Reading Strategies
What does an Expert Tester read BEFORE beginning an MCAS passage? TWO ANSWERS
The italics and the questions
What is the first strategy for reducing the number of answer choices in a multiple choice question?
Eliminate the most wrong answers
What is the basic structure for a successful open response or essay?
Introduction, 3 body pargraphs/CERs, and a conclusion
What are some ways that you can ensure that your body and mind are ready for the challenge of the MCAS on Tuesday and Wednesday? (multiple answers)
Examples: Get good sleep, eat breakfast, practice self care, etc.
What’s wrong with this Popular Bad Idea? “I made sure to bring snacks to keep me energized! I’ve got Cheetos, Sprite, chips, and a Snickers bar!”
Junk food can give you some quick energy, but the resulting fatigue comes back even stronger than before.
What is a strategy for making sure you are comprehending what you read?
Taking notes or annotating/highlighting
What is "distractor" answer choice?
The answer that looks good at first, but is not the BEST answer!
What is a claim? What makes a strong claim?
It's the answer to the prompt or what you're arguing. It should RESPOND TO THE PROMPT, BE SPECIFIC, and BE SUPPORTABLE BY EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT.
The test begins. Everyone is working. Suddenly, you panic, worrying you will forget everything you know. What are some ways to regain control over your fear? (multiple answers)
deep breaths, positive thoughts, quick break, doodle, etc
What’s wrong with this Popular Bad Idea? “I don’t have to read the whole passage…I already found the answers in the text!”
There are often distractor answer choices so that it looks like the right answer…to someone who didn’t carefully read the whole passage!
Billy reads an MCAS passage and highlights important parts of the text before going to the questions. What else should he be doing in addition to highlighting?
Taking notes with important information or explaining WHY he highlighted.
Before reading the multiple choice answers to a question, you should...
Go back to the text to find the correct answer yourself!
At least how many pieces of textual evidence should you provide in an essay to ensure a good score? Why?
At least 3 pieces of textual evidence, because that proves that you’ve FULLY answered the question.
Research shows that stretching during breaks in a test increases your energy and confidence. Why might this be true?
Sitting down for hours without moving your body is not good for you. Stretching reinvigorates your body and mind!
What are different types of notes you can take when reading? MULTIPLE POSSIBLE ANSWERS.
Main ideas/summaries; questions; reactions; identifying evidence; etc.
Bookmark the question and come back to it later.
What are the parts of an introduction paragraph?
TRUE OR FALSE: You can use some multiple choice questions to help you with answering other questions, such as the essay.
TRUE: You can often use the multiple choice questions as a way to find evidence, claims, and more for your essay or even answer other multiple choice questions.
TRUE OR FALSE: On the MCAS, you can just read the questions first and then just look for the answers in the text without reading the whole passage.
FALSE: If you don’t read the WHOLE passage from beginning to end, you WILL fall for the distractor answers.
Why is it important to pay attention to the bolded words in a question?
Because those words (most likely, best, both) give you clues about how to answer.
Which open response would score higher: one with 3 pieces of evidence and no reasoning, or 2 pieces of evidence with great reasoning?
The second one, because the reader must clearly see the connection between your evidence and your thesis statement.
What should you do if you think you are running out of time during the MCAS?
TRICK QUESTION!!! You can’t run out of time on the MCAS? It is untimed! You have as much time as you need.
What’s wrong with this Popular Bad Idea? “MCAS doesn't matter anyway, I'm not going to try"
You, your family, and your future teachers receive your MCAS scores. You will have to pass MCAS in high school in order to graduate.