ESOL entry 1 reading and writing
Adult ESOL Core Curriculum – ENTRY 1 Reading divided into two
sections: basic literacy / non-basic literacy
Entry 1 basic literacy
Text Focus: Reading comprehension
(1) follow a short narrative on a familiar topic or
experience
Entry 1
Text Focus: Reading comprehension
(1) follow a short narrative on a familiar topic or
experience
Rt/1a
Follow a short narrative on a familiar topic or experience
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
a) responding to print as a source of meaning
Rt/1a
Follow a short narrative on a familiar topic or experience
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) reading texts for information and enjoyment
b) being aware that words on the page represent words that can
be spoken
c) being aware that texts can be sources of information and
enjoyment
Example
a language experience text they have composed themselves and the
teacher has written down, a very simple notice or one simplified by
the teacher
d) tracking texts in the right order, left to right, top to
bottom (this also applies to readers of other scripts that don’t go
from left to right)
e) using a range of text-level strategies, their own knowledge
of the content and the context of the text, as a whole, to get
meaning from text
Example
A very simple reader, notices, maps, biographies e.g.
Nelson Mandela is from a village in the Transkei in South
Africa. He was president of South Africa for 5 years – from 1994 to
1999.
b) using a range of text-level strategies, their own knowledge
of the content and the context of the text, as a whole, to get
meaning from text
Example
Read their own composition, which someone else has written down,
e.g.:My name is Amina. I come from Somalia.
Read a very simple narrative, with repeated language patterns,
on a familiar topic or experience, e.g.:My mother works in a
restaurant. My father works in a shop.
Platform 3 (in a railway station)
Example
Platform 3 (in a railway station)
No smoking (in a café)
My name is Hussein. I come from Iraq. I live in Manchester. I am
19. I like football.
f) using graphics accompanying texts to help identify
meaning
Example
Photos in advertisements and illustrations in an illustrated
dictionary.
c) using graphics accompanying texts to help identify
meaning
Example
Photos in advertisements and illustrations in an illustrated
dictionary, signs in a workplace e.g.
g) where relevant, using some basic terms that distinguish
spoken from written text, such as page, line, sentence, word,
letter
d) giving a critical response to a text by drawing on own ideas,
experience and opinions
Example
Comment on the ideas in a short text.
Comment on an advert/publicity leaflet, for example, the likely
accuracy of claims made in an advert
Discuss different titles (Mr, Mrs. Etc.): compare with own
language or consider why men have one designation while women have
three.
e) using some basic terms that distinguish spoken from written
text, such as page, line, sentence, word, letter, sign, form,
story.
f) using reading skills in other languages to help them read in
English
Rt/1b
Obtain information from texts
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
a) understanding social sight words and symbols, including ways
of expressing prohibition
Rt/1b
Obtain information from texts
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) understanding social sight words and symbols, including ways
of expressing prohibition
Example
Stop, Closed, Surgery Hours, Opening Hours, Toilets, No smoking,
No entry, Do not enter, Keep off
b) using context and key word recognition to infer meaning, i.e.
it is not always necessary to read every word in order to
comprehend or gain information from text
Example
Identify the word price in an advert
Example
Stop, Closed, Surgery Hours, Opening Hours, Toilets, No smoking,
No entry, Do not enter, Keep off
b) using context and key word recognition to infer meaning at
the level of gist and/or details, i.e. it is not always necessary
to read every word in order to comprehend or gain information from
text
Example
Identify the phrase payment due by in a phone bill
c) obtaining info from a table
Example
Read the opening times on a shop door to find out what time the
shop closes on a particular day.
d) recognising key words and phrases that indicate function of
texts e.g. Please ... = request;Danger = warning;No, do not =
prohibition
Example
Please keep off the grass.
Do not open door while train is moving.
