Testing Tips
What should you do the night before the STAAR?
Sleep well
To determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in a selection
Context clues or a dictionary
If a question asks, "What is paragraph 5 mainly about?" What is it asking for?
Main idea
All FICTION requires this to be a story
Conflict
How many sentences should be in a paragraph (whether it is a SAR or ECR)?
At least 6-8.
If stressing during the test, you should
Take a mini-break for water or the restroom
A valuable test-taking strategy
Highlighting, notes, post-it notes
All the important events from the beginning, middle and end of a selection
Summary
A group of lines in a poem
Stanza
What are the 4 types of literary Genres?
Fiction, Nonfiction (Argumentative/Persuasive, Informational), Poetry, Play
What should you do the morning of the STAAR test?
Eat a healthy breakfast
To get an idea of what a passage is about before reading it, what should you check first?
Title, subtitles, photos, captions
This question: The reader can conclude that ... Is asking the reader to what?
Make an inference
An article about the dangers of playing video games all day is what type of text?
Informational
What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?
Paraphrasing restates information in your own words, maintaining the original meaning and often with similar length.
summarizing condenses the information, focusing on the main ideas and key takeaways in a shorter form.
Why is the STAAR test important for students?
It demonstrates your mastery of 8th grade skills
Marking through wrong answers
Process of elimination
One strategy for answering vocabulary context clue questions is
Read the text surrounding the word for hints about its meaning
Non-fiction written by the author about the author's life
Autobiography
a method used to convince or persuade an audience by appealing to their logic, emotions, or sense of credibility/authority.
Persuasive Appeals (Logos, Pathos, Ethos)
Leave these at home or be prepared to give them to your test administrator
Cell phones, smart watches, and electronic devices
What is a specific testing strategy I can use for STAAR?
ICHOP!
I - Identify the genre
C - Chunk the passage
H - Highlight key words in questions/passage
O - Omit/cross out wrong answers
P - Prove your answer
The moral of a story, or the life lesson the author wants the reader to understand
Theme
Words that tell what the characters should be doing as they speak their lines
Stage directions
What is the best way to organize an ECR?
Intro: Hook Bridge Thesis
Body 1: Topic Sentence 1, Evidence, Commentary
Body 2: Topic Sentence 2, Evidence, Commentary
Conclusion: Restate Thesis, Wrap Up, Real World Connection/Call to Action