1. PIRLS 2011
F k d E lFramework and Examples
September 2013
Comillas, Spain
Marian Sainsbury
National Foundation for Educational Research, UK
Chief Reading Consultant for PIRLS
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2. IEA
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational
Achievement
PIRLSPIRLS
Progress in International Reading LiteracyProgress in International Reading Literacy
Study
• Grade 4• Grade 4
• 5-year cycle
• Last survey 2011, next survey 2016
• 49 countries in 2011
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3. PIRLS definition of reading literacy
“For PIRLS, reading literacy is defined as
th bilit t d t d d ththe ability to understand and use those
written language forms required by
i t d/ l d b th i di id lsociety and/or valued by the individual.
Young readers can construct meaning
f i t f t t Th d t lfrom a variety of texts. They read to learn,
to participate in communities of readers in
h l d d lif d fschool and everyday life, and for
enjoyment.”
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4. Reading in Grade 4
• Move from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to
l ’learn’
• Contexts for literacy are mainly home and
school
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5. PIRLS purposes
• Two purposes for reading:
– reading for literary experience
– reading to acquire and use informationg q
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6. PIRLS processes
• Four processes of reading:
– focus on and retrieve explicitly statedp y
information
– make straightforward inferencesmake straightforward inferences
– interpret and integrate ideas and
informationinformation
– examine and evaluate content, language
d t t l l tand textual elements
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7. PIRLS structure
Literary Informationaly
50% 50%
Focus on and retrieve explicitly
stated information
20%
stated information
Make straightforward inferences 30%
Interpret and integrate ideas and
information
30%
Examine and evaluate content,
language and textual elements
20%
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8. Reading for literary experience
• Complete short stories
• 600-900 words
• Varied in theme and styley
• Interesting for 10-year-old boys and girls
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9. Fly, Eagle, Fly
An African TaleAn African Tale
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10. A farmer went out one day to search for a lost calf.
The herders had returned without it the evening before AndThe herders had returned without it the evening before. And
that night there had been a terrible storm.
He went to the valley and searched by the riverbed,
among the reeds, behind the rocks and in the rushing water.
He climbed the slopes of the high mountain with its
rock cliffs He looked behind a large rock in case the calfrocky cliffs. He looked behind a large rock in case the calf
had huddled there to escape the storm. And that was where
he stopped There on a ledge of rock was a most unusualhe stopped. There, on a ledge of rock, was a most unusual
sight. An eagle chick had hatched from its egg a day or two
earlier, and had been blown from its nest by the terrible
storm.
He reached out and cradled the chick in both hands.
He would take it home and care for it
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He would take it home and care for it.

11. PIRLS items
• Approximately 50% of the points for
lti l h i ti 50% fmultiple-choice questions, 50% for
constructed responses
• Constructed responses may have 1, 2 or 3
points
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12. Focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information
Where did the farmer find the eagle chick?
A. in its nest
B. by the riverbanky
C. on a ledge of rock 
D among the reedsD. among the reeds
89%89%
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13. Make straightforward inferences
What in the story shows that the farmer was
f l ith th l hi k?careful with the eagle chick?
A. He carried the eagle chick in both hands. 
B. He brought the eagle chick to his family.
C He put the eagle chick back in its nestC. He put the eagle chick back in its nest.
D. He searched the riverbed for the eagle
chickchick. 64%
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14. Interpret and integrate ideas and information
You learn what the farmer’s friend was like
f th thi h didfrom the things he did.
Describe what the friend was like and give
an example of what he did that shows this.p
2 points2 points
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15. Scoring guide
2 – Complete Comprehension
The response describes one plausible character trait
(persistent, stubborn, nice, clever, friendly to animals,(p , , , , y ,
etc.). In addition, the response provides one example of
the farmer’s friend’s actions that are evidence of the
character trait.
He was determined He kept trying to teach the eagleHe was determined. He kept trying to teach the eagle
to fly.
He was kind to animals. He wanted the eagle to be
free.
29%
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16. Scoring guide
1 – Partial Comprehension
The response provides one plausible character trait.
Or, the response provides one example of the friend’s, p p p
actions that are evidence of the friend’s character.
H k d lHe is kind to animals.
He takes the eagle to see the sun and fly away neverHe takes the eagle to see the sun and fly away never
to live among the chickens.
33%
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17. Examine and evaluate content, language and textual elements
Find and copy words that tell you howFind and copy words that tell you how
beautiful the sky was at dawn.
1 point1 point
‘wispy pink clouds’
‘majestically’majestically
‘golden brilliance’ 56%golden brilliance
‘ablaze with light’
56%
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18. Reading to acquire and use information
• Variety in purpose, content, organisation
d fand form
• 600-900 words
• Interesting for 10-year-old boys and girls
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19. The Giant Tooth Mystery
The GIANT Tooth Mystery
A fossil is the remains of any creature or plant that lived on the
Earth many, many years ago. People have been finding fossils
for thousands of years in rocks and cliffs and beside lakes Wefor thousands of years in rocks and cliffs and beside lakes. We
now know that some of these fossils were from dinosaurs.
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20. Focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information
What is a fossil?
A. the surface of rocks and cliffs
B. the bones of a giantg
C. the remains of very old living things
D the teeth of elephantsD. the teeth of elephants
75%75%
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21. Make straightforward inferences
According to the article, why did some
l l b li i i t ?people long ago believe in giants?
1 point
They found bones too big to belong to something
they knew
The bones were so big they must be from giants
53%
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22. Interpret and integrate ideas and information
Gideon Mantell thought the tooth might have
b l d t diff t t f i lbelonged to different sorts of animals.
Complete the table to show what made him
thi k thithink this.
2 points
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23. Type of animal What made him think thisType of animal What made him think this
A plant eater The tooth was flat with ridgesA plant eater The tooth was flat with ridges
A giant creature It was as big as an elephant’s 34%A giant creature It was as big as an elephant s
tooth
A reptile It looked like an iguana’s
34%
15%A reptile It looked like an iguana s
tooth
15%
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24. Examine and evaluate content, language and textual elements
Look at the two pictures of the IguanodonLook at the two pictures of the Iguanodon.
What do they help you to understand?
2 points2 points
To show how people’s ideas about what the
Iguanodon looked like changed
10%
1 point
To show they look different 12%To show they look different 12%
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25. Th kThank you
More information:
http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2011/index.htmlp p p
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