English Language Arts Grade Level Considerations for Grades 3–5

Considerations for Elementary School (Grades 3–5)

• Reading Level

• Vocabulary

• Contexts

• Item Difficulty

• Assessment Targets

Style

Reading Level

• Claim 1 (Reading) and 3 (Speaking and Listening) passages range from being above, at, or below grade level

• For Claim 2 (Writing) and 4 (Research) the passages one grade below the assessed grade

Vocabulary

• Use language that is clear and vocabulary that is at or below the assessed grade level

• Appropriate to elementary school students

• Vocabulary measured in context must be at least two levels above grade

Elementary School Context

• Appropriate– pets– animals– age appropriate science

and history– age appropriate games

and activities

• Inappropriate– conflicts with parents– technical passages about

driving– jobs or employment– controversial political

topics– war or crimes

Item Difficulty

• Items should include a range of difficulty

• Anticipated difficulty for sample items

Smarter Balanced English Language Arts Claims and Assessment Targets

• Claim 1: Reading

• Claim 2: Writing

• Claim 3: Speaking & Listening

• Claim 4: Research

Elementary School Claim 1: Reading

• Selected Response, Constructed Response, and Technology-Enhanced Items

• 50% Literary texts: stories, poems, plays/drama, myths, mysteries, science fiction, historical fiction

• 50% Informational texts: literary nonfiction, historical documents, scientific articles, technical texts

Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly

complex literary and informational texts.

Elementary School Claim 2: Writing

• Selected Response, Constructed Response, Technology-Enhanced Items and Performance Tasks

• Elementary school Claim 2 Performance Tasks include:– Narrative writing– Informational/explanatory writing– Opinion writing

Students can produce effective and well grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences.

Elementary School Claim 3: Speaking & Listening

• Elementary school Performance Tasks– Oral presentations based on research

• Locally administered formative and interim

Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of

purposes and audiences.

Elementary School Claim 4: Research

• Selected Response and Constructed Response Items

• Performance Tasks

• Real world sources

• Multiple sources

Students can engage in research / inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

Elementary School English Language ArtsGrade Level Considerations

• Vocabulary, style, context, and item difficulty

• Claims and assessment targets from the Smarter Balanced English Language Arts Content Specifications