Reading Skills Summary

The Reading Skills Summary for Years 5 and 6 outlines a series of objectives aimed at enhancing students' comprehension and analytical abilities when engaging with texts. The first skill focuses on the ability to identify and discuss themes and conventions within a text, encouraging students to recognise overarching ideas and commonalities in writing. Reading Skill 2 emphasises the importance of discussing words and phrases that engage the reader's interest and imagination, thus deepening their appreciation of the author's craft.

Reading Skill 3 involves checking the coherence of the text, ensuring it makes sense, and exploring the meanings of words within their specific context. The fourth skill is about drawing inferences regarding characters' feelings, thoughts, and motives based on their actions, and supporting these inferences with evidence from the text. Skill 5 encourages students to predict future events in the story based on stated or implied details. Reading Skill 6 is about identifying and summarising the main ideas from multiple paragraphs. The seventh skill requires students to understand how language, structure, and presentation contribute to the meaning of the text. Reading Skill 8 is focused on the ability to extract and record information from non-fiction sources. The ninth skill extends the analytical aspect by asking students to make comparisons within and across different books. Reading Skill 10 is about discussing and evaluating the author's use of language, including figurative language, and assessing its impact on the reader. Lastly, Reading Skill 11 teaches students to distinguish between factual statements and opinions, an essential skill for critical reading. It should be noted that the last three skills are specifically outlined for Years 5 and 6 only.