Figurative Language
STAAR strategies
Vocabulary
Define Me
Inference
100
Life is like a box of chocolates
What is SIMILE
100
You don't know what a word means
What is USE THE DICTIONARY
100
This is a hint in a story about something that is GOING to happen but has not happened yet
What is FORESHADOW
100
a comparison usually using like or as
What is simile
100
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was “presentable,” as Alice had often said. Paul's job is:
What is something where he gets very dirty (garbage man, construction worker, etc.)
200
Life is a roller coaster - sometimes we are happy and sometimes things go bad
What is METAPHOR
200
Your brain goes on word overload!! Oh no!
What is TAKE A BREAK
200
Take your background knowledge about a subject PLUS the information you just read Then figure something out
What is INFERENCE
200
a comparison of two things when you read - saying something IS something else
What is metaphor
200
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sobs. His mother comforted him, “There, there, Max. We’ll just find something else to do.” She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, “I don’t wanna sand-mich!” A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed. Why is Max upset?
What is It is raining so he can't fly his kite
300
The car complained as I turned the key in the engine. This was going to be a long day.
What is PERSONIFICATION
300
Make these in the margins
What are ANNOTATIONS
300
You are reading a story and it suddenly tells about something that happened in the past
What is FLASHBACK
300
a word that sounds like what it means
What is onomatopoeia
300
“Tommy!” Mom called out as she walked in the front door. “Tommy,” she continued shouting, “I sure could use some help with these groceries. There was still no reply. Mom walked into the kitchen to put the grocery bags down on the counter when she noticed shattered glass from the picture window all over the living room floor and a baseball not far from there. “I’m going to kill you, Tommy!” Mom yelled to herself as she realized that Tommy’s shoes were gone. What happened to the window?
What is the window was broken with a baseball
400
"You are barking up the wrong tree," my dad told me.
What is IDIOM
400
One of the answers is right, one is second best, one is wrong, and one is just plain crazy
What is ELIMINATE THE WRONG ANSWERS
400
Determining what will happen in the future
What is PREDICTION
400
a saying that does not literally mean what it says My sister spilled the beans and told my mom about the surprise party
What is idiom
400
Today was a special day in Ms. Smith’s class. Some of the children were walking around the room, some of them were standing in small groups, and some of them were at their desks, putting finishing touches on cardboard mailboxes. After coloring a cool flame on the side of his racecar mailbox, Johnny hopped off his chair, strutted over to Veronica’s desk, and dropped a small white envelope into her princess castle mailbox. Veronica blushed and played with her hair. While this was happening, Bartleby was frantically trying to put a small white envelope into everyone’s mailbox. After giving one to Ms. Smith, Bartleby pulled out a medium-sized red envelope from his pocket. He blushed and tried to put it in Veronica’s mailbox, but it wouldn’t quite fit. Bartleby struggled with it for a few seconds and then ran off with the envelope. Veronica rolled her eyes and popped her gum. Why is today special?
What is Valentine's Day
500
After Apple-Picking - the rumbling .. of load on load of apples coming in. Mowing - the scythe whispering to the ground The Runaway - the miniature thunder... the clatter of stone
What is IMAGERY or SENSORY LANGUAGE
500
Sometimes you have to ____________ the passage or the question to really understand what it says.
What is REREAD
500
Taking information you read from TWO OR MORE sources (passages) and figuring something out
What is SYNTHESIZE
500
Language that appeals to your senses - you can almost see, smell, hear, or feel what is happening in the story
What is sensory language or imagery
500
Kyle ran into his house, slamming the door behind him. He threw his book bag on the floor and plopped onto the couch. After six hours of playing Grand Larceny VII, he ate some pizza and fell asleep with a slice on his stomach and his feet on his book bag. When Kyle came home from school the next day, he was noticeably distraught. He balled up his report card and placed it inside a soup can in the garbage. He then flipped the soup can upside down in the garbage can and arranged loose pieces of trash over it. As he plopped down on the couch, he let out a sigh and picked up his controller. Why is Kyle distraught?
What is he made a bad grade
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