1. Cream – Reception (30-50 months) I can find the title with help I can hold the book the right way up I can turn the pages at the right time I can talk about the pictures with help I can predict (guess) what might happen next I can spot some phonemes that I have learnt Red – Early Learning Goals (pre-Level 1) I can find and remember the title I can point to the words as I hear or read them I can use phonemes to read some small words I use words that I know to check my reading makes sense I am starting to read a little more quickly and I remember what I’m reading I can repeat some words and sentences to make sure my reading makes sense I can predict what a word might be by thinking about what would fit or make sense in the sentence I can try to sound out 2 and 3 letter words I don’t know by myself Pink – (40-60 months) I know that the left page comes before the right I know we read sentences from left to right I can point to the words as I hear or read them I can find words that I know and use them to check my reading makes sense I can think about what the text (words) say to help me with my reading I can sound out 2 and 3 letter words that I didn’t know, with help Blue – Level 1b I can read through the text and think about whether it makes sense I can correct mistakes that I make as I continue to read I can repeat words and sentences to check that my reading makes sense I can attempt to use the new phonemes (sounds) I have been learning to work out words I can read new tricky words as I check for clues in the text I can read different kinds of books or texts eg: stories, information books and poetry I can talk about my reading to show that I understand it well Green – Level 1b+ I can read fluently whilst using all punctuation correctly I can solve new words whilst I check to make sure they make sense in the sentence and in the text I can use the new phonemes (sounds) I have been learning to work out words I can manage many different types of text I can talk about characters and storyline in detail and begin to find information from what I read Yellow – Level 1c I can follow the print with my eyes, only pointing to tricky words I can use the tricky words and phonemes more confidently to help me read words I don’t know eg; look - took I notice punctuation (full stops, commas, capital letters) to help me make sense of my reading I can use lots of clues to help me as I read more quickly I can look for clues in the text to guess, check or try new words when I’m reading I can see differences or similarities between books and texts and I can predict what might happen next in them

2. Orange – Level 1a I can read without relying on illustrations I can read longer phrases and more complex sentences I recognise and use a wider variety of punctuation I can cross-check for meaning and syntax (sentence structure) as I read I can use familiar syllables within words to help read longer words I can grasp the meaning of a text Gold – Level 2b I can look through a variety of texts with growing independence, to predict content, layout and story development I can read silently or quietly at a more rapid pace, taking note of punctuation and using it to keep track of longer sentences I can solve most unfamiliar words as you read I can adapt to fiction, non-fiction and poetry with growing flexibility I am more aware of literary effects used by writers I can use reading to build up a bank of vocabulary for writing and speaking White – Level 2a I read silently most of the time I am interested in longer texts and can return to it easily after a break I can use text more fully as a reference for ideas and information I can search for and find information in texts I notice the spelling of unfamiliar words and relate to known words I show an increasing awareness of vocabulary and precise meaning I express reasoned opinions about what is read I offer and discuss interpretations of the text Turquoise – Level 1a+ I can grasp the meaning of a text whilst reading it I can adapt my reading skills to read a variety of genres (types of text) I can use punctuation and text layout to read with a greater range of expression I can sustain reading through longer sentence structures and paragraphs I can tackle an increasing amount of more complex words Purple – Level 2c I can read silently or quietly at a more rapid pace, taking note of punctuation & using it to keep track of longer sentences. I can read common alternative graphemes (groups of letters eg; ie/igh) I can read all Key Words independently and automatically. I can use appropriate strategies for reading most tricky words. I can read aloud with increasing intonation and expression, taking account of the punctuation. Lime– Level 3 I can r ead silently most of the time, adjusting speed of reading to suit material and monitoring the precise meaning. I can re-read dialogue, complex sentences and unfamiliar language to find different interpretations I can use a range of strategies to tackle unfamiliar words I recognise the functions of punctuation including apostrophe for omission and use appropriate intonation and expression I understand the purpose of paragraphs.

3. Light Blue – Level 3A-4B I can search text precisely to locate evidence (scan) I can select and use textual detail to answer specific questions I can rely on textual information rather than personal experience or knowledge extrinsic to text I can draw evidence from specific parts of information texts, recognising links between points in different sentences/sections I can recognise when specific words/phrases carry more than their literal meaning I can trace developments through texts to deduce reasons, motive, cause and effect I can infer meaning from a paragraph or section of text I can read text closely for accurate interpretation of implicit information I can explain the use of common typographical conventions, eg bold and brackets I can identify words used by the author to achieve a given effect eg ‘scheming’ would imply an unpleasant character and ‘compassionate’ would imply the author likes the character. I can identify key ideas/events in texts and explain them clearly Comments on some limited connections to other similar texts Dark Pink – Level 3C-3B I can search longer texts to locate relevant sections and retrieve detailed information I can find evidence in the text to support answers I can read across a whole text to identify relevant details/pieces of information (scan) I can use context to work out the meanings of unfamiliar words I can develop understanding of motivation and cause and effect I can follow timelines in a narrative and discuss significance of events as a whole I can read texts on different pages to identify relevant pieces of information (skim) I can identify and discuss descriptive details of settings and track changes of setting I can infer characters’ feelings and motives in a story form from what they say and do (eg What does ‘his trembling fingers’ tell you about how the character is feeling?. I can comment briefly on impact of specific figurative language eg simile – ‘like a hovering rainbow’ metaphor – ‘he wolfed his food’ personification – ‘the stars danced in their spangly dresses’. I can identify the underlying ideas/themes in a text eg good and evil, pollution is damaging the earth.

4. Black – Level 4B-5C I can recognise the gist of a paragraph I can follow the development of events and actions in order to infer feelings, motives and viewpoints of characters and author I can follow the stages in a process or argument to group the main points I can understand the relationship between sections of information in texts I can understand the function of layout and graphics eg the author used a subheading to separate two sections of text. I can explain the effect of words and phrases precisely I can explore different layers of meaning in figurative language eg literal and metaphorical meanings – ‘on dangerous ground’ I can evaluate events in the light of a whole narrative, not just the surrounding text I can focus on the main theme of text/s as evidence to justify personal opinion I can draw on several aspects of a text to justify personal opinion I can identify similarities and differences between texts eg I noticed that C S Lewis uses a particular type of animal to depict character. Black – Level 5C-5A I can recognise when it is appropriate to bring personal experience to shed light upon inferential understanding I can explain explicitly how they made inferences and deductions I can become familiar with less common presentational features and explain the precise function of typographical features in conveying meaning eg use of italics, inverted commas and capitalisation. I can explore how the structural choices support the writer’s purpose eg bullet points, subheadings, chapter length, sentence length, poetry layout and language. I can recognise when a word or phrase has more than one layer of meaning and explain this precisely eg ‘Night and the little stars travel the black pond’ implies that night is passing. I can interpret figurative language in the light of the whole passage/poem not just the surrounding text I can make explicit statements about an author’s technique and intention in choosing particular words, phrases, constructions and describe their effect I can reflect on the implications of events, actions and feelings in order to explain them fully I can understand how different parts of a text can be linked by a common underlying theme or idea eg humour, childhood, war, achievement. I can recognise the underlying and surface purpose/aim of specific texts eg the purpose of an advert is to inform and the underlying aim is to persuade. I can compare texts in terms of their impact upon the reader and justify opinion through a range of points Draw on more than one text to explore themes, ideas, information eg several texts by the same author, or several texts that deal with the same theme eg wartime.