BEGINNING ABE LITERACY COMPETENCY OUTLINE

CASAS Range: 200 and below

By the end of this level, learners will have worked on and attained competency in the following areas:

1. Communication

   1. Read and write personal information.

      1. First name

      2. Last name

      3. Middle initial

      4. Address

      5. City

      6. State

      7. Zip code

      8. Phone number with area code

      9. Social security number

      10. Birth date

   2. Respond orally to questions regarding personal information.

      1. What is your ---

      2. Spell first and last name

      3. Speak clearly

   3. Sign their name.

   4. Ask questions for clarification in group communication.

      1. Speak clearly

      2. Could you repeat that, please

      3. I don’t understand

   5. Read and write letters in upper and lower case.

2. Consumer Economics

   1. Recognize coins, currency, and monetary symbols.

      1. Coins and currency

         1. penny

         2. nickel

         3. dime

         4. quarter

         5. dollar bill

      2. Signs and symbols

         1. dollar sign

         2. cent sign

         3. decimal point

   2. Read clothing labels for size and care.

      1. Clothing sizes

         1. S, M, L, XL

         2. numerical sizes

      2. Care instructions

         1. wash in cold water

         2. line dry

         3. dry clean only

         4. hand wash

         5. machine wash

         6. with like colors

   3. Locate size information using a chart of heights and weights.

      1. Symbols for feet (‘) and inches (“)

      2. Abbreviation for pounds (lbs)

      3. Concept of between

      4. Following across and intersecting with down

   4. Recognize and interpret product safety labels.

      1. Do not use near water

      2. Electrocution hazard

      3. Not for consumption

   5. Recognize information on food safety.

      1. Read expiration dates and understand the concept of expiration and food safety

      2. Read purchase by dates

      3. Differentiate between expiration dates and purchase by dates

      4. Refrigeration

   6. Read food labels and tags.

      1. Expiration dates

      2. Price tag

         1. on packages

         2. on shelves

         3. bar code

      3. Sales concepts

         1. price each

         2. buy one get one free

         3. half off

         4. per pound

3. Community Resources

   1. Buy stamps and address a letter.

      1. Address an envelope

         1. stamp placement

         2. return address

         3. zip codes

      2. Cost of stamps

         1. singly

         2. in sets of 20

      3. Address and mail a package

   2. Interpret clock time.

      1. Quarter to

      2. Quarter after

      3. Half past

      4. Analog and digital

      5. Write time

   3. Read the months of the year and the days of the week.

      1. Months of the year

         1. in words

         2. in abbreviations

         3. in numbers

      2. Days of the week

         1. in words

         2. in abbreviations

      3. Write the date

         1. mm/dd/yy

         2. mm/dd/yyyy

         3. month day, year

      4. Locate a date on a calendar

   4. Recognize directional and informational signs.

      1. enter, exit, push, pull

      2. men, women, restroom

      3. caution, no smoking, no swimming

      4. arrows (up, down, right turn, left turn, right, left)

