Testing Strategies
What do you do when you reach a hard question AND why?
Skip it and go back to it so you don't waste too much time. This strategy also helps build confidence because you answer all the questions you actually know first.
What are context clues? How can they help?
Context clues are hints in the story or text that help explain the situation. These can help us because if we understand the situation, we may be able to figure out the meaning of the word we don't know.
Example: The smell of the rotting banana was putrid. I plugged my nose because I couldn't take it.
The context clues "rotting" and "plugged my nose" tell me that "putrid" probably means "really gross".
What are comprehensive questions?
Questions that check your understanding of the text.
Affixes are word parts. We call them Greek and Latin because most words in the English language have Greek and Latin parts which can help us figure out the word meaning.
What is evidence?
A fact, section of the text, or part of the story that proves something is true or supports a point.
What if you don't understand the question? How can you answer it?
-Try to put the question into your own words to make it make sense.
-Use the dictionary tool to help you understand unknown words.
-Re-read the question and its answers to see if it truly doesn't make sense or if you just read it too fast.
-Choose the best possible answer using the process of elimination if you don't understand still.
Mrs. Carlson thought her explanations were clear and concise, but everyone found them to be unfathomable. What does unfathomable mean and what are the context clues for the word?
Unfathomable means "can't be understood" the context clues are "Mrs. Carlson THOUGHT" and "but" because she thought differently than the people around her so the word must mean the opposite of clear and concise.
What are the BEST ways to comprehend a text that you are reading BEFORE you get to the questions?
Take notes or highlight the
-who, what, when, where, why, and how of the text.
-the characters and their points of view (if narrative)
-the topic sentence or thesis (if informational)
-make a timeline of events
-identify words you don't know so you can figure them out and then re-read the story
likable or loveable
When looking for evidence, where should you look?
You should look for the point that is being made in the text and once you find it, look for the reasons or events that are before and after it to find possible answers.
Is it best to read all the questions first or just one question at a time? Why?
One question at a time because if you read the entire test, it can overwhelm you. It is best to work on one question at a time in order to save time and only have to focus on solving 1 problem at a time so you're using less energy.
What strategy can you use to decode this word's meaning?
Pitfall
You can break the word into 2 parts and make connections with it. For example "pit" means "hole" and "fall" means "going down". Pitfall most likely means "falling down a hole" or some type of trap depending on the context clues.
Was Abraham Lincoln's family always middle to low class? How do you know?
No, in the first paragraph it mentions that Abraham's father was relatively wealthy up until he was 7 years old and his father lost his land.
if "leg" means "to read or to choose" what does legible mean?
Hint: His handwriting was not legible.
What kind of evidence is the best kind of evidence to help you support your point?
Evidence should be directly related to the point. You should be able to explain how it connects to the point in your words to make it make sense. Not all evidence is relevant or accurate. Evidence must be relevant and accurate to be correct.
What is the process of elimination? How does it help?
It is when you read the question, then try to identify the WRONG answers based on the story or text. If multiple answers are obviously wrong, it is easier to eliminate them and choose the best one.
What can you use a thesaurus for?
A thesaurus can be used to find synonyms and antonyms for words. By seeing similar words and opposites, it can help you better understand the meaning of the word you don't know.
How did Abraham Lincoln get nominated for president? What paragraph is this information in?
He got national attention for his speeches against slavery and for participating in several debates. It mentions this in paragraph 3.
Break apart the word "translucent", define each word part, and then define the word.
trans= on the other side of something
luc= light
ent= causing an action
allowing light to pass through but not other things.
What piece of evidence from the text tells you that Lincoln was a gifted speaker? Locate it in the text.
In paragraph 3 it mentions that he won awards for his speeches and debates, therefore we can agree that he was gifted.
Should you re-read the story or text every single time you click on a new question? Why or why not?
It is good to read the story or text multiple times to better understand it and how it develops, however, if you read the story over and over and over again, you may get overwhelmed or tired. It is best to read only what you NEED to in order to find the correct answer.
"The boils last for about a year, after which there is no more likelihood of a recurrence of the trouble than in the case of smallpox."
What does recurrence mean? How did you know?
Recurrence means "to happen more often"
-You can figure this out using Greek/Latin roots because "re" means "again" and "occur" means to happen. Putting them together, would mean "to happen again or more often."
-You could also use context clues like "no more likelihood" and "than" to show that there is a comparison between the boils condition but using affixes is more effective.
Why is Abraham Lincoln considered one of the greatest presidents? Where does it tell us this?
In the final paragraph, it tells us he was considered one of the greatest presidents because he navigated America through one of the hardest times in history.
Break up the word "anthropology" into its latin roots, define the roots, then define the word.
anthrop=human
ology=the study of
Anthropology is the study of human beings and their interactions.
Was Lincoln alive to see the country united? Which piece of evidence from the text gives us this information?
In the sixth paragraph, it mentions that Lincoln "would not live to see it" and that he was assassinated before he was able to see the progression of the country. Therefore, we can tell he was killed.