Free teaching resource
Reading Skills Check and Next Steps
Give a teacher three original, low-stakes classroom checks—one each for using text evidence, making a text-supported inference, and summarizing a short passage—and response-linked ideas for focused follow-up practice. The checks are not diagnostic, normed, or a broad measure of reading mastery.
All files are free. No email address, account, payment, trial or subscription is required.
- Who it is for
- Grade 6 ELA
- Preparation
- About 8 minutes.
- Teaching time
- About 18 minutes. Planning estimate of about six minutes per check when all three are used; not classroom-timed. Each check may also be used separately.
- Teacher guidance
- Separate teacher files include completed examples or answer and scoring guidance.
Materials
- One learner copy of the selected check or checks.
- A pencil or a response method already available in the classroom.
Download the complete resource
- Learner reading checks — Editable Word file (37 KB)
- Learner reading checks — Printable PDF (40 KB)
- Teacher guide, answer guidance, and next steps — Editable Word file (41 KB)
- Teacher guide, answer guidance, and next steps — Printable PDF (64 KB)
Keep teacher guidance and answers separate from student copies. Word files contain editable text; the PDF files are ready to print.
Support and adaptation
- Barrier: handwriting or transcription can obscure what the learner understood. Support: allow marking or pointing to a detail, dictation, or an established assistive response method after the learner has accessed the passage. Keep the same passage and text-based reasoning target. This reduces transcription demand; a read-aloud changes what the response can show about independent text reading, so note that context. This is not an accommodation prescription or a claim of individualized-plan compliance.
Extension
- After a response gives a plausible inference and links it to clues, offer a new short scene with two defensible interpretations. Ask the learner to compare which details support each interpretation and to state what remains uncertain. This deepens reasoning rather than adding more items.
Preview
Review and use
Version 0.1.1. Independent AI release review passed. Review included a blind task or tool check, a separate instructional audit and file checks. This is not a claim of classroom testing or human certification.
Timing is estimated. Assistive-technology, Microsoft Word and Google Docs testing has not been completed. Use the editable files to adapt the resource to your learners and local curriculum.
You may print, copy and adapt the resource for your planning and classroom use under our Terms of Use. Report a resource issue.