One shared way to describe how well anyone reads Bangla. Seven levels, one number per learner, three groups. Each level is one of the five components Bangladeshi teachers are trained on (ধ্বনি, বর্ণ, শব্দ, সাবলীলতা, বোঝা), so a result tells a facilitator what to teach next.
The levels follow the order NAPE uses in primary teacher training (DPEd), which matches the "Big 5" of reading research and the subtasks of EGRA. A learner moves up one component at a time.
The reported result is one level, such as ৪. Facilitators may split a level into ক and খ when forming groups; that split is never shown to learners.
The facilitator's record: one level, plus flags that never change the level. The learner hears only the last line.
Two ways to place a learner on the same scale: a 10-minute oral check with a facilitator, or the self-run app at /level.
| Reads | Means |
|---|---|
| Word by word | Still at ৩ |
| Phrase by phrase | ৪ |
| Whole sentences, with expression | Ready for ৫ |
Levels are defined by features of the text, not the kind of document. All lengths and counts are starting points for the pilot.
For learners below ৪: a story read aloud, picture answers. Shows whether understanding is there and only the script is in the way.
Correct words per minute at ৪, as data. No official Bangla benchmark yet; the pilot sets one.
Bangla and English digits, and common English print (Cash In, Send Money, bus routes), credited separately.
Three or four groups with neutral names, never numbers.
These show the structure is not invented. They do not validate the cut-offs; only pilot data does that.
| Reference | What it backs |
|---|---|
| NAPE primary teacher training (DPEd), Bangladesh | The five components and their order. Get the manual page before citing. |
| National Reading Panel (US, 2000) | The five-component model of reading ("Big 5"). |
| Early Grade Reading Assessment, EGRA (RTI / USAID) | Each component as a measured subtask: sounds, letters, made-up words, oral reading fluency, comprehension, listening. Used in Bangladesh. |
| ASER, TaRL and Uwezo (India, East Africa) | One ordered level per learner, a short oral check, grouping by level. |
| UNICEF MICS Foundational Learning Module | Literal and inferential questions, as at ৫ and ৬. Bangladesh MICS 2025 data is the local anchor. |
| Global Proficiency Framework; NIPUN Bharat (optional) | International reporting (SDG 4.1.1); fluency benchmarks for setting the ৪ data point. |
| v1.4 | v2.0 | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 7 levels, 16 sublevels | 7 levels, one number | Simpler to run and report |
| Starts at print (১.১ own name) | New লেভেল ০ ধ্বনি, no print | NAPE's first component; non-readers get a positive start |
| Recognising words | Made-up words at ২ | Real decoding, not guessing |
| Fluency as a rubric | Its own level (৪), words a minute as data | NAPE's fourth component |
| ৬ and ৭ (formal, literary, legal) | Merged into ৬; formal, সাধু and legal texts parked as "৬+" | Untested, and rarely needed for out-of-school youth |
| Levels ১.১–১.২ · ২.১–২.৩ · ৩.১–৩.৩ · ৪.১ · ৪.২–৫.১ · ৫.২–৭.২ | ১ · ২ · ৩ · ৪ · ৫ · ৬ | Mapping for old results |
All cut-offs and text lengths need testing with real learners.
The NAPE manual page, and the Bangla fluency studies, opened and checked.
The ALO check uses steps ০ to ৫; align it to this scale.