1. hobbies and interests
2. reading

JUDGING STANDARDS IN YEAR 8 ENGLISH
Reporting against the Achievement Standard
YEAR 8 ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD
These assessment pointers are for judging standards of student performance in Year 8 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.
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 8, students understand how the selection of text structures is influenced by the selection of language mode and how this varies for different purposes and
audiences. They explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent different ideas and issues in texts. They interpret texts, questioning the reliability
of sources of ideas and information. They select evidence from the text to show how events, situations and people can be represented from different viewpoints.
Writing and creating
Students understand how the selection of language features can be used for particular purposes and effects. They explain the effectiveness of language choices they use to
influence the audience. Through combining ideas, images and language features from other texts students show how ideas can be expressed in new ways. They create texts for
different purposes selecting language to influence audience response. When creating and editing texts for specific effects, they take into account intended purposes and the
needs and interests of audiences. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary for effect and use accurate spelling and punctuation.
Speaking and listening
Students listen for and identify different emphases in texts, using that understanding to elaborate upon discussions. They understand how the selection of language features
can be used for particular purposes and effects. They explain the effectiveness of language choices they use to influence the audience. Through combining ideas, images and
language features from other texts students show how ideas can be expressed in new ways. They create texts for different purposes selecting language to influence audience
response. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using language patterns for effect.
2013/36600v9 [PDF 2013/37345] Published: 22 May, 2015
YEAR 8 ENGLISH ASSESSMENT POINTERS – READING AND VIEWING
Meaning and
interpretation
Text structure
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Interprets detailed information
and ideas about events,
situations and people in the
text, using supporting evidence
from the text.
Identifies detailed information
and explains key ideas about
events, situations and people in
the text, using relevant evidence
from the text.
Identifies key information and
simple ideas about events,
situations and people in the
text, using some relevant
evidence to support opinions.
Identifies some information
about events, situations or
people in the text, with little or
no reference to textual detail.
Locates and directly recounts
some simple, literal information
about events, situations or
people in a text.
Interprets the viewpoint of the
author by analysing relevant
supporting evidence from the
text.
Explains the viewpoint of the
author by selecting relevant
supporting evidence from the
text.
Identifies the viewpoint of the
author by locating supporting
evidence from the text.
Describes the viewpoint of the
author briefly, without
explanation.
Directly recounts information
from the text, without
explaining viewpoint.
Provides a detailed,
comprehensive reading of a
character with relevant
examples to support.
Provides an inferential reading
of a character, with reference to
textual detail.
Presents observations or makes
brief inferences about a
character, using some textual
information for support.
Provides a brief description of a
character.
Locates simple information
about a character but may not
accurately distinguish one
character from another.
Integrates relevant detail and
quotations from the text to
justify own ideas.
Describes relevant detail from
the text to support own ideas.
Includes some relevant evidence
from the text to support points
being made.
Refers to detail from the text
but does not explain how it
supports own ideas.
Repeats some detail from the
text as supporting examples,
without explanation.
Explores similarities shared by
characters in different texts,
using a range of examples from
own wider reading or viewing to
illustrate.
Describes similarities shared by
characters from different texts,
using specific examples from
own reading and viewing to
illustrate.
Identifies general similarities
shared by characters from a
provided text and others
encountered in general reading
and viewing.
Identifies a few simple elements
shared by characters in the text
provided and those encountered
in other texts.
Lists simple elements of
character in the text provided,
without reference to other
texts.
Explores how a text’s structure
can influence audience
response, referring to other
texts to support ideas.
Explains how a text’s structure
can influence audience response
and provides supporting
evidence.
Identifies elements of the text’s
structure and explains their
intended effect on the audience.
Refers to elements of structure
without explaining effect on
audience.
Identifies a simple element of
structure.
Explores and explains relevant
links between structure and
purpose, providing evidence
from the text to illustrate points
being made.
Explains relevant links between
structure and purpose,
providing textual detail to
support points being made.
