English Reading Comprehensionusually ages 11–14

Using and Evaluating Textual Evidence

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly and what can be inferred, distinguishing between strong and weak evidence and explaining how the evidence supports a point

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Identify a relevant quotation to support an inference about a character's feelings
Explain why one piece of evidence is stronger than another for supporting a claim
Use embedded quotations in a written response to back up an analytical point

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Try this together

When your child makes a point about a text in class or in writing, do they back it up with a specific quote or reference — and can they explain whether that evidence strongly supports their point or only weakly?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motivesages 7–10Evidence-based inference builds on KS2 drawing inferences from texts

Justifying Views About Textsages 10–11Citing textual evidence extends KS2 providing reasoned justifications with evidence

Using and Evaluating Textual Evidencethis skill · ages 11–14

Unlocks

Evaluating Arguments in Non-Fictionages 11–14Assessing whether evidence is sufficient requires textual evidence skills

Narrative Perspective and Unreliable Narratorsages 11–14Analysing narrative perspective requires citing evidence for how the narrator shapes meaning

Plot Structure and Character Developmentages 11–14Analysing plot and character development requires ability to cite textual evidence

Figurative Language and Literary Devicesages 11–14Analysing word choice impact requires citing evidence from the text

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 1 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9E5LA04medium confidenceYear 5 · Language

understand how texts can be made cohesive by using the starting point of a sentence or paragraph to give prominence to the message and to guide the reader through the text

AC9E5LA02low confidenceYear 5 · Language

understand how to move beyond making bare assertions by taking account of differing ideas or opinions and authoritative sources

AC9E5LE03low confidenceYear 5 · Literature

recognise that the point of view in a literary text influences how readers interpret and respond to events and characters

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

EN3-UARL-02low confidenceEnglish K-10 · Stage 3

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2E5LA02low confidenceEnglish · Level 5 · Language strand

VC2E6LY06low confidenceEnglish · Level 6 · Literacy strand

VC2E5LY01low confidenceEnglish · Level 5 · Literacy strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Analysing Text Structureages 11–14 Critical comparison across textsages 11–14 Evaluating Arguments in Non-Fictionages 11–14 Figurative Language and Literary Devicesages 11–14

All Reading Comprehension skills →