BlogNAPLANHow to Get a Band 8 in Year 9 NAPLAN Reading

How to Get a Band 8 in Year 9 NAPLAN Reading

Girl Reading Outside - Band 8 Year 9 NAPLAN Reading Featured Image

Worried about how you will perform in Year 9 NAPLAN Reading? Not sure your child will achieve a Band 8?

NAPLAN (standing for National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) consists of THREE exams:

  1. Reading and Writing
  2. Language Conventions
  3. Numeracy

This article is the first in a series of three articles breaking down each of the three literacy-based sections of NAPLAN — Reading, Writing and Language Conventions.

Make sure to check out our article on Year 9 NAPLAN Writing and NAPLAN Language Conventions!

Now let’s dive into what to expect for Year 9 NAPLAN Reading!

What should you expect?
Narrative
Poem
Biographical Text
Information Text
Persuasive Text

Year 9 NAPLAN Reading: How to Score a Band 8

Depending on whether you sit the test online or complete a paper test, the day you sit the Reading test can vary based on what your school has set.

You can check out the timetable for all NAPLAN tests here!

On the day you sit the assessment, you will be given a separate booklet containing around eight short texts from different text types. These can be anything from a short story extract, poem, magazine article or webpage, amongst others.

You will then be required to complete around 50 short-answer and multiple choice questions based on the texts.

This section is designed to test your reading comprehension skills; that is, how well you have understood the texts you have just read.

But how can you understand the different text types?

Let’s break it down!

NAP has published a set of criteria for each main type of text (narrative, poem, biographical text, information text, persuasive text). You will be assessed on how well you can meet these criteria in responding to the questions.

In the next section of this article, we will pull these criteria apart and get to the bottom of what they actually mean for you as a student.

If you’re looking for more support in reaching that Band 8, Year 9 NAPLAN tutoring is here to support you!

When reading a narrative…

Narrative for Year 9 NAPLAN Reading

ActionWhat does it mean?
Locate a directly stated detail This one’s pretty self-explanatory – scan the text to find a specific detail.
Connect ideas across a paragraph or across the text to interpret a description or the motivation of characters. Think holistically to reach a broader understanding of the way something is being described, or why a character acts a certain way.

When we piece together the sentences of a single paragraph or paragraphs across the text, what does this tell us?
Infer the main ideaUsing what we already know from reading the text, what is its main idea?
Interpret and evaluate a character’s behaviour and attitudeWhy does a character think and act in a certain way?
Look at the way they talk, the way they are described, the way they interact with other characters, etc.
Interpret dialogue to describe a characterWhat can we learn about this character from their dialogue? What kind of language do they use and why?
Interpret the reasons for a character’s responseBased on what we know about the character, why might they respond to a particular person, event or situation in this way?
Connect ideas to interpret figurative languageThink holistically when interpreting figurative language – think of the bigger picture. Consider the overall themes and ideas of the story.

What is figurative language? Language that is non-literal, such as metaphors, similes, personification, etc.
Interpret the effect of a short sentenceShort sentences might be used for dramatic effect or in moments of heightened tension or emotion, for example.

Why else might an author use a short sentence?

When reading a poem…

Poem for Year 9 NAPLAN Reading

ActionWhat does it mean?
Identify the main idea of the poemWhat is the poet on about?

Look at their subject matter, word choice, use of figurative language, structure, title… What are they writing about? What’s the message?

Poems are often tricky to interpret as they are often deliberately quite ambiguous. Many students are not used to reading this style of writing and therefore struggle. Try to read a few poems in preparation for NAPLAN. As you read, ask yourself what the poem is about. What are its key ideas? Does it have a message? The more you read, the more prepared you will be for whatever NAPLAN throws your way.

When reading a biographical text…

Biographical Text

ActionWhat does it mean?
Locate a directly stated idea in the textScan the text to find a specific idea referenced in the question.

Many biographical texts are chronological – that is, events are described in the order that they occurred. Use this to help you follow the sequence of events and locate a specific idea.

When reading an information text…

Information Text

ActionWhat does it mean?
Locate directly stated informationThis one’s pretty self-explanatory - scan the text to find a specific detail.
Connect ideas in the introduction of the text or in the body of the text and illustrations.Begin by separately identifying the main ideas in the introduction, body of the text and illustrations.

How do they relate to each other? Do they support each other? Do they challenge each other? Why? Consider the author’s purpose here too.
Identify the main purpose of a text or an element of the textWhy has the author written this text? Consider what they’re writing about and how they write about it. Are they trying to make a particular argument? Are they trying to give a particular impression of their subject? Why?
Identify the main idea of a paragraphLook to the first sentence (topic sentence) of a paragraph to ascertain its main idea.
Identify the purpose of a labelled diagramWhy was the diagram included? What is it trying to teach us? How might the text be different if the diagram was left out?
Identify the intended audience of the textWho was the text written for? Look at the subject matter and the kind of language that has been used. Is it accessible to everyone or is it clearly written for a very specific group?
Identify conventions used in the text, such as abbreviations or italics for a foreign wordIdentify these conventions and think about the effect they have. Why were they used?

When reading a persuasive text…

Newspaper

ActionWhat does it mean?
Connect ideas across the text or in two argumentsWhat are these ideas? How do they relate to each other? Do they support each other or are they contradictory?
Identify the tone of an argumentWhat is the overall mood of the argument?

Is it forceful? Or is it more passive? Is it positive or negative?

Look at the author’s word choice and use of persuasive devices.

What’s next for your Year 9 NAPLAN Band 8 preparation?

From here, jump online and access some practice Year 9 NAPLAN papers!

Try to complete these papers under the recommended time limits. If possible, get feedback from a teacher or tutor. Then, complete more papers until you are able to improve your initial score.

So there you have it! After reading this article, you should be feeling more confident than ever about hitting a Band 8 for Year 9 NAPLAN Reading. You got this!

Once you’ve aced Year 9 NAPLAN, check out our guide on how to ace your Year 9 English studies!

Are you looking for some extra help with Year 9 NAPLAN Reading?

We pride ourselves on our inspirational NAPLAN coaches and mentors!

We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years 3-9 for NAPLAN, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at our state of the art campus in Hornsby or the Hills!

To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today! 

Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on Tiktok!

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