Makes simple connections
between structure and purpose,
with some evidence from the
text.
Identifies a link between
structure and purpose.
Identifies a simple element of
structure and/or purpose.
Language and
conventions
Context, audience and
purpose
Response and evaluation
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Explains the effect of language
features and devices on
meaning, using a range of
examples to illustrate.
Describes the effect of a range
of features and devices on
meaning, illustrating with
examples.
Identifies and defines some
language features and devices,
providing examples.
Identifies simple language
features and devices.
Lists a few language features.
Explains how the construction of
setting reflects the construction
of character, illustrating with
relevant examples.
Identifies a link between setting
and character, and explains the
link with examples.
Identifies a link between setting
and character, and refers to
details from the text.
Identifies elements of setting
and/or character without
reference to the text for
support.
Provides few elements of setting
and/or character.
Analyses the construction of a
stereotype, using relevant and
specific textual details to
account for interpretation.
Describes the construction of a
stereotype, using relevant
textual details for support.
Identifies elements of a
stereotype, using textual details
for support.
Identifies a few elements of a
stereotype from a text.
Identifies a familiar stereotype.
Identifies and describes the
possible target audience of a
text by referring to specific
textual details to support own
interpretation.
Explains the possible target
audience of a text and provides
some textual evidence to
support ideas.
Identifies the possible target
audience of a text, using some
textual details for support.
Identifies possible target
audience of a text briefly,
without referring to detail from
the text.
Provides a few ideas for a
possible target audience.
Explores the effect of different
historical, social and cultural
contexts when analysing the
values and ideas presented in a
text.
Describes the effect of different
contexts when identifying the
values and ideas presented in a
text.
Explains that values and ideas in
texts may differ depending on
the contexts of the producer
and the reader or viewer.
Identifies context partially by
naming a time and/or place.
Lists some ideas but is unable to
identify context.
Explores and explains how
reader context influences a
personal response to a text,
referring to details from the text
to illustrate ideas.
Explains how reader context
influences a personal response
to a text.
Describes reader context and
how it influences a personal
response to an aspect of the
text.
Identifies an element of reader
context without relating it to a
personal response to a text.
Identifies an element of own
context.
Refers to own wider reading to
justify personal opinion when
comparing and evaluating texts.
Refers to wider reading to
present a personal opinion
when comparing and evaluating
texts.
Refers to another text to
present a personal opinion
when comparing and evaluating
texts.
Presents a personal opinion on a
text, with no reference to other
reading.
Provides a brief personal
opinion on a text.
Takes into account other
viewpoints when responding to
a text.
Describes an alternative
viewpoint when responding to a
text.
Identifies an alternative
viewpoint when responding to a
text.
Does not consider alternative
viewpoints when responding to
a text.
Provides a simple response to a
text.
YEAR 8 ENGLISH ASSESSMENT POINTERS – WRITING AND CREATING
Text structure
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Creates an engaging imaginative
text that develops own ideas
and/or that accurately replicates
the language and style of other
texts.
Creates an imaginative text that
presents own ideas and/or
replicates some aspects of the
language or style of other texts.
Creates an imaginative text that
includes some ideas and
language features of other texts.
Creates an imaginative text that
presents simplistic ideas based
on familiar personal experience
and/or the plot of popular texts.
Creates a simple imaginative
text based on a popular text
such as a television show.
Constructs a clearly structured,
logical essay that maintains
focus on the question or topic.
Constructs a clear essay, making
relevant points that address the
question or topic.
Constructs a clear, simple essay
using a formulaic essay
structure.
Constructs a simplistic
underdeveloped response,
adhering to some elements of a
formulaic essay structure.
Writes a brief response to the
question or topic.
Constructs a logical introduction
that engages with key ideas
related to the question or topic
and offers a specific thesis or
argument.
Constructs an introduction that
addresses aspects of the
question or topic and formulates
a broad thesis statement.
Constructs a brief introduction,
incorporating some key words
related to the question or topic,
but does not form a clear thesis.
