RIP Assessment Focuses: Hello Content Domains

First published in November 2015, this popular article has been updated with links to all the relevant reading resources available here on the Primary English website.

From September 2015 onwards, the national curriculum (published 2013) has been taught in all year groups across the primary range. At the time, this meant experienced teachers needed to transition not only from the old curriculum orders but also adapt to the new assessment criteria. This meant the well-known Assessment Focuses for reading were put into retirement and the Content Domain(s) was/ were born. This article therefore says, RIP Assessment Focuses, and welcome to the world the Content Domain.

Reading Content domain reference KS1:

1a draw on knowledge of vocabulary to understand texts

1b identify / explain key aspects of fiction and non-fiction texts, such as characters, events, titles and information

1c identify and explain the sequence of events in texts

1d make inferences from the text

1e predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far

Reading Content domain reference KS2:

2a give / explain the meaning of words in context

2b retrieve and record information / identify key details from fiction and non-fiction

2c summarise main ideas from more than one paragraph

2d make inferences from the text / explain and justify inferences with evidence from the text

2e predict what might happen from details stated and implied

2f identify / explain how information / narrative content is related and contributes to meaning as a whole

2g identify / explain how meaning is enhanced through choice of words and phrases

2h make comparisons within the text

For more information about the reading content domains click KS1 reading here and KS2 reading here.

The content domain works in much the same way as the old assessment focuses. The statements are not the curriculum but the broad headings under which skills have been grouped for assessment. They were initially formulated for test developers so they could ensure their materials covered the range of the curriculum programmes of study. Just like the assessment focuses they are also useful to us as educators for assessing where gaps exist, for analysing formative and summative test data, and then for planning next steps in learning. As I said, they’re not the curriculum but knowing the content domains and how to ensure that they are all covered in teaching and learning is important.

To help fellow educators with the teaching of reading, I have updated the Primary English suite of Reading Resources include a number of FREE to download resources that reflect the content domain coverage.

KS2 Guided Reading Prompts
£0.00

Questions matched to the 2014 National Curriculum Content Domains. Suitable for guided and whole class reading activities.

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KS1 Guided Reading Prompts
£0.00

Questions matched to the National Curriculum Content Domains. Suitable for guided and whole class reading activities.

Add To Cart
KS2 Reading Journal Activities
£0.00

Ideas to support independent learning. Organised by the reading content domain.

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KS1 Reading Journal Activities
£0.00

Ideas to support independent learning. Organised by the reading content domain.

Add To Cart

For a whole host of other reading resources, do visit the Primary English resources page where you’ll find teaching sequences, graphic organisers and much much more.

If you liked this article, you may be interested in this one about teaching retrieval (Content Domain 1b and 2b).

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