Understanding CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A

How the six CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A can appear in CASAS STEPS Reading Level A test— with test coverage, classroom guidance, and sample items. The STEPS Reading series focuses on: Basic Communication, Consumer Economics, Community Resources, Health, Employment, and Government & Law. The official CASAS Competencies describe 360+ life skills that anchor curriculum, instruction, and assessment across levels.

Level A Coverage & Approximate Question Counts

The Reading STEPS blueprint shows that Level A concentrates heavily on simple, functional messages (notes, labels, dates, short signs) under Basic Communication. Government & Law typically enters at higher levels. The percentages below are mapped to a 36-item test.

Competency Area	% of Items	Approx. # of Questions (out of 36)	Level A Emphasis
Basic Communication	48%	≈ 17	Recognize words, personal info, dates/times; follow short notes and simple instructions.
Consumer Economics	12%	≈ 4	Prices, totals, coupons/discounts, reading simple receipts or ads.
Community Resources	15%	≈ 5	Basic schedules, transportation icons, time/weather words, community signs.
Health	14%	≈ 5	Appointments, clinic notes, simple medicine timing, basic safety words.
Employment	11%	≈ 4	Simple schedules, job ad words, clock times, workplace signs.
Government & Law	0%	0	Not emphasized at Level A in Reading STEPS.

What Each of the CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A Looks Like

0. Basic Communication (≈ 17 questions)

Level A students demonstrate survival reading: recognizing common nouns (e.g., bus, book), reading abbreviated months and dates, and understanding short notices about classrooms/times or simple instructions. Questions are concise, often with pictures or icons, and require matching a word, choosing a date, or locating a labeled detail quickly.

• Texts you’ll see: labels, calendar dates, tiny notes, simple form fields, classroom signs.
• Skills behind the items: word recognition, symbol/print awareness, matching words to images, reading short instructions.
• Typical pitfalls: confusing similar-looking words, U.S. date formats, or abbreviations like Dec.

0.1 Communicate in interpersonal interactions

A CASAS STEPS Reading question covering this competency can be presented in a variety of formats. See examples below. (Try the practice quizzes in https://esolsteps.com/courses/esol-1-casas-steps-level-a-reading-listening/

0.2 Communicate regarding personal information

A CASAS STEPS Reading question covering this competency can also be presented in different formats. See examples below.

1. Consumer Economics (≈ 4 questions)

CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A center on reading price tags, totals, and coupon lines — not doing multi-step math. Students may identify a total, recognize a discount, or choose the correct price among options.

• Texts you’ll see: receipt lines, shelf labels, simple store ads.
• Skills behind the items: decoding numerals and currency symbols, understanding “total,” recognizing discount/coupon language.
• Typical pitfalls: picking the biggest number on the page, ignoring minus signs or the word discount.

1.1 Use measurement and money

1.2 Use information to identify and purchase goods and services

1.5 Understand how to manage household finances

2. Community Resources (≈ 5 questions)

These tasks introduce the public world: buses, schedules, community signs, time and weather. Items often ask, “Which picture matches the word?” or “What is the next time?” based on a simple schedule. CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A are simple, but students must be able to spot them when they see a question.

• Texts you’ll see: bus or clinic schedules with few times, icons (bus, train), basic map keys, public notices.
• Skills behind the items: matching community vocabulary to icons, reading a single line in a schedule, basic time reading.
• Typical pitfalls: misreading A.M./P.M., scanning the wrong row/column, confusing transport modes.

2.2 Understand how to locate and use different types of transportation and interpret travel-related information

2.3 Understand concepts of time and weather

2.5 Use community agencies and services

3. Health (≈ 5 questions)

CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A include health items that keep language short but meaningful: appointment confirmations, dates/times for checkups, or a basic instruction like “Take 1 pill at 6:00.” Students select the correct time or identify a key detail (doctor’s name, day, or clinic).

• Texts you’ll see: appointment notes, short emails/texts from clinics, medicine timing.
• Skills behind the items: extracting one detail, reading time and date formats, recognizing provider names and subjects.
• Typical pitfalls: focusing on the wrong number in a message, mixing “sent” vs. appointment date, overlooking the subject line.

3.1 Understand how to access and use the health care system

3.2 Understand forms related to health care

3.5 Understand basic principles of health maintenance

4. Employment (≈ 4 questions)

Workplace exposure begins with very short artifacts: a shift time on a schedule, a simple job ad phrase (Full-time, Weekends), or a safety icon. Students identify a time, select a requirement, or match a label to an icon. CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A will be present in a workplace environment.

• Texts you’ll see: schedules, brief job ad lines, safety or workplace signs.
• Skills behind the items: reading times, scanning for key requirements, connecting vocabulary to pictured tasks.
• Typical pitfalls: ignoring qualifiers (e.g., weekends), confusing start vs. end times, picking the wrong icon.

4.1 Understand basic principles of getting a job

4.2 Understand wages, benefits, employee rights, and concepts of employee organizations

4.4 Understand concepts and materials related to job performance and training

4.6 Communicate effectively in the workplace

Teaching to the Blueprint (Without “Teaching the Test”)

• Front-load Basic Communication: Because nearly half the test lives here, practice micro-texts daily: notes, labels, calendar squares, name/ID fields. Rotate formats so students don’t rely on position or color cues.
• Use realia for transfer: Bring in store receipts, clinic cards, and bus schedules. Ask one-detail questions that mirror Level A prompts.
• Drill date & time formats: Mix “Dec.” and “December,” numeric dates (3-29-84 vs. 3/29), and A.M./P.M. to prevent format shock.
• One-detail scanning: Train learners to circle the question word (e.g., When? Which?) and scan only for that feature (a date, time, or noun), then stop.
• Build icon literacy: Practice recognition of transport, workplace, and safety icons — an easy win that reduces cognitive load on test day.

What’s Next

CASAS STEPS Competencies in Level A is the first post in our Level-by-Level Competency series. Next, we’ll cover Level B, where items expand to longer notices, multi-line schedules, and new domains.