Things Good Readers Do and Know
Parts of Speech
Figurative Language
Poetry
Open Response
100

What does a Good Reader read before beginning an MCAS passage?

The italics, all directions, and preview multiple choice questions.

100
What part of speech is a person, place, idea or thing?
A noun.
100
What is a form of figurative language that compares two things and does not use the words "like" or "as" EXAMPLE: Love is a beautiful rose.
Metaphor
100
Just like prose is chunked in paragraphs, poems are chunked into these
stanzas
100
What should the first sentence (topic sentence) of your open response should do?
It should restate the question.
200

What does a good reader do when they get to a tricky/confusing word in a text (there are 3 options)

1. look in the word for a part they recognize

2. look around the word for context clues

3. look right before or after for a definition

200

What type of word describes a noun? (Example: The FUZZY, BLUE blanket was on the couch.)

adjectives

200
What is a form of figurative language that directly compares two things by using the words "like" or "as"? EXAMPLE: Her eyes sparkle like diamonds.
Similes
200
What is the pattern rhymes in a poem called? EXAMPLE: abab, abba, abcb
rhyme scheme
200

How many examples should you include in your open response?

At least 2 examples.

300

What story elements make up PLOT (the events)?

Hint: there are 4

Conflict/Problem, Rising Action, Climax and Falling Action

300
What is the verb in the following sentence: The child thought about her dog all day.
thought (to think)
300
What is a form of figurative language that gives human traits to objects, animals or ideas? EXAMPLE: The rain danced on the roof all night long.
Personification
300
What is the name of the musical beat to a poem?
rhythm
300
Name a pre-writing activity that will help you organize your thoughts before you begin writing your open response.
Creating a graphic organizer, such as the three-columned open response to success (Action/question, topic sentence, evidence) or the hamburger
400

Name the 3 reasons why an author writes something (author's purpose):

1. to entertain 2. to inform 3. to persuade

400
Use a pronoun in place of the capitalized nouns: ANGELICA and RUBEN swept the entire classroom.
They
400
What is obvious and intentional exaggeration? EXAMPLE: I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
hyperbole
400
What is the name of the poetry device which begins two or more consecutive words with the same letter and sound? EXAMPLE: Two terrible tigers tortured two tiny turtles.
alliteration
400
Restate the following MCAS open response prompt: Based on the article, describe how roller coasters have changed over time. Support your answer with important details from the article.
Roller coasters have changed over time.
500

How does a good reader double-check their MCAS test? (give at least 2 examples)

reread each story, reread each multiple choice and make sure you picked the best answer, and reread the open response question and their response to make sure they have done their absolute best on the entire test!

500

What is the adverb in the following sentence?: Shea quickly walked home through the neighborhood.

quickly

500
What do you call a word that imitates (sounds like) the sound it represents? EXAMPLE: buzz, bang, crackle, pop
onomatopoeia
500
Matching the final sound in two or more words is called? Example: rose, hose, doze, toes
rhyme
500
It is important that your open response has a good balance of your own words and direct quotes from the text. Remember the whole point is for you to explain HOW your evidence proves your answer. What sentence frames can you use to create this balance?
In paragraph ______ it states "_____________________." This shows _________________________________.
M
e
n
u