Reading DOK Levels

In language arts, four DOK levels were developed by = Norman Webb as an alignment method to examine the consistency between the cognitive demands of standards and the cognitive demands of assessments. The DOK reading levels discussed b= elow are based on Valenci= a and Wixson (2000, pp.909-935).

&= nbsp; Reading Level 1. Level 1 requires students to r= eceive or recite facts or to use simple skills or abilities. Oral reading that does not include analysis of the text, as well as basic comprehension of a text, is included. Items require only a shallow understanding of the text presented and often consist of verbatim recall from text, slight paraphrasing of specific details from the text, or simple understanding of a single word or phrase. Some examples that represent, but = do not constitute all of, Level 1 performance are:

v Support ideas by refer= ence to verbatim or only slightly paraphrased details from the text.<= /span>

v Use a dictionary to fi= nd the meanings of words.

v Recognize figurative language in a reading passage.

Reading Level 2. Level 2 includes the engagement of some mental

processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response; it requires both comprehension and subsequent processing of text or portions of text. Inter-sentence analysis= of inference is required. Some important concepts are covered, but not in a complex way. Standards and items at this level = may include words such as summarize, interpret, infer, classify, organize, coll= ect, display, compare, and determine whether fact or opinion. Literal main ideas are stressed. A Level 2 assessment item may requ= ire students to apply skills and concepts that are c= overed in Level 1. However, items re= quire closer understanding of the text, possibly through the item’s paraphrasing of both the question and the answer. Some examples that represent, but = do not constitute all of, Level 2 performance are:

v Use context cues to id= entify the meaning of unfamiliar words, phrases, and expressions that could otherw= ise have multiple meanings.

v Predict a logical outc= ome based on information in a reading selection.

v Identify and summarize= the major events in a narrative.

<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Reading Level 3. Deep knowledge becomes a greater focus at Level 3. Students are encouraged to= go beyond the text; however, they are still required to show understanding of = the ideas in the text. Students m= ay be encouraged to explain, generalize, or connect ideas. Standards and items at Level 3 inv= olve reasoning and planning. Stude= nts must be able to support their thinking.&nb= sp; Items may involve abstract theme identification, inference across an entire passage, or students’ application of prior knowledge. Items may also involve more superf= icial connections between texts. So= me examples that represent, but do not constitute all of, Level 3 performance = are:

v&nb= sp; Explain or recognize how the author’s purpose affects the interpretation of a reading selection.

v&nb= sp; Summarize information from multiple sources to address a specific topic.

v&nb= sp; Analyze and describe the characteristics of various types of literature.

Reading Level 4. Higher- order thinking is central and knowledge = is deep at Level 4. The standard= or assessment item at this level will probably be an extended activity, with extended time provided for completing it.&= nbsp; The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the requi= red work is only repetitive and does not require the application of significant conceptual understanding and higher order thinking. Students take information from at = least one passage of a text and are asked to apply this information to a new task. They may also be asked = to develop hypotheses and perform complex analyses of the connections among texts. Some examples that represent, but do not constitute all of, Level 4 performance are:

v&nb= sp; Analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources.

v&nb= sp; Examine and explain alternative perspectives across a variety of sources.

v Describe and illustrat= e how common themes are found across texts from different cultures.