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Skills that use Reading strategies

1. Comparing a studied poem with an unseen poem

   Assessed: In the exam

   Unit 1 Section A ends with an analytical comparative essay on one anthology poem and one unseen poem, linked by theme. Learners must explore form, style, devices, perspective and the contexts that shape meaning.

   Literacy: Understanding, response and analysis, Reading strategies

   Getting pupils ready

   Year 7

   Pupils read two short poems about the natural world, one studied and one unseen, and complete a two column grid of similarities and differences in subject, mood and one image from each.

   Year 8

   Pupils write a timed paragraph comparing how two poets present a parent and child, using a comparative connective such as whereas or similarly and a quotation from each poem.

   Year 9

   Pupils write a 40 minute comparative essay on a studied conflict poem and an unseen one, covering form, language and context, under examination conditions.

   Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

   Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.2, page 13 (also Summary of Assessment, page 5)

   “respond to linked poems, one that has been studied (from the anthology) and one unseen poem”

   Progression step 3

   • I can read closely, identifying and noting features of texts, e.g. introduction, sequence, illustrations, formality, key vocabulary.

   • I can infer ideas which are not explicitly stated, e.g. writer’s viewpoints or attitudes.

   Progression step 4

   • I can compare and contrast themes and issues across a range of texts including digital and audio-visual texts.

   • I can use inference and deduction to understand more complex texts, and can consider the reliability and impact of what I read.

   Progression step 5

   • I can read and analyse a range of unseen, printed and digital texts with concentration and independence.

   • I can confidently compare and contrast themes and ideas in a range of texts, including digital and audio-visual texts, exploring how they vary in purpose and effect.

   • I can read closely, analysing the content, language and impact of texts to deepen my understanding.

2. Inference and analysis of language, structure and form

   Assessed: In the exam

   In the Unit 4a or 4b examination and in Unit 6, learners infer viewpoints and purposes and explain how a writer's language, structure and form shape meaning, commenting on vocabulary, parts of speech, idiom, grammar and syntax with correct linguistic and literary terminology.

   Literacy: Understanding, response and analysis, Reading strategies

   Getting pupils ready

   Year 7

   Pupils label the nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in a short extract from their class novel and write one sentence on what a chosen verb suggests about a character.

   Year 8

   Pupils annotate a scene from a class play for stage directions, sentence types and one key image, then write a point, evidence and analysis paragraph on what a character's words reveal about their motives.

   Year 9

   Pupils answer a timed question on an extract from a play such as An Inspector Calls, inferring a character's motivation and naming at least three linguistic or structural features in their analysis.

   Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

   Where it is in the specification: Unit 4a, Section 4.2, page 22 (also Unit 4b, page 25; Unit 6, page 29; AO1 iii, page 32)

   “explain how language, structure and form contribute to the presentation of information, ideas and themes in written texts and speech”

   Progression step 3

   • I can use my knowledge of language construction and text organisation to support my understanding.

   • I can use inference and deduction to understand the text, and can consider the reliability of what I read.

   Progression step 4

   • I can gain a full understanding of texts using inference, deduction and analysis.

   • I can use my knowledge of:

     • word roots and families
     • grammar, sentence and whole-text structure
     • content and context

     to make sense of words, sentences and whole texts.

   Progression step 5

   • I can gain full understanding of texts using inference, deduction and analysis, understanding the context of the texts that influence the reader.

   • I can use my knowledge of:

     • word roots and families
     • grammar, sentence and whole-text structure
     • content and context

     to make sense of words, sentences and whole texts.

   • I can analyse and respond to texts and sub-texts, confidently understanding, interpreting and evaluating meaning.

3. Retrieving, summarising and synthesising from non-fiction

   Assessed: In the exam

   Unit 6 asks learners to retrieve detail, paraphrase and summarise, then synthesise and compare ideas across an anthology text and an unseen text, including transcripts of speech.

   Literacy: Understanding, response and analysis, Reading strategies

   Getting pupils ready

   Year 7

   Pupils skim a newspaper article about a local event in the Cynon Valley and list five facts in their own words without copying any full sentence.

   Year 8

   Pupils read a charity leaflet and a speech on the same issue and write a 100 word summary of what both say, then one sentence on how their views differ.

   Year 9

   Pupils answer a timed synthesis question drawing points from two non-fiction texts on work or sustainability, one of them unseen, using their own words and short embedded quotations.

   Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

   Where it is in the specification: Unit 6, Section 6.2, page 29 (also Unit 1, Section 1.2, page 14; AO1 ii, page 32)

   “comprehend ideas and information, retrieving relevant detail and mediating, through paraphrasing, summarising, synthesising and interpreting main points”

   Progression step 3

   • I can show understanding of and use the main ideas and significant details in different texts on the same topic.

   • I can use a range of strategies for finding information, e.g. skimming for gist, scanning for detail.

   Progression step 4

   • I can summarise, synthesise and analyse information to gain in-depth understanding, e.g. of causes, consequences, patterns, using different sources.

   • I can compare the viewpoint of different writers on the same topic, e.g. rats are fascinating or a menace.

   Progression step 5

   • I can synthesise and analyse information to gain a broad and balanced understanding from sources which may have conflicting views.

   • I can use a range of strategies, e.g. speed reading, close reading, annotation, prediction, to skim texts for gist, key ideas and themes, and scan for detailed information, extracting and commenting maturely on key ideas and themes.

Source: WJEC GCSE English Language and Literature (Single and Double Award) specification, Version 5, teaching from 2025, for award from 2027, © WJEC CBAC Ltd. 2024.