Introduces a response using key
words from the question or
topic without developing a clear
introductory paragraph.
Introduction refers briefly to
topic.
Constructs paragraphs, focused
on one idea, that are welldeveloped, using a combination
of topic, developing, supporting
and linking sentences.
Structures paragraphs with
topic, developing and
supporting sentences, but
sometimes repeats points
unnecessarily.
Constructs paragraphs that
describe ideas related to the
question or topic in a general
way and/or that retell events.
Groups sentences about loosely
related ideas and sequences
these illogically.
Sentences not grouped into
paragraphs.
Integrates relevant evidence,
e.g. quotes and/or examples to
support main points, and
explains its significance.
Includes relevant evidence with
a general discussion of its
significance.
Includes some evidence in an
attempt to clarify ideas, but
mostly retells or repeats textual
details.
Recounts literal details of a text
as evidence.
Repeats some words from text
to support ideas.
Constructs a logical conclusion
with a relevant summary of the
key points and with clear links to
the introduction.
Constructs a conclusion with a
relevant summary of the key
points.
Concludes with simple but
relevant statements.
Concludes with broad
statements that do not directly
relate to the ideas presented.
Concluding sentence may not
relate to the topic.
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Expresses ideas effectively,
varying sentence structures,
length and beginnings to shape
meaning.
Expresses ideas clearly, using
simple, compound and complex
sentences, with minor errors
that do not detract from
meaning.
Expresses ideas clearly, using
formulaic simple, compound
and complex sentence
structures.
Presents ideas clearly in simple
or compound sentences. Uses
complex sentences, but the
meaning is not always clear.
Presents most ideas using
sentence fragments which
detract from the overall
meaning of the response.
Makes a range of effective
creative language choices in an
imaginative text, including the
use of descriptive and figurative
language, to enhance meaning
and reader engagement.
Makes a range of creative
language choices in an
imaginative text to influence
reader response, e.g. uses
emotive language to elicit
sympathy.
Uses relevant, but often clichéd
figurative language in an
imaginative text.
Uses some simple descriptive
language in an imaginative text.
Writes literally without using
figurative language which
affects reader engagement.
Uses simple, everyday words as
descriptive language.
Makes language choices to
produce a fluent and engaging
style in an essay. Uses relevant
literary terms to discuss aspects
of a text.
Makes conventional, but
effective language choices to
communicate ideas in an essay.
Uses some relevant literary
terms to explain aspects of a
text.
Makes language choices in an
essay that develop ideas in a
general manner. Correctly uses
familiar literary terms.
Makes familiar language choices
in an essay. Sometimes uses
more challenging vocabulary,
often incorrectly. Identifies
aspects of a text, without using
appropriate literary terms.
Does not use appropriate
literary terms.
Spells most words accurately,
including difficult and
challenging words.
Spells most words correctly but
may make errors in some
difficult words that do not affect
meaning.
Spells most common and some
difficult words correctly but
occasionally makes errors.
Confuses difficult homophones,
e.g. affect/effect.
Makes errors in spelling
common words, with some
detracting from the meaning.
Confuses some common
homophones.
Makes frequent spelling errors,
including familiar words.
Consistently confuses common
homophones.
Punctuation
Consistently uses a range of
complex punctuation correctly.
Uses most punctuation
correctly, but occasionally
makes errors, e.g. with commas
in complex sentences.
Uses a range of punctuation,
sometimes inconsistently.
Makes errors in punctuation
that affect the clarity of the text.
Uses basic punctuation
inconsistently.
Editing
Consistently uses a range of
editing strategies to refine and
clarify ideas, improve paragraph
order and select vocabulary
appropriate to the task.
Monitors and edits own work
through strategies to refine and
clarify ideas and improve the
effectiveness of the text.
Reviews and edits own work to
clarify ideas and improve the
effectiveness of the text.
Proofreads and identifies some
errors in own work but may
need support to correct
mistakes.
May identify some basic errors
in own work.
Language features
Spelling