The ALTA Literacy Levels
Beginner Literacy
Unable to recognise all 26 letters and their individual sounds.
Focus:
Letter recognition, handwriting, most frequent sight words, phonological awareness, phonics – individual letter sounds, reading phonetically regular words and predictable books.
Only at community classes
Level 1 Literacy
Struggle with all reading except infant texts. (Approximate reading age 5)
Focus:
135 sight words, phonics (individual letters) for word recognition and spelling, breaking up words, reading simplified real-life text.
Level 2 Literacy
Read and write but slowly and often haltingly. Unable to fully complete many forms or read and understand newspapers and text related to their skill or subject area.
Focus: Phonics – letter combinations for word recognition and spelling, breaking up words, reading fluency (simplified real-life text), spelling strategies and writing.
Spelling Programme
Fluent readers who have difficulty making the right spelling choices and often have to stop and think before writing a word.
Focus: Phonics for spelling, spelling rules and spelling strategies.
Only at ALTA-V
Level 3 Literacy
Read and write fluently but have difficulty with spelling and Standard English grammar. ALTA students move into Level 3 after successfully completing Level 2 or Spelling Programme and move on to School Leaving or CSEC English Language.
Focus: Reading fluency and comprehension, vocabulary, writing, spelling, punctuation, Standard English grammar.
Only at ALTA-V
Where does a student start?
Community classes: The tutor assesses the student’s level on the first day.
ALTA-V and ALTA Online: Students complete the ALTA Online Assessment Book.
ALTA has no tests but awards a certificate upon mastery of a literacy level or the ALTA Spelling Programme.
I lived most of my life not able to read or write. When I joined ALTA it was like an explosion. The Online classes gave me the urge to learn.
Level 1 graduate Glen Ross proudly displays his ALTA Certificate