Year 4 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
The Australian Curriculum achievement standards are an expectation of the depth of understanding, the extent of knowledge and the sophistication of
skills that students should typically demonstrate at the end of a teaching and learning year. In Queensland, the Year 4 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 4 Australian Curriculum: English achievement standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 4, students understand that texts have different text structures depending on purpose and audience. They explain how language features,
images and vocabulary are used to engage the interest of audiences.
They describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different texts. They express preferences for particular texts, and respond to others’ viewpoints. They
listen for key points in discussions.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They
create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas.
Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying
language according to context. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and
punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning.
Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum v6.0 English for Foundation–10, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10
The standards elaborations (SEs) should be used in conjunction with the Australian Curriculum achievement standard and content descriptions for the
relevant year level. They provide additional clarity about using the Australian Curriculum achievement standard to make judgments on a five-point
scale.
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The SEs for English have been developed using the Australian Curriculum content descriptions and the achievement standard.
They promote and support:
• aligning curriculum, assessment and reporting, connecting curriculum and evidence in assessment, so that what is assessed relates directly to what
students have had the opportunity to learn
• continuing skill development from one year of schooling to another
• making judgments on a five-point scale based on evidence of learning in a folio of student work
• planning an assessment program and individual assessments
• developing task-specific standards and grading guides.
Year 4 English standard elaborations
A
REVISED DRAFT
B
C
D
E
Ideas and information
in texts
Text
structures
Language
features
Receptive modes
Evidence of listening, reading and viewing
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
Clear and supported
interpretation of literal
and implied meaning,
connecting ideas in texts
and identifying key points
Supported interpretation
of literal and implied
meaning, connecting
ideas in texts and
identifying key points
Description of literal and
implied meaning,
connecting ideas in texts
and identifying key
points
Identification of literal
meaning in texts
Restatement of
information from texts
Considered expression
of own preferences for
and identification of
others’ viewpoints on
events, characters and
settings in a variety of
texts
Effective expression of
own preferences for and
identification of others’
viewpoints on events,
characters and settings in
a variety of texts
Expression of own
preferences for and
identification of others’
viewpoints on events,
characters and settings
in a variety of texts
Identification of own
response to events,
characters and settings
in a variety of texts
Identification of events,
characters and settings
in a variety of texts
Considered explanation
of how text structures are
used for different
purposes and audiences
Explanation of how text
structures are used for
different purposes and
audiences
Statements that show
understanding that text
structures are used for
different purposes and
audiences
Identification of text
structures and purposes
Identification of aspects
of text structures
Considered explanation
of how language
features, images and
vocabulary are used to
engage audiences
Effective explanation of
how language features,
images and vocabulary
are used to engage
audiences
Explanation of how
language features,
images and vocabulary
are used to engage
audiences
Identification of language
features, images and
vocabulary and purposes
Identification of aspects
of language features,
images or vocabulary
Year 4 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 2 of 6
A
B
C
D
E
Ideas and
information in texts
Considered selection and
use of ideas, information
and images for different
purposes, including to
develop and explain a
point of view
Effective selection and
use of ideas, information
and images for different
purposes, including to
develop and explain a
point of view
Selection and use of
ideas, information and
images for different
purposes, including to
develop and explain a
point of view
Use of ideas, information
and images for different
purposes, including to
develop a point of view
Use of ideas and
information, including
to state an opinion
Text
structures
Considered use of text
structures for different
purposes, including
making presentations
Effective use of text
structures for different
purposes, including
making presentations
Use of text structures for
different purposes,
including making
presentations
Use of aspects of text
structures for different
purposes, including
making presentations
Use of aspects of text
structures, including to
make a presentation
Considered use of a
variety of language
features for particular
contexts and purposes,
including to create
coherence. Language
features include:
Effective use of a variety
of language features for
particular contexts and
purposes, including to
create coherence.
Language features
include:
Use of a variety of
language features for
particular contexts and
purposes, including to
create coherence.
