How is reading comprehension assessed in Northern Ireland?
At key stages 1 and 2, teachers are required to assess and report pupils’ progress in the cross-curricular skills. Reading is an element of the cross-curricular skill of communication.
In reading, pupils are expected to develop the skills to:
- read a range of texts for information, ideas and enjoyment
- use a range of strategies to read with increasing independence
- find, select and use information from a range of sources
- understand and explore ideas, events and features in texts
- use evidence from texts to explain opinions.
For more details on Northern Ireland’s assessment arrangements and levels of progression, see here.
Related Background Questions
- What is reading comprehension and why is it important?
- How is word reading related to reading comprehension?
- What are some of the challenges to good reading comprehension?
- What are the factors associated with good comprehension?
- Why is vocabulary development important for comprehension?
- How can reading comprehension best be taught?
- Does the amount of time children spend reading have an impact on their comprehension skills?
- Is there a difference between reading on screen and reading on paper in terms of comprehension?
- What does the Northern Ireland Curriculum say about comprehension?