(2) recognise the different purposes of texts at this level
(2) recognise the different purposes of texts at this level
Rt/2a
recognise that the way a text looks can help predict its
purpose
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
a) recognising a few different text types, relevant to learners’
everyday life, through layout and presentational features
Rt/2a
recognise that the way a text looks can help predict its
purpose
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) recognising different types of text (genres) through layout
and presentational features
Example
Very simple letter, signs and symbols, very simple form or
appointment card
Example
Very simple letter, signs and symbols, very simple form or
appointment card
b) identifying and predicting the purposes of a few different
text types, relevant to learners’ everyday life, using layout and
presentational features, and using this information when
reading
Example
A greetings card (to send good wishes), a road sign (to inform),
an appointment card, a form.
b) identifying and predicting the purposes of texts at this
level, using layout and presentational features, and using this
information when reading
Example
An advert (to sell), a greetings card (to send good wishes), a
road sign (to inform), an appointment card, a form.
c) reading and understanding a few common social sight
/mathematical signs and symbols relevant to learners’ everyday
life
Example
£, @, &
c) reading and understanding common social sight /mathematical
signs and symbols
Example
£, @, $, &
d) recognising conventional phrases used in particular
contexts
Example
Happy birthday. Best wishes
d) recognising the use of capital letters and bold for
emphasis
Example
DANGER
e) understanding that text types (genres) may look different in
some other cultures, i.e. have some different layout and
presentational features, and that some texts may be used
differently in different cultures
Example
The position of the sender’s address on a formal letter; in
Britain it is common to send birthday cards, ‘Get well’ cards, and
cards to wish people good luck or to congratulate them
f) recognising conventional phrases used in particular text
types (genres)
Example
Happy birthday. Best wishes
Entry 1 basic literacy
Sentence Focus: Grammar and punctuation
Entry 1
Sentence Focus: Grammar and punctuation
Rs/1a
read and recognise simple sentence structures
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
Rs/1a
read and recognise simple sentence structures
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) using a developing awareness of the concept of a sentence to
support reading
Example
Read simple sentences and check for sense, e.g.: My son goes to
school. He is six years old.
a) using a knowledge of and recognition of common patterns of
simple sentences for statements to support reading and
understanding e.g.subject-verb-objectsubject-verb-prepositional
phrase
b) using a knowledge of and recognition of common patterns of
simple sentences for statements to support reading and
understanding e.g.subject-verb-objectsubject-verb-prepositional
phrase
Example
She likes chocolate.
He lives in London.
Example
She likes chocolate.
He lives in London.
b) recognising instructions that start with the verb
Example
Keep left.
Press the button
c) knowing that not all texts consists of whole sentences
c) understanding how the word order in simple sentences in
English can affect meaning
Example
Stop, Danger, Closed, No Smoking, Way In, Surgery Hours
Example
Suzanna likes Christobel /= Christobel likes Suzanna.
Rs/1b
use punctuation and capitalisation to aid understanding
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
a) using some basic terms for aspects of punctuation and
capitalisation, such as full stop, capital letter
b) recognising a full stop and using a developing understanding
of its function to help with reading
Rs/1b
use punctuation and capitalisation to aid understanding
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) using some basic terms for aspects of punctuation and
capitalisation, such as full stop, capital letter
b) using an understanding of the function of a full stop and
initial capital letters to help with reading
c) recognising initial capital letters and using a developing
understanding of their function to help with reading
d) using a developing knowledge that capital letters are used
for the beginning of names, places and for the personal pronoun I,
to help with reading
Example
Read a hospital appointment card to find out the date and
doctor's name.
