STAAR Success Tips
What should a reader do if they do not understand a word in the text, question, or answer choice?
Look up a word in the dictionary
What should students do first when writing an ECR?
Plan. Students read and break down the prompt. Analyze the text.
A text that gives facts and information and can be organized in many different ways.
Informational text
A short explanation of the text, including the main events only, is called -
Summary
States a problem and suggests one or more solutions.
Problem and Solution
What should a reader do first before answering the questions?
Annotate the text (Screen -to-Scratch)
What are the two types of writing modes for ECR?
Informational and Argumentative
A story with character relationships, setting, and a plot.
Fiction text
Background knowledge + text evidence = Inference
Compares two or more people, things, ideas, or events to tell how they are similar and different.
compare and contrast
Why should students annotate while reading?
It helps the reader understand the text.
How can a student earn two points on an SCR?
By stating the answer and providing relevant text evidence
A text written in lines and stanzas commonly includes rhyme and figurative language.
Poetry
Directly supports the author's central idea.
Supporting details/text evidence
Relates two or more events by examining what happened and why.
Cause and Effect
Why should students go back to the text to prove their answers?
To find evidence to support their answers
Where can you look on the day of STAAR if you forget the steps to write an ECR?
ECR prompt checklist
A text written to argue or make a claim.
Argumentative/persuasive text
Where can the reader usually find the central idea of the article or selection?
The reader can usually find the central idea by reading the title, the introduction, and the conclusion.
Organizes details in time order; may include dates, times, or numbered sequences.
Chronological Order/ Sequential Order
What is the best strategy when two answers seem correct?
Reread the question and check which answer matches the text evidence.
What must an ECR include to earn the highest score?
An introduction with a clear central idea/claim, a body of evidence with explanation from the text, and a conclusion that summarizes the essay
This text is formatted as a script and includes dialogue and stage directions.
Drama/play
What can the reader infer from this sentence?
My light bulb came on during the test.
The student understood the question(s).
The author's reason for writing a piece: to inform, explain, entertain, persuade, convince, etc.
The Author's Purpose