STAAR Preparation and Readiness

TIPS, TOOLS, AND REVIEW TO PASS!!

Reminders about the test…

Date of test: Wednesday April 1, 2015…just think Friday of that week is a day off so yay!!

Get plenty of rest the night before and eat a good breakfast…protein, fruit, and some carbs (eggs, bacon, toast, oatmeal, orange juice, grapefruit, bananas…just some suggestions) easy on the coffee and caffeine…drink water Length of test: 5 hours to answer various multiple choice questions over (4) four reading samples (2 fiction, 2 non-fiction), 2 short answer prompts, and 1 persuasive essay Types of reading samples can be any number of genres but will more than likely include a poem and commentaries about something that is “teenage” friendly…this will make it relatable to you Bring a book for when you finish as you may read a book, everything else must stay in your backpack until the test materials have been picked up by your test administrator)

Tips to Success

Annotate, annotate, annotate…as you read take notes, circle things, jot down questions you may have; Do not try to answer the questions without reading the passage or you may get the wrong answer ◦ ex. From the benchmark test back in January look at this question…”The reader can conclude that in Romeo Never Loved Juliet, the author –” ◦ ◦ ◦ What is the keyword in this question? What makes it important?

Many answers require that you know the sentences that come before and after them especially in revising and editing… Ex. Benchmark test…Question #2 What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 4? The answers include phrases that tie the answer into the rest of that paragraph so if you don’t know what the rest of the paragraph says you might not get the correct answer.

◦ Also you should underline or somehow find the main idea to the story…this involves reading the passage otherwise how will you know the main idea?

Short Answer Tips

Textual Evidence is key…this helps you validate your response; make sure that the evidence is not flawed and that it fully supports your answer The idea should therefore be “credible” while also having quality and depth as in the persuasive essay; to achieve this only use one example in order to fit your 10 line space.

Text evidence also helps connect your idea with that text passage..it substantiates your idea.

Ask yourself some of these questions before answering the short answer: What genre is the author writing in? Why does the author describe certain things and not others? What is the plot/outcome/conflicts in the story? What is the character’s motivations?

If you are asked to answer using crossover selections look for the differences and/or similarities between the selections; what is the theme from both? Is the central message the same or different?

Persuasive Essay Tips

The essay must progress logically and smoothly from sentence to sentence Development must be narrow and deep– focusing on one or two ideas that are explained in enough depth to add substance and thoughtfulness to the essay “Build” on what comes before in your essay– do this with good transitions throughout your essay Remember your purpose while writing/developing ideas: You have to convince the reader to accept your viewpoint or take a particular action Have a clear position, establish and sustain a persuasive tone, support with specific examples keeping your STRONGEST evidence for the end (3 rd paragraph) Don’ use false evidence….use what you know and understand about the issue

Persuasive Essay Tips (continued)

Use of “I” allowed, however only use sparingly Apply rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) as well as rhetorical strategies…think rhetorical questions, restatement, using parallel ideas…avoid repetition though as you get counted down for that Remember to make connections (TEXT, SELF, WORLD, or MEDIA) in some way Have two body paragraphs, one for each example and use transitions to connect between your ideas Your thesis statement is your road map…keep looking back at it as you write to make sure you are sticking with your thesis Avoid counter-arguments if possible as it only serves presenting new information; if you use one put it at the start of the essay rather than the end