Read a short, simple language experience text and identify the
place names e.g.I come from Mozambique. Mozambique is in Africa
c) using the knowledge that full stops mark grammatical
boundaries to help with reading
d) using the knowledge that capital letters are used for the
beginning of names, dates and places and for the personal pronoun
I, to help with reading
Example
Read a hospital appointment card to find out the date and
doctor's name
Read a short, simple text and identify the place names e.g.:I
come from Mozambique. Mozambique is in Africa
Entry 1 basic literacy
Word Focus: Vocabulary, word recognition and phonics
(1) possess a limited, meaningful sight vocabulary of words,
signs and symbols
Entry 1
Word Focus: Vocabulary, word recognition and phonics
(1) possess a limited, meaningful sight vocabulary of words,
signs and symbols
Rw/1a
Recognise a limited number of words, signs and symbols
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
Rw/1a
Recognise a limited number of words, signs and symbols
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) recognising a few key personal words
Example
Their own name, their country of origin, the name of the town
where they live
a) recognising some key personal words
Example
Their country of origin, their address, the name of the town
they live in
b) recognising some common words and symbols that occur more
frequently than others in texts
Example
Articles – a, the, an
Forms of verbs to be, to have
Prepositions – in, at, on, with , by
Negatives – no, not
b) recognising some common words and symbols that occur more
frequently than others in texts
Example
Articles – a, the, an
Forms of verbs to be, to have
Prepositions – in, at, on, with , by
Negatives – no, not
c) applying developing strategies that help in the recognition
of high-frequency whole words, including: the space between words,
the length and shape of words, initial letter recognition
c) applying strategies that help in the recognition of
high-frequency whole words, including: association with words in
English and other languages, association with signs and symbols
used in other languages and cultures
d) understanding and recognising the use of in, out, off, down,
in signs
Example
Way in, Way out, Keep off, Slow down
Entry 1 basic literacy
Word Focus: Vocabulary, word recognition and phonics
(2) decode simple, regular words
Entry 1
Word Focus: Vocabulary, word recognition and phonics
(2) decode simple, regular words
Rw/2a
Use knowledge of basic sound-letter correspondence to help sound
out unfamiliar words
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, this
involves:
Rw/2a
Use knowledge of basic sound-letter correspondence to help sound
out unfamiliar words
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) using basic correspondence between sounds (phonemes) and
letters (graphemes) to support decoding
a) using basic correspondence between sounds (phonemes) and
letters (graphemes) to support decoding
b) using a knowledge that these sounds and letters may be
different from sounds and letters in other alphabetic languages
when reading
Entry 1 basic literacy
Word Focus: Vocabulary, word recognition and phonics
(3) recognise the letters of the alphabet in both upper and
lower case
Entry 1
Word Focus: Vocabulary, word recognition and phonics
(3) recognise the letters of the alphabet in both upper and
lower case
Rw/3a
Identify the letters of the alphabet in both upper and lower
case
For basic literacy learners, who do not read in another
language, and are starting to work towards Entry 1, (and readers of
other scripts), this involves:
a) recognising some different representations of some letters of
the alphabet, for instance, in different fonts, type/handwritten,
in upper or lower case
Rw/3a
Identify the letters of the alphabet in both upper and lower
case
At Entry 1, this involves:
a) using the knowledge that the letters of the alphabet occur in
a particular sequence and developing ability to sequence them
Example
Read and understand words in print and in handwriting, e.g.
their name in a message and typed in a letter
b) discriminating between letters in upper and lower case
Example
Read and understand the same sign in lower and in upper case,
e.g. PUSH, push, INFORMATION,
b) knowing that in English the names of the letters and sounds
are different
c) recognising the sound and name of the letters of the
alphabet
Example
sound /k/ and name (kei)
d) understanding and using the words vowel and consonant
information
c) knowing that in English the names of the letters and sounds
are different
d) recognising the sound and name of some of the letters of the
alphabet
Example
sound /k/ and name (kei)
Rw/3b
Recognise digits
For basic literacy learners who do not read in another language
and are starting to work towards Entry 1 (and readers of other
scripts), this involves:
Rw/3b
Recognise digits
At Entry 1, this involves:
understanding words and abbreviations used in combination with
other symbols and digits
Example
Read and understand digits 1 – 9 and some higher numbers,
depending on their contexts and need to read, e.g. if they live at
flat 105
Read and understand dates
Read and understand symbols for money
understanding words and abbreviations used in combination with
other symbols and digits
Example
Read and understand digits 1 – 9 and some higher numbers,
depending on their contexts and need to read, e.g. if they live at
flat 105
Read and understand dates
Read and understand symbols for money
