Strategies
The main purpose of paragraph 3 is to...
Main Idea jot
Go back in the passage
Highlight key words
Eliminate wrong answer choices
What should you notice in a fiction passage?
Somebody, wanted, but, so, then, finally
Characters, setting, problem, solution, point of view, emotions, dialogue
Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way. Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?
Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way.
Yoshi was in her room reading a book. Her mom called her to come downstairs and help. As Yoshi entered the kitchen, her mom handed her a pile of plates. Yoshi put them on the table and went to get the silverware and glasses. You can conclude that it is what time of day?
Dinner Time
A change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
effect
Which of these ideas is supported by information in paragraphs 3 & 4?
Go back in the passage
Main Idea jot
Highlight key words
Pick apart answer choices
What should you notice in a nonfiction passage?
Text features (subheadings, pictures, captions, bold words, bullet lists, titles)
Facts, main ideas, information, sections
Yesterday was my birthday. When I woke up, I noticed my brother Josh hung up a big sign that said,"Happy Birthday, Charles!" Mom made spaghetti for dinner. It's my favorite food in the whole world. My friend Dave came over and handed me a wrapped gift. I wondered what it was. It was a new basketball! I had a great day. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
CHARLES HAD A GREAT BIRTHDAY
You're browsing the Help Wanted ads to find a job. The job must pay at least $10/hour. When scanning the job ads, what should you look at in each ad before reading the rest of the ad?
The dollar amount
What is another word for suggest?
Infer, show, think
Which sentence best reveals why Nick is worried?
Highlight key words
Pick apart the answer choices
DO NOT GO BACK IN THE PASSAGE! THE SENTENCES ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!
What should you notice in a poem?
Stanzas, rhyme, rhythm, repetition, figurative language, what the poem is mostly about
Consider how many activities you do outside of school. Remember that school needs to be a priority. It's great to do extra things--as long as they don't rob you of needed energy for learning. If you feel like you are too busy, ask your parents if you can cut down to one or two favorite things. You may try one activity one semester (i.e. being in a play) and something different the next (playing a sport). We often feel we have to do everything at once at once, and that can wear us out! The main idea in this passage is:
School should be a priority.
The wind blew through the rigging as the boy watched the clouds roll in. As the waves grew bigger and bigger, he decided it was time to head home. What is the boy doing?
Sailing a boat
What is another word for convey?
Show
Look at the dictionary definition for the word "character". Which definition best fits the way "character" is used in paragraph 3?
Go back in the passage
Highlight key words
DO NOT ASK FOR A DICTIONARY.
What should you notice in a biography?
Main ideas, text features (subheadings, titles, pictures, captions, bullet lists)
Text structure (usually chronological), point of view, problem, solution
Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food. This passage is mainly about...
How pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.
You're playing a game and want to know how the winner is determined, so you open the instructions, but they are long. What is the best thing to look at to quickly find what you're looking for?
What is the meaning of conclude?
Show
Why does the poem most likely repeat the same stanza twice?
Remember what stanzas are
Highlight key words
Go back to the poem
Pick apart answer choices
What should you notice in paired passages?
Common themes, key words, differences, genre
Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have nine thousand taste buds just on the tongue alone. There are also taste buds on the roof of your mouth. You even have taste buds on the back of your throat. What does the author want you to learn when he wrote this passage?
where taste buds are found
If the werewolves are not out, then the moon is not full. From this statement, one might infer which of the following: a. If the werewolves are out, then the moon is full. b. If the moon is full, then the werewolves are not out. c. If the moon is not full, then the werewolves are out.
a. If the werewolves are out, then the moon is full.
What is dialogue?
When characters are talking.