      5. hospital

      6. bus stop

      7. walk, don’t walk

      8. pedestrian crossing

   5. Recognize transportation signs.

      1. Speed limit

      2. Exit ramp

      3. No u turn

      4. Railroad crossing

      5. Stop light, stop sign

      6. Merge, yield

      7. Solid yellow line, broken yellow line, solid white line, broken white line

      8. Bicycle lane, HOV lane

   6. Read some items on a restaurant menu.

      1. Food sight words

         1. hamburger

         2. steak

         3. chicken

         4. salad

         5. drinks

      2. Prices

4. Health

   1. Read an appointment card.

   2. Follow simple medical directions.

      1. Take before bedtime

      2. Take with food, take with meals

      3. Call if the problem continues/persists

   3. Read a simple medicine label.

      1. Dosage

         1. Take 1

         2. Take with food

         3. Teaspoon, teaspoonful

         4. Take three times a day

      2. Cautions

         1. Do not give to children

         2. Poison, Mr. Yuk

         3. Do not exceed --- tables in 24 hours

   4. Recognize the differences of the form different medicines take.

      1. Capsule

      2. Tablet

      3. Liquid

      4. Salve

      5. Cream

      6. Injection

   5. Recognize the concepts of good nutrition.

      1. Food groups, food pyramid

      2. Serving

         1. cup

         2. ounce

         3. bowl

         4. slice

      3. Healthy diet

         1. calorie control

         2. vitamins

         3. minerals

         4. balanced diet

5. Employment

   1. Complete a simplified job application.

      1. Name

      2. Address

      3. Telephone number

      4. Social security number

      5. Simplified list of experience

      6. Simplified list of education

      7. Specific words for learner-specific special skills

      8. Names of references

      9. Signature

   2. Answer basic job interview questions.

      1. What kinds of experience do you have

      2. Why do you want to work here

      3. What special skills to you have

      4. What kinds of jobs have you done before

      5. Could you work nights/days/weekends/first shift/ second shift/third shift

      6. When can you start

   3. Complete, with assistance, federal employment forms.

      1. W-4 complete with assistance

      2. I-9 complete with assistance

         1. produce required documents

   4. Ask for assistance and clarification.

   5. Read a work schedule.

   6. Locate information on a pay stub.

      1. Locate gross, locate net

      2. Locate deductions

         1. insurance, health insurance

         2. union dues

         3. savings

         4. disability

         5. retirement

         6. FICA

         7. federal tax, state tax

   7. Understand common workplace safety signs.

      1. Slippery

      2. Fire

      3. Dangerous

      4. Do not enter

      5. No smoking

6. Government and Law

   1. Recognize basic government facts.

      1. Name of the US president and Minnesota governor

      2. US flag

         1. design

         2. colors

   2. Recognize basic laws.

      1. Speed limits

      2. Licenses

         1. driving

         2. hunting

         3. fishing

      3. Driving on the right side of the road

7. Computation

   1. Read, write, and say numbers.

      1. Cardinal 0-100 in numbers

      2. Cardinal 0-20 in words

      3. Ordinal 1^st – 10^th in numbers

   2. Count by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.

   3. Count backwards and forwards up to 30.

   4. Recognize odd and even numbers.

   5. Know basic math concepts.

      1. Mathematical symbols +, -, x, 

   6. Add single digit numbers with totals up to 10.

      1. Add a column of 3 or more single digit numbers

   7. Subtract single digits numbers from numbers up to 20.

      1. Subtract multi-digit numbers, i.e. 19 – 2 = 17

      2. Use inverse to check subtraction

   8. Multiply single-digit numbers.

   9. Multiply with double-digit numbers up to 10.

   10. Identify the patterns in a multiplication table.

       1. even numbers

       2. multiples of 5 end in 5 or 0

       3. multiples of 10 end in 0

   11. Divide even numbers in half up to 20.

   12. Identify and write fractions representing a part.

   13. Read and write simple common fractions.

   14. Compare and order simple fractions.

   15. Divide an object in fractional pieces.

   16. Calculate money amounts.

   17. Know basic measurement concepts..

       1. Measure using inches, feet, pounds, degrees, and cups

          1. measure using whole numbers and fractions

       2. Length, weight, width, height

       3. Area, volume, perimeter

   18. Solve narrative math problems using basic math concepts and simple numbers.

       1. identify needed information

       2. identify required operation

   19. Recognize, identify, and describe common two-dimensional shapes.

       1. circle

       2. square/rectangle

       3. triangle

   20. Identify, count, and extra data from simple tables and charts.

   21. Collect, label, and organize information for simple tables and charts.

       1. record information using a tally system

       2. sort, group, classify, or categorize data

8. Learning to Learn (Reading Skills)

   1. Read and write the alphabet in upper and lower case.

   2. Understand relationship of letters and sounds.

      1. Letters make words

      2. Words make sentences

      3. Letters relate to sounds

      4. Alphabetics skills

         1. short vowels

         2. CVC syllables

         3. beginning and ending consonant blends

         4. consonant digraphs

   3. Understand the conventions of text arrangement.

      1. Right to left

      2. Top to bottom

      3. Capital letters at the beginning of sentences

      4. Periods at the end of sentences

   4. Interpret basic vocabulary.

      1. Dolch sight words pre-primer and primer level

      2. High frequency words used in everyday contexts

         1. signs

         2. labels

         3. ads

      3. Simple contractions

      4. Basic abbreviations

         1. address

            1. street

            2. avenue

            3. apartment

            4. MN

            5. N,S, E, W

         2. title

            1. Mr.

            2. Mrs.

            3. Dr.

      5. Verb endings

         1. 3^rd person singular

         2. simple past

         3. regular plural nouns

   5. Read a variety of texts.

      1. Sentences

      2. Questions

      3. Simple, short narratives

      4. Picture stories

      5. Simple forms

         1. sign in sheet

         2. registration

         3. appointment

      6. Charts, tables

      7. Maps, diagrams, graphs

      8. Lists (bullets)

   6. Read texts in various formats.

      1. Numbers

      2. Dates

      3. Time

      4. Currency

   7. Utilize reference materials.

      1. Alphabetical order

      2. Numerical order

      3. Telephone directories

      4. Picture dictionary

      5. Simplified dictionary

   8. Practice reading strategies.

      1. Predict content from a title or picture

      2. Scan simple text for specific information

      3. Fluency

   9. Practice reading skills.

      1. Main idea in a simple paragraph

      2. Sequence in a simple narrative

         1. inferences and conclusions in simple text

9. Grammar and Writing

   1. Write using correct parts of speech.

      1. Nouns

         1. singular/plural

         2. common/proper

      2. Articles

      3. Pronouns

         1. subject

      4. Adjectives

      5. Prepositions of location

      6. Verbs

         1. To be

         2. Present tense

            1. Affirmative

            2. Negative

            3. Questions

         3. Present continuous

         4. Past tense

            1. Regular

            2. Common irregular

   2. Follow the simple capitalization and end punctuation rules.

      1. Capitalize beginning of a sentence

      2. Capitalize I

      3. Capitalize names

      4. End punctuation

   3. Write sentences in a simple pattern with subject-verb agreements.

      1. Subject-verb agreement

      2. Subject/verb/object

   4. Write personal stories, sentences, and questions.

      1. Sentences

      2. Questions

      3. Personal stories

      4. Paragraph organization

         1. main idea

         2. details

         3. topic sentence