BEGINNING ESL LITERACY COMPETENCY OVERVIEW
CASAS Range: 180 and below

By the end of this level, learners will…

1. Communication

   1. Recite, read, and write the alphabet.

   2. Ask and respond to simple greetings, introductions, and farewells.

   3. Provide basic personal information in response to oral questions and on simple forms.

   4. Recognize and use the words for basic family relationships.

   5. Ask and answer simple questions about family.

   6. Recognize basic concepts of caring for children.

2. Consumer Economics

   1. Recognize different currencies and vocabulary associated with money.

   2. Read monetary amounts and price tags.

   3. Recognize basic food vocabulary.

   4. Know basic food safety concepts.

   5. Recognize terms for basic clothing and sizes.

   6. Recognize vocabulary for different types of housing, rooms, and furnishings.

   7. Know basic cleaning and laundry concepts and vocabulary.

   8. Know basic home safety and security concepts and vocabulary.

3. Community Resources

   1. Use a telephone.

   2. Ask and answer simple oral questions about the weather.

   3. Read and tell time.

   4. Know the names of the days of the week, the months, and the seasons.

   5. Read, write, and say dates.

   6. Know how to buy stamps and mail a letter.

   7. Know basic directional vocabulary and identify places on a map.

   8. Identify safe driving practices.

4. Health

   1. Know and use basic medical vocabulary.

   2. Know how to express basic medical problems.

   3. Know how to make a medical appointment.

   4. Know how and why to call 911.

   5. Recognize basic safety symbols.

5. Employment

   1. Know some basic vocabulary about entry-level jobs and names of basic occupations.

   2. Know how to fill out a simple job application.

   3. Use a phone to report an absence.

   4. Ask for directions and clarification.

   5. Know basic workplace safety concepts, signs, and symbols.

6. Government and Law

   1. Know simple government facts.

   2. Recognize police as a source of assistance.

7. Computation

   1. Count, read, and write cardinal (through 100) and ordinal (through 20) numbers.

   2. Recognize and use the names for basic shapes.

   3. Recognize and interpret basic food measurement concepts.

8. Learning to Learn (Reading)

   1. Recognize the colors of and use the names for basic colors.

   2. Recognize the English alphabet.

   3. Recognize conventions of written text.

   4. Read basic vocabulary.

   5. Connect illustrations to text.

   6. Use appropriate reference tools.

9. Grammar and Writing

   1. Copy written information.

10. Listening

    1. Recognize and distinguish words and sounds.

    2. Comprehend basic vocabulary.

    3. Recognize letters of the alphabet.

    4. Differentiate with grammatical structures.

    5. Comprehend conversations.