Texas Adult Education Standards and Benchmarks
for ABE ASE and ESL Learners

1.1 Read for simple, real-life purposes in survival situations.

Examples

* Read safety signs, addresses, telephone numbers, calendars, and common logos and symbols such as restroom signs, traffic light, + and -.

1.2 Read for simple, real-life purposes related to immediate needs.

Examples

* Read a basic grocery list, prices in store ads, and words.

* Read simple registration forms. 

1.3 Read for real-life purposes with increasingly complex words and phrases.

Examples

* Read a picture book, advertisement, bills, and classified ads.

* Read about entry-level job duties.

1.4 Read for real life and self-selected purposes.

Examples

* Read to a child.

* Read informal notes, e-mail messages, short articles, and self-developed materials.

* Begin to read for pleasure.

1.5 Read for real-life purposes in increasingly complex situations.

Examples

* Read a poster about minimum wage.

* Read medical brochures and forms.

* Read formal letters.

1.6 Read for real-life purposes by independently selecting appropriate materials.

Examples

* Read a nutrition chart, newspaper, and internet search results. 

* Read employee handbooks.

* Read a 1040-EZ income tax form.

2.1 Decode words or word groups in simple text with assistance.

Examples

* Associate sounds with the symbols that represent them.

* Recognize words from letter shapes, sight, picture clues, and common patterns (e.g. -ay, -eg, -ing).

* Recognize numbers.

* Associate oral vocabulary with the written word.

2.2 Decode and recognize everyday words in short, simple text with assistance.

Examples

* Distinguish, generate, and manipulate sounds (e.g. segment, blend, substitute, isolate, rhyme).

* Break words into syllables.

* Recognize words using picture aids.

* Recall oral vocabulary.

* Recognize common sight words and abbreviations.

2.3 Decode and recognize most words in short-to-medium-length, continuous text with some assistance.

Examples

* Break words into parts (e.g, prefixes, suffixes, base words, compound words).

* Practice proper pronunciation, intonation, and stress by reading aloud.

* Draw on content knowledge and vocabulary.

Adjust reading pace.

* Recognize and interpret contractions.

* Recognize irregular sight words such as was, the, one, of, shoe, said, do, and does (Dolch Sight Word List).

2.4 Decode and recognize most words with fluency in short-to-medium-length, continuous text with minimal assistance.

Examples

* Break more complex words into parts (geology: geo = earth; logy = study of).

* Draw on content knowledge and vocabulary.

* Adjust reading pace.

* Recognize and interpret contractions.

2.5 Recognize unfamiliar and some specialized words and abbreviations independently.

Examples

* Use knowledge of word parts and word relationships (e.g., science/scientist/
scientific).

* Use authentic materials on familiar subjects such as health, parenting, education, business, and subject areas of interest.

* Use complex text related to life roles such as a job description, a manual explaining how to do a job, an article on parenting.

2.6 Recognize and use multiple decoding strategies to read with fluency.

Examples

* Read simple narratives dealing with various subjects using contextual clues to determine meaning.

* Read with efficiency and accuracy.

3.1 Demonstrate familiarity with concepts of print and common vocabulary.

Examples

* Understand left-to-right progression, basic punctuation (period and question marks), and distinction between upper and lower case letters. 

3.2 Demonstrate familiarity with concepts of print, common vocabulary, phrases and simple sentences.

Examples

* Recognize words to define meaning.

* Recognize beginning thematic vocabulary, e.g., family, community, and work.

* Sort familiar words into categories.

* Develop a personal dictionary.

3.3 Demonstrate familiarity with everyday vocabulary including words with multiple meanings.

Examples

* Complete word games such as word search, bingo, word scrambles, and easy crossword puzzles.

* Recognize synonyms and antonyms.

3.4 Demonstrate familiarity with high-interest vocabulary.

Examples

* Understand use of high-interest vocabulary related to work, family, school, and community.

* Understand use of homographs, homophones, homonyms and idiomatic expressions.

3.5 Demonstrate knowledge of everyday and high interest vocabulary, as well as vocabulary in less familiar authentic text.

Examples

* Use computer vocabulary.

* Read instructional manuals.

* Navigate employee handbooks.

* Use college catalogs.

3.6 Demonstrate increased knowledge of everyday and some specialized vocabulary in preparation for transition to other educational programs.

Examples

* Understand specialized vocabulary related to health and safety issues.

* Understand work-related jargon.

* Understand consumer credit scores.