Language features
include:
Use of language
features that vary in
suitability, for example:
Use of language
features that impede
meaning, for example:
•
grammatical
structures
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
grammatical
structures
•
grammatical
structures
•
grammatical
structures
•
•
vocabulary
•
•
•
•
•
vocabulary
•
•
vocabulary
•
•
vocabulary
•
•
non-verbal features
•
•
non-verbal features
•
•
non-verbal features 2
•
•
non-verbal features
•
•
non-verbal features
Language features
Productive modes
Evidence of speaking, writing and creating
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
spoken/signed
features 1
visual features
3
spoken/signed
features
visual features
spoken/signed
features
spoken/signed
features
visual features
spoken/signed
features
visual features
visual features
1
For example: pronunciation; pace, phrasing and pausing; audibility and clarity
For example: facial expressions, gestures, proximity, stance, movement
3
For example: graphics, still and moving images
2
Year 4 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 3 of 6
Language features
Productive modes
Evidence of speaking, writing and creating
Understanding and skills dimensions
Considered use of editing
strategies to improve
meaning, including:
Effective use of editing
strategies to improve
meaning, including:
Use of editing strategies
to improve meaning,
including:
Use of editing
strategies that vary in
suitability, for example:
Use of textual features
that impede meaning, for
example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
Note: Colour highlights have been used in the table to emphasise the qualities that discriminate between the standards.
Year 4 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 4 of 6
Notes
The SEs describe the qualities of achievement in the two dimensions common to all Australian
Curriculum learning area achievement standards:
• understanding
• skills.
Dimension *
Description
Understanding*
The concepts underpinning and connecting knowledge in a learning area,
related to a student’s ability to appropriately select and apply knowledge to
solve problems in that learning area
Skills*
The specific techniques, strategies and processes in a learning area
The following terms and key words are used in the Year 4 English SEs. They help to clarify the
descriptors and should be used in conjunction with the ACARA Australian Curriculum English
glossary: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/Glossary
Term
Description
Aspects
Particular parts or features
Clear; Clarity
Without ambiguity; explicit
Connection; Connect
Establish a link
Considered;
Consideration*
Thought about deliberately with a purpose
Description; Descriptive;
Describe*
Give an account of characteristics or features
Effective
Capably meets the described requirements
Explanation; Explanatory;
Explain*
Provide additional information that demonstrates understanding of reasoning
and/or application
Identification; Identify*
Establish or indicate who or what someone or something is
Implied meaning
Suggested but not directly expressed. The following information is provided to
support working with ‘implied meaning’.
Information and ideas in texts may be:
Interpretation; Interpret*
*
•
interpreted to identify relationships among ideas, information, facts and
values. These relationships include comparisons, and cause and effect
•
•
combined with prior experience to extrapolate on what is in the text
•
•
evaluated to make judgments using criteria
analysed to judge the logic of the text to, for example, identify particular
points of view represented or fallacies inherent in the text
synthesised with literal meaning and other types of implied meaning to
respond to an idea or thesis with creative thinking
Explaining the meaning of information or actions
The asterisk (*) denotes dimensions and terms described by ACARA. Unmarked terms are described by QCAA.
Year 4 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 5 of 6
Literal meaning
Taking words in their exact or most basic sense without metaphor or
exaggeration. The following information is provided to support working with
‘literal meaning’.
Information and ideas in texts may be:
•
•
recognised or recalled
translated or changed into a different form by, for example, paraphrasing or
restating
Restatement; Restate
Repeat known information
Selection; Select*
Choose in preference to another or others
Statement; State
A sentence or assertion
Supported; Support
In an English context: using evidence to show that an idea, statement,
interpretation has validity; evidence might be quotations from or reference to a
text, or examples from other sources
Text*
The means for communication. Their forms and conventions have developed to
help us communicate effectively with a variety of audiences for a range of
purposes. Texts can be written, spoken or multimodal and in print or
digital/online forms.
Information about spoken texts in the Year 4 Australian Curriculum: English
achievement standard makes clear that students should have opportunities to:
•
contribute actively to class and group discussions
Use of
To operate or put into effect
Variety
A number of different things
Year 4 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 6 of 6