One shared way to describe how well anyone reads Bangla, from a learner who knows only their own name to an expert reader. Seven levels, sixteen sublevels, three groups, in the spirit of English A1 to C2.
Click any sublevel to see what it means, how the check finds it, and what to teach next.
The reported result is a sublevel, such as ৩.২. Each level is named for what a reader can read; each sublevel is one clear step inside it.
Three lines on the same scale, plus flags for the other print people meet every day. This is the facilitator's record; the learner hears only the last line.
Reads well but understands less. Teach meaning, not more decoding.
Understands well when read to. The only barrier is the script.
Public scale, private results. This is the framework's biggest choice; the team can change it in one place.
Stage 1 is a 10-minute oral check, one learner and one facilitator, for লেভেল ১ to ৪. Learners who pass the short-text card go on to Stage 2.
| Reads | Means |
|---|---|
| Word by word | Lower sublevel of the level |
| Phrase by phrase | Middle or upper sublevel |
| Whole sentences | Ready to try the next level |
Levels are defined by features of the text, not the kind of document, so the check measures reading rather than familiarity. Check texts use general topics; work-specific texts are for teaching.
| Level | Length | Sentences | যুক্তবর্ণ | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ১ | Letters, own name | None | · | Letters |
| ২ | Words, 2 to 4 letters | None | · | Everyday words |
| ৩ | 3 to 4 sentences | 6 words or fewer | ●● | Everyday চলিত |
| ৪ | 60 to 150 words | 10 words or fewer | ●●●● | Everyday চলিত |
| ৫ | 200 to 400 words | Some longer, joined | ●●●●●● | Everyday and semi-formal |
| ৬ | 400 words or more | Complex, formal | ●●●●●●●● | Official, technical |
| ৭ | Any | Any | ●●●●●●●● | Literary, legal, academic, সাধু ভাষা |
Bars and dots show relative size only. All lengths and counts are starting points for the pilot.
The scale measures reading Bangla script. Flags record what else a learner can read, without changing the level.
Bangla digits (৳৫০০, বাস ৮) and English digits (Tk 500, Bus 8), credited separately. Adults who know few letters often read numbers well.
Common print such as Cash In, Send Money, Tk, and bus route names in English letters.
Vowel signs after or below (কা, মী, দু) and before or around (কি, বে, দো, নৌ); easy (রাস্তা, বন্ধ) and hard (ডাক্তার, পরীক্ষা) conjuncts. These set sublevels in ২ and ৩.
Sublevels let a facilitator form three or four groups with neutral names, never numbers. An example room of 18 learners:
An item bank of about 12 texts per level, so forms are assembled fresh and texts spread less in a community.
From the team's Reading Steps v0.1.
All cut-offs, text lengths and sublevel boundaries need testing with real learners, starting with লেভেল ১ to ৫.
লেভেল ৬ and ৭ passages need writing and trying with good readers before they are used.
Writing (signing, forms, messages), and a teacher's review of every "can do" line.