4.1 Locate survival information in very short, simple text with guidance and in response to questions or prompts.

Examples

* Recognize words such as Stop, Restroom, Police, Keep Out, Danger, Help, Go, and Yes/No.

4.2 Locate familiar information in short, simple text with guidance and in response to questions or prompts.

Examples

* Recognize words such as school, is/are, I, you, he/she, and walk.

* Recognize words such as name, address, DOB, and male/female on simple forms.

* Find sales and prices in grocery ads.

4.3 Locate information in simple text and graphs with minimal guidance and in response to questions or prompts.

Examples

* Use simple maps such as a neighborhood map, or school campus map.

* Locate answers to 5 Wh-questions.

* Locate food items on menus.

4.4 Locate information in text and graphs in response to questions or to satisfy personal objectives using a few strategies.

Examples

* Use city maps, bar graphs, and recipe cards.

* Use index and table of contents of a book.

* Use highlighting.

4.5 Locate information in text and graphs using multiple strategies.

Examples

* Use context clues.

* Find main ideas.

* Use web search engines if available.

* Skim and scan.

* Find supporting details.

* Identify and search for keywords to make meaning.

4.6 Locate information in a variety of text and graphs using increasingly complex strategies.

Examples

* Extract information from tables, charts, and graphs.

* Use outlining.

5.1 Comprehend personal and survival information stated in very simple lists and phrases

Examples

* Recognize questions about personal information such as name, address, and phone number.

* Recognize words such as Stop, Restroom, Police, Keep Out, Danger, Help, Go, and Yes/No.

5.2 Comprehend basic information stated in lists, phrases and simple sentences in a variety of familiar contexts.

Examples

* Answer Yes/No questions.

* Answer choice questions. (Is Carlos from Mexico or Argentina?)

* Understand words on class calendar such as January or Monday.

5.3 Comprehend key points and some supporting details in simple texts and documents.

Examples

* Use story webbing.

* Comprehend and follow a set of simple directions.

* Get main ideas from stories where language has been simplified.

* Use K-W-L to analyze personal comprehension.

5.4 Comprehend key points and many supporting details in texts and some authentic documents.

Examples

* Identify stated main points and supporting details.

* Use authentic materials.

* Answer 5 Wh-questions.

* Understand main point of formal letters such as IRS and school documents.

5.5 Comprehend key points and most supporting details in more complex texts and authentic documents. 

Examples

* Identify the implicit and/or explicit main idea in magazine articles, newspaper, and short stories.

* Distinguish fact from fiction.

5.6 Comprehend, interpret, and draw conclusions in a variety of more complex texts and documents.

Examples

* Organize and analyze information through sequencing and categorizing.

* Demonstrate comprehension by producing an analogy or example.

* Interpret expressive language such as poetry.

6.1 Self-monitor accuracy in identification of letter/sounds and simple words using basic strategies with support.

Examples

* Re-read or ask for help.

Identify sounds of the letters.

* Identify the difference between /e/ and /i/ sounds for Spanish speakers.

6.2 Self-monitor accuracy in decoding and word recognition using simple strategies.

Examples

* Separate a word apart into individual sounds and blend individual sounds to correctly produce the target word.

* Repeat sight words such as a, the, yes, no, like, is, are, was, you.

6.3 Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using simple strategies.

Examples

* Maintain a personal dictionary.

* Use a simplified or picture dictionary.

* Demonstrate the use of Venn diagrams and T-charts.

* Ask yourself questions as you read to check for comprehension.

* Create a timeline from the events of the reading passage.

6.4 Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using more advanced strategies.

Examples

* Use a dictionary.

* Demonstrate use of note-taking.

* Sequence story events into its “beginning,” “middle,” and “end.”

* Identify main ideas.

* Make personal connections between text and learner’s background knowledge.

* Make and evaluate predictions about what is going to happen next in the text.

6.5 Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using advanced strategies.

Examples

* Recall, explain the content of the text, and use simple examples.

* Adjust reading rate.

* Complete cloze activities.

* Identify conflict and resolution.

* Identify cause and effect to make logical story connections.

6.6 Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using multiple advanced strategies.

Examples

* Pose and answer questions.

* Identify word and comprehension errors.

* Identify the implicit meaning of the text (e.g., “reading between the lines”).

* Identify supported vs. unsupported conclusions in the text.

* Use summarization techniques such as the GIST procedure.

* Use notes or codes to reflect level of comprehension (e.g., ?? = I don’t understand; ++ = this is important).