JUDGING STANDARDS IN YEAR 4 ENGLISH
Reporting against the Achievement Standard
YEAR 4 ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD
These assessment pointers are for judging standards of student performance in Year 4 English. They
are examples of what students may demonstrate rather than a checklist of everything they should do.
For reporting, they are used to make on-balance judgments about achievement based on what has
been taught and assessed during the reporting period. They can also be used to guide the pitch of
assessment tasks, develop marking keys and inform assessment feedback.
These are the assessment pointers for the Reading and viewing and Writing and creating modes.
Additional assessment pointers for the Speaking and listening mode are currently being developed.
(organised by modes from The Australian Curriculum version 6.0)
Reading and viewing
By the end of Year 4, students understand that texts have different structures depending on the purpose and audience. They explain how language features, images and
vocabulary are used to engage the interest of audiences. They describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different texts. They express preferences for particular
texts, and respond to others’ viewpoints.
Writing and creating
Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts
that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas. Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They demonstrate
understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning.
Speaking and listening
Students listen for key points in discussions. They use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on
information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas. Students create structured texts to explain ideas for
different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context.
2013/36589v9 [PDF 2013/37340] Published: 22 May, 2015
YEAR 4 ENGLISH ASSESSMENT POINTERS – READING AND VIEWING
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Meaning and
interpretation
Explores content and links ideas
in a text to explain literal and
implied meaning.
Explains content and links key
ideas in a text to explain literal
and implied meaning.
Describes content and identifies
key ideas from a text to
comment on literal or implied
meaning.
Identifies some key points from
a simple text.
Recalls some literal information
from a text.
Text structure
Explains how different text types
are structured to suit purpose
and audience.
Describes how texts are
structured to suit purpose and
audience.
Identifies how a text is
structured to suit purpose and
audience.
Identifies aspects of simple text
structures.
Identifies a few aspects of
simple text structures.
Language and
conventions
Discusses the effectiveness of
language features and images
used to engage the audience,
and provides evidence from the
text.
Explains how language features
and images are used to engage
the audience, and uses a
relevant example from the text.
Describes how language
features and images can be used
to engage the audience.
Locates image or vocabulary
used to engage the audience.
Recalls an image or simple,
familiar vocabulary from the
text.
Context, audience and
purpose
Identifies the possible audience
for a text, providing details from
the text and own context to
justify ideas.
Identifies the possible audience
for a text, referring to the text to
support ideas.
Identifies the audience for a
text, using an example from the
text.
Provides simple ideas for a
possible audience for a text.
Provides a brief personal
response to a text.
Response and evaluation
Explains and justifies personal
response, providing specific
examples from the text and own
wider reading.
Explains personal response,
providing an example from the
text and from own reading.
Describes personal response
giving an example from the text
to support opinion.
Provides brief reason for liking
or disliking the text.
Refers to detail from the text,
without explanation.
Reads a wide range of varied
texts with fluency and
expression, and uses relevant
text processing strategies.
Reads texts with fluency and
expression, and uses some text
processing strategies.
Reads texts, using text
processing strategies to
maintain fluency.
Reads aloud but needs frequent
prompting.
Requires assistance to read
aloud.
Reading aloud
YEAR 4 ENGLISH ASSESSMENT POINTERS – WRITING AND CREATING
Text structure
Language features
Spelling
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Creates an engaging imaginative
text for the intended audience
and purpose. Selects and uses
the appropriate text structure.
Writes a coherent and engaging
imaginative text using
appropriate text structure that
considers audience.
Writes a coherent imaginative
text using appropriate text
structure that considers
different audiences.
Attempts to write an
imaginative text using some
elements of text structure.
Attempts to write an
imaginative text using a
framework.
Constructs an accurate and
detailed informative text, uses
appropriate text structure and
includes relevant detail to
extend key ideas. Ideas are
organised and logical.
Constructs an informative and
accurate text, uses appropriate
text structure and includes
relevant detail to support key
ideas.
Constructs an informative text,
uses appropriate text structure
and includes relevant detail to
support key ideas.
Writes a simple informative text,
uses some elements of text
structure and includes some key
ideas.
Attempts to write an
informative text, with little or no
text structure.
Creates a cohesive persuasive
text for a specific audience.
Selects key information, with
supporting detail and
elaborations. May consider an
alternative point of view.
Creates a persuasive text for a
specific audience. Uses key
information and supporting
detail to express an opinion with
some elaborations.
Creates a persuasive text for a
specific audience. Uses key
information and supporting
detail to express an opinion.
Writes a simple persuasive text.
Uses some key information to
state an opinion; however, uses
little or no supporting detail.
Attempts to present an opinion.
Writes simple, compound and
complex sentences, varying the
structure and/or length for
effect.
Writes simple, compound and
complex sentences, varying
length and/or sentence
beginnings.
Uses simple, compound and
complex sentences to develop
ideas.
Uses simple sentences, with
little variation in structure
and/or length.
Uses simple and run-on
sentences.
Selects a range of topic-specific
and complex vocabulary to
enhance meaning appropriate to
the audience and purpose.
Uses a range of topic-specific
vocabulary to enhance meaning
and suit the purpose.
Selects vocabulary from a range
of resources.
Uses simple vocabulary to
express ideas.
Uses simple vocabulary.
Consistently spells a range of
common and difficult words
accurately.
Integrates a range of strategies
to correctly spell most common
and difficult words accurately.
Spells most common words
accurately.
Spells some common words.
Relies on using sound-letter
relationships.
Spells simple words incorrectly.
Punctuation
Editing
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Uses complex punctuation to
suit the purpose, enhance
meaning and for deliberate
effect.
Uses appropriate and accurate
punctuation relevant to the
purpose and context to enhance
meaning.
Uses accurate punctuation
relevant to the purpose and
context, such as quotation
marks for dialogue, titles and
quotes.
Uses boundary punctuation
which may be relevant to the
purpose and context.
Uses punctuation inconsistently.
Monitors and edits work to
enhance meaning, punctuation
and spelling.
Edits work for meaning and
accuracy, making changes to
clarify content.
Edits to improve meaning.
May identify some simple
errors.
Makes minimal or no attempt to
check work.