(1) An eighth-grade student at the novice level of literature is beginning to attain the prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental at each benchmark in literature. He/she:

(a) usually comprehends material at the literal level but seldom at the figurative level;

(b) makes simple predictions and brief descriptions when responding to literary works;

(c) infrequently identifies literary devices, forms, and languages and, with assistance, describes how these impact literary works as a reader, listener, and viewer;

(d) selects literary works, yet has difficulty expressing reasons for choices; and

(e) often focuses on restatement of story and summarization with little comparison or investigation of the work's meaning or form.