Reading Skills
What is the main idea?
The main idea is the central point the author wants to communicate.
What is a quote?
A quote is an exact word-for-word excerpt from the text.
What is RACE?
RACE = Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain.
What is process of elimination?
Eliminate wrong answers to improve chances of selecting the right one.
What is inference?
An inference is an educated guess based on clues and prior knowledge.
How do you identify theme?
Identify theme by looking at repeated ideas and the message about life.
Why is citing evidence important?
Citing evidence supports your answers and shows you understood the text.
What makes a strong claim?
A strong claim clearly states your position and what you will prove.
How do you manage time on a test?
Manage time by pacing yourself and not spending too long on one question.
Give an example of a context clue.
A context clue is a hint in the sentence that helps define an unfamiliar word.
Define text structure
Text structure refers to how information is organized (e.g., compare/contrast, chronological).
How do you support a claim?
Support a claim by providing proof from the text.
Give an example of strong evidence.
Strong evidence is specific and directly supports your claim.
Why re-read questions?
Re-read questions to avoid misunderstanding what’s being asked.
Define 'analyze'.
'Analyze' means to break something down into parts to understand it better.
What is author's purpose?
Author's purpose is the reason the text was written: to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain.
What is a direct quote?
A direct quote uses quotation marks and exact wording from the text.
What is a counterclaim?
A counterclaim is the opposite viewpoint of your argument.
When should you guess?
Guess only after eliminating wrong answers.
What does 'infer' mean?
'Infer' means to make a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning.
Explain figurative language
Figurative language uses figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification.
Explain paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing means putting information from the text into your own words.
What is a concluding sentence?
A concluding sentence wraps up your paragraph and restates the main point.
Explain skipping & returning.
If stuck, skip and return later to avoid wasting time.
Explain tone vs. mood.
Tone is the author's attitude; mood is how the reader feels.