Reading Basic Skills Content Standards by Instructional Level
© 2009 CASAS Page 5 of 6
Content Standard CASAS Level
Identify the function of introductory and concluding paragraphs in an essay
Identify cause-and-effect relationships in literary texts
Identify the impact of language such as literary devices that are characteristic of
an author’s work
Respond to a work of literature by explaining how the motives of the characters
or the causes of events compare with those in his/her life
Identify the major theme in increasingly more complex stories
Use specifics from literary passages to support his/her ideas formed from reading
literary text
Identify historical and cultural perspectives in reading selections (i.e., the impact
of beliefs, attitudes, and values on a literary work)
Interpret a work of literature and relate the information to contemporary
experiences
Identify more complex elements of plot, setting, character development, conflict,
and resolution
Recognize universal themes in literature (e.g., tragic hero, man versus nature,
triumph over adversity, coming of age)
Articulate the relationship between the expressed purposes and the
characteristics of different forms of dramatic literature (e.g., comedy, tragedy,
drama, dramatic monologue)
Compare and contrast the presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to
explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic
Determine and articulate the relationship between the purposes and
characteristics of different forms of poetry (ballad, lyric, couplet, epic, elegy,
ode, sonnet)
Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text
(e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations) and explain the way those
interactions affect the plot
Determine characters’ traits by what the characters convey about themselves in
narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy
Compare works that express a universal theme and provide evidence to support
the ideas expressed in each work
Analyze and trace an author’s development of time and sequence, including the
use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks)
Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices (figurative
language, imagery, allegory, symbolism) and explain their appeal
Interpret and evaluate the impact of ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions,
ironies, and incongruities in a text
Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator affect characterization
and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text
Explain how the tone and plot describe the function of dialogue, scene designs,
soliloquies, asides, and character foils in dramatic literature