Year 3 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 3 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 3 Australian Curriculum: English achievement standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 3, students understand how content can be organised using different text structures depending on the purpose of the text.
They understand how language features, images and vocabulary choices are used for different effects.
They read texts that contain varied sentence structures, a range of punctuation conventions, and images that provide additional information. They identify literal
and implied meaning connecting ideas in different parts of a text. They select information, ideas and events in texts that relate to their own lives and to other texts.
They listen to others’ views and respond appropriately.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas. They understand how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on
topics. Their texts include writing and images to express and develop in some detail experiences, events, information, ideas and characters.
Students create a range of texts for familiar and unfamiliar audiences. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful
feedback and making presentations. They demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context
of their writing. They use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning. They write using joined letters
that are accurately formed and consistent in size.
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 3 English standard elaborations
A
REVISED DRAFT
B
C
D
E
Ideas and information in texts
Clear and supported
interpretation of literal
and implied meaning by
connecting ideas in a text
Supported interpretation
of literal and implied
meaning by connecting
ideas in a text
Identification of literal
and implied meaning by
connecting ideas in a
text
Identification of literal
meaning in a text
Restatement of
information from a text
Considered identification
and use of information,
ideas and events in a
variety of texts to make
connections to own life
Effective identification and
use of information, ideas
and events in a variety of
texts to make connections
to own life
Identification of
information, ideas and
events in a variety of
texts to make
connections to own life
Identification of aspects
of information related to
own experience in a
variety of texts
Restatement of
information from, or
statement of opinion
about, a variety of texts
Text structures
Considered explanation
of how text structures are
used for different
purposes
Explanation of how text
structures are used for
different purposes
Statements that show
understanding that
different text structures
are used for different
purposes
Identification of text
structures
Identification of aspects
of text structures
Considered explanation
of how language
features, images and
vocabulary are used for
different effects
Explanation of how
language features, images
and vocabulary are used
for different effects
Statements that show
understanding of how
language features,
images and vocabulary
are used for different
effects
Description of language
features, images and
vocabulary
Identification of language
features, images or
vocabulary
Language
features
Receptive modes
Evidence of listening, reading and viewing
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
Year 3 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 information,
images and details about
experiences, events and
characters for different
purposes, including to
express and develop
ideas
Effective selection and
use of information, images
and details about
experiences, events and
characters for different
purposes, including to
express and develop
ideas
Selection and use of
information, images and
details about
experiences, events and
characters for different
purposes, including to
express and develop
ideas
Use of information and
images for different
purposes, including to
express ideas about
experiences, events and
characters
Use of ideas, information
and images
Text
structures
Considered use of text
structures for different
purposes and audiences,
including making
presentations
Effective use of text
structures for different
purposes and audiences,
including making
presentations
Use of text structures for
different purposes and
audiences, 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
language features for
particular contexts and
purposes, including to
link and sequence ideas
and express opinions.
Language features
include:
Effective use language
features for particular
contexts and purposes,
including to link and
sequence ideas and
express opinions.
Language features
include:
Use of language features
for particular contexts
and purposes, including
to link and sequence
ideas and express
opinions.
Language features
include:
Use of language features
that vary in suitability, for
example:
Use of language features
that impede meaning, for
example:
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• punctuation
• spoken/signed
1
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• punctuation
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• punctuation
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• punctuation
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
• grammatical structures
• vocabulary
• punctuation
• spoken/signed features
• non-verbal features
• visual features
Language features
Productive modes
Evidence of speaking, writing and creating
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
features
• non-verbal features2
• visual features3
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 3 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
Use of knowledge of
sounds and high
frequency words to:
• spell words accurately
• check for meaning
Use of joined letters that
are:
• accurately formed
• consistent in size
Demonstration of
developing use of
sounds and high
frequency words to:
Emerging use of sounds
and high frequency
words to:
• spell words
• check for meaning
• spell words
• check for meaning
Demonstration of
developing use of
handwriting with joined
letters
Emergent use of
handwriting with joined
letters
Note: Colour highlights have been used in the table to emphasise the qualities that discriminate between the standards.
Year 3 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 3 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
analysed to judge the logic of the text to, for example, identify
particular points of view represented or fallacies inherent in the text
evaluated to make judgments using criteria
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 3 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.
Specific information about texts in the Year 3 Australian Curriculum:
English achievement standard makes clear that students should have
opportunities to:
•
•
read texts that contain varied sentence structures, a range of
punctuation conventions, and images that provide additional
information
contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions,
providing useful feedback
Use of
To operate or put into effect
Variety
A number of different things
Year 3 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 6 of 6