral reading fluency measures correlate not only with simple recall questions but also with the comprehension of more complex texts (correlation 0.91; Fuchs, Fuchs and Maxwell 1988). The relationship between speed and comprehension is moderated by accuracy; working memory gets cluttered with the failed attempts, so a 5 percent error rate is associated with comprehension test scores of only 75 percent (Barr et al. 2002: 253). Thus students learn from books only when they can read them fluently. As grades advance, texts become more complex and if students keep reading, speed should rise in tandem. By the time they reach grade 6 students ought to be reading about 150 words per minute on average. Thus, early-grade reading strongly affects the efficiency of an education system. Much repetition and dropout can be avoided if students read at the required speed. SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook 33

Acknowledgements We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all those who provided their guidance, support, advice and expertise in developing the framework and creating the handbooks. We give special gratitude to the members of the Central Board of Secondary Education, whose contribution in coordination, stimulating suggestions and encouragement, helped the building of the framework. We are deeply grateful to the Principals and teachers of CBSE affiliated schools who have contributed to developing the framework. Furthermore, we would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role of the members of Sage Perspectives, LLC, Central Square Foundation and other organisations, who have invested their effort towards developing the framework. Lastly, a special thanks to those who reviewed the framework and designed the handbook. 34 SAFAL - Language Assessment Framework Handbook