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Pre A1 Starters tick or cross: reading task practice

A1-A2Pre A1 Starters40 questionsUpdated

One of the first Reading and Writing tasks at Pre A1 Starters asks a child to look at a picture, read a short sentence about it, and mark it right or wrong. It is simple to explain and surprisingly easy to lose marks on, because children answer from the picture they expected rather than from the sentence in front of them.

What this task tests

  • Careful reading of a very short sentence, word by word.
  • Whether the child checks the picture before deciding, rather than guessing.
  • Knowledge of the small words that change the answer: in, on, under, two, three.
  • Recognition that a sentence can be about colour, number or position.
  • The mechanics of the answer: one clear tick or one clear cross in the box.
  • Whether the child can hold a whole short sentence in mind while looking away at a picture.
  • Confidence to answer every item, since nothing is lost for a wrong guess.
  • Basic world knowledge that makes some sentences obviously wrong.
  • Staying with the task for a page of items without losing concentration.

How to do it

  1. Step 1:

    Read the whole sentence aloud

    Children stop at the first word they recognise. Ask them to run a finger under every word before answering.

  2. Step 2:

    Find the one word that decides it

    In most items a single word carries the answer: the colour, the number or the preposition. Train the child to look for it.

  3. Step 3:

    Look back at the picture

    Point at the part of the picture the sentence is about. Answering without looking is the main source of lost marks.

  4. Step 4:

    Teach the mark itself

    Practise making a tick and a cross in a small box. It sounds trivial; unclear marks cost real marks.

  5. Step 5:

    Do not leave gaps

    There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so every box gets a mark. Say this out loud until the child believes it.

  6. Step 6:

    Cover the picture

    Read the sentence with the picture covered, then uncover it. This forces the reading to happen first.

  7. Step 7:

    Write your own items

    Draw a picture and write three sentences about it, one wrong. Children love spotting the trick and will then look for tricks in the real task.

  8. Step 8:

    Slow the first three down

    Accuracy on the opening items sets the pace for the page. Rushing early leads to rushing throughout.

  9. Step 9:

    Check the pencil, not the answer

    When reviewing, ask the child to read the sentence back and explain the choice. The explanation shows you what went wrong.

  10. Step 10:

    Keep sessions to one page

    This task is dull in bulk. One short set, marked together and talked through, teaches more than four pages alone.

Mistakes that cost marks

  • Not thisAnswering from the picture alone

    ThisReading the sentence, then checking the picture

    Children recognise the scene and decide before reading. Slow the first step down deliberately.

  • Not thisMissing the number word

    ThisCounting what the sentence says

    There are three cats and there are two cats look identical to a quick eye.

  • Not thisA mark between two boxes

    ThisOne clear mark inside the box

    An unclear mark cannot be given credit. Practise on squared paper.

  • Not thisLeaving an item blank

    ThisAlways choosing one

    Nothing is lost for guessing at this level, and a blank is certainly worth nothing.

  • Not thisIgnoring the preposition

    ThisChecking in, on or under

    Position words are short and easy to skim past, yet they decide the answer more often than any other word.

  • Not thisChanging an answer three times

    ThisDeciding once and moving on

    Repeated rubbing out makes the mark unclear and eats the time. Encourage one decision per item.

Language this task keeps reusing

tick
The mark you make when a sentence is right.
cross
The mark you make when a sentence is wrong.
box
The small square where you put your answer.
picture
The drawing the sentences are about.
under
Below something.
on
Touching the top of something.
in
Inside something.
next to
Beside something.
behind
At the back of something.
in front of
At the front of something.
between
In the middle, with one thing on each side.
look
To turn your eyes towards something.
right
Correct, true.
wrong
Not correct, not true.

Practice: tick or cross reading task

40 original questions. The first 10 are open to everyone. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class as it is.

Look and decide: right or wrong?
  • A ball is round.
  • A book is round.
  • A door is usually taller than a chair.
3 to go
What do you write in the box when the sentence is right?

3Complete the sentence.

The cat is sleeping the table.
Right or wrong?
  • Fish live in water.
  • Cars can fly.
  • The sun is hot.
3 to go

5Complete the sentence.

The bird is the tree.
Which sentence is right?

7Complete the sentence.

The shoes are the floor.

8Say one true sentence about your classroom.

You are not sure about an answer. What should you do?
Right or wrong?
  • Ice is cold.
  • A bike has got five wheels.
  • We sleep at night.
3 to go

Keep going

30 more questions on this page

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Frequently asked questions

How should I introduce this task at home?

Draw a simple picture yourself and write three sentences about it, one of them wrong. Three items is enough for a first go and takes two minutes.

My child rushes and gets them wrong. What helps?

Ask for a finger under each word and a point at the picture before the pencil moves. Speed is not tested at this level; care is.

Is there any penalty for a wrong answer?

No. Every box should carry a mark, and a sensible guess is always better than a blank.

Which words should I make sure the child knows for this task?

The position words above all: in, on, under, next to, behind, in front of, between. They decide more items than any vocabulary set.

How many items should we do in one sitting?

Six to eight, then talk them through together. The talking is where the learning happens; the ticking is only the record of it.

Should the child read the sentences aloud?

At home, yes. Reading aloud shows you exactly which words were skipped. In the exam the reading is silent, so fade it out as the exam approaches.