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KingBrains

Reading & writing baseline

1. Reads common words aloud accurately.
2. Tries to sound out or guess the pronunciation of unfamiliar words.
3. Often confuses visually similar letters (e.g. b / d / p / q).
4. Reads aloud at a steady pace with natural pauses.
5. Silent reading speed matches or exceeds peers of the same age.
6. Stays fluent through longer paragraphs without frequent stops.
7. Often re-reads the same line or has to look back.
8. Can retell the main idea of a passage in their own words.
9. Understands meaning that is implied rather than stated outright (inference).
10. In dictation or copy work, makes few errors and the handwriting is clearly legible.
11. Writing often shows misspellings, incorrect stroke order, or reversed letters.
12. In written work, can describe an event's cause, sequence, and outcome completely.
13. Correctly reads common homographs / multi-pronunciation words (e.g. 'read', 'lead', 'tear').
14. Uses surrounding context to infer the meaning of an unknown word.
15. Uses punctuation to pause and phrase correctly when reading aloud.
16. Often skips words, jumps lines, or repeats the same spot when reading aloud.
17. Can pick out specific details in a text that support a stated opinion.
18. Can predict what is likely to happen next based on story cues.
19. Writes noticeably slower than peers, which makes finishing homework hard.
20. Uses appropriate linking words to keep written paragraphs coherent.