MSA Study Guide
MSA Reference Guide
Grades 3-8
City Schools
Table of Contents
MSA Overview 2
Brief Constructed Response Overview 3
Example BCRs and Student Responses 4
BCRs Made Easy 8
Selected Response Overview 13
What Objectives are Assessed 16
Before and During Reading Strategies 50
Fix-up Strategies 55
After Reading Strategies 63
Personal Connection 65
Inference 75
Main Idea 78
Drawing Conclusions 84
Paraphrase 91
Summary 96
Word Study 103
Informational Text 113
Literary Text 124
Reading VSC Glossary 143
MSA Overview
The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) is administered to grades 3-8. It is a criterion referenced test. The MSA measures proficiency or advanced proficiency of the Maryland Content Standards. These standards can be found in the Voluntary State Curriculum. The assessment is aligned at the objective level of the VSC. Any objective that has an assessment limit can be assessed on the text. The assessment limit is the least that should be taught, but the most that can be assessed. The MSA consists of two types of questions: multiple choice or selected response and brief constructed responses. The three assessed standards are Standard I (General Reading), Standard II (Comprehension of Informational Text), and Standard III (Comprehension of Literary Text). To obtain more information about the MSA go to the and click on the assessment link. Additional sample and public release items can be found on this site.
Brief Constructed Response Overview
Brief Constructed Responses (BCRs) are assessed using the following rubric:
MSA Reading - BCR Rubric - Grades 3-8
[pic]
|Score 3 |
|The response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text. |
|Addresses the demands of the question |
|Effectively uses text-relevant1 information to clarify or extend understanding |
|Score 2 |
|The response demonstrates a general understanding of the text. |
|Partially addresses the demands of the question |
|Uses text-relevant1 information to show understanding |
|Score 1 |
|The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text. |
|Minimally addresses the demands of the question |
|Uses minimal information to show some understanding of the text in relation to the question |
|Score 0 |
|The response is completely incorrect, irrelevant to the question, or missing.2 |
|Note 1: |
|Text-relevant: This information may or may not be an exact copy (quote) of the text but is clearly related to the text and often |
|shows an analysis and/or interpretation of important ideas. Students may incorporate information to show connections to relevant |
|prior experience as appropriate. |
|Note 2: |
|An exact copy (quote) or paraphrase of the question that provides no new relevant information will receive a score of "0". |
|Rubric Document Date: June 2003 |
| |
Obtained from
Example BCRs and Student Responses
Below you will find a text, sample BCR, and student responses. These are public release items obtained from . Read the annotations to better understand the scoring of BCRs.
Protecting the Pandas
By Robin L. Santos
1The wind whistles down the cold, snowy mountains in China. All is quiet in the bamboo forest below. Suddenly—CRUNCH, SNAP! A bearlike creature appears out of the bamboo. For hours, the animal munches on one bamboo shoot after another. Then slowly, it lumbers over to a hollow tree, squeezes itself in, and falls fast asleep.
Many people recognize this animal by its white and black markings. Do you? It's a giant panda! Giant pandas have lived in the mountains of China for thousands of years. But now these special creatures are in danger of dying out. Some scientists say there are fewer than 1,000 giant pandas left in the wild in China.
Pandas in Danger
Pandas need a lot of food to survive. They sometimes eat fish and small rodents. But their main food is bamboo. A panda can eat up to 85 pounds of bamboo in just one day!
Long ago, finding bamboo was easy for pandas. China had many bamboo forests. But people have cut down more and more of these forests to make room for villages and farms. So pandas are losing their homes and their food. Sometimes the pandas starve.
Another danger for pandas is poachers. Poachers are people who hunt and kill animals, even though it is against the law. Poachers hunt pandas. Then they sell their skins in foreign countries for lots of money.
People Helping Pandas
6Many people from around the world are working to help save giant pandas. Some people in China have set up special areas, called reserves, where the pandas can be safe.
7On the reserves, workers try to protect pandas from poachers. They also stop villagers from cutting down bamboo forests. Sometimes workers buy land from villagers who live on the reserves. Then they can plant more bamboo for the pandas.
More bamboo forests and fewer poachers should help more pandas survive in the future.
1. Read the article 'Protecting the Pandas' and answer the following question.
The author says that giant pandas are "special creatures." Explain whether the word special is a good word to use to describe the giant panda. In your response, use information from the article that supports your answer. Write your answer on your answer document.
|Sample Student Response #1 |
|[pic] |
|Annotation: The reader answers the question stating that "special" is a good word because pandas "must be very inportant." The reader|
|explains that pandas are important "to the reader and to China and the people there, & maybe even the whole world..." To improve this|
|response the reader could have explained how special the pandas are by including the amount of bamboo a panda eats, the high price of|
|a panda's skin, or the reserves established for panda safety. |
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|Sample Student Response #2 |
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|Annotation: The reader answers the question stating that it is "bad" to be special because that means that "there's not many giant |
|pandas in china." To improve this response the reader could have used information which shows why their being special has caused them|
|to die out. For example, poachers hunt pandas for their skins, and their diet of bamboo is less available. |
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|Sample Student Response #3 |
|[pic] |
|Annotation: The reader answers the question stating special "is a good word to use" and explains that because pandas "will be gone |
|soon" they are "rare and rare is special." To improve this response the reader could explain why the pandas are and how eating bamboo|
|makes them special. |
BCRs Made Easy
Listed below is a variety of BCR questions that can be used in instruction both in orally and in written form. Also attached are several practice sheets that can be used when answering BCRs in the classroom. JUST REMEMBER THAT QUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN QUANTITY. Providing students with feedback for growth is more effective than completing BCR after BCR with no teacher or peer feedback. Students need to be able to articulate what the question is asking for and using details from the text to support their answer.
___________________________________________________
• In the article, the author states, “________________” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use your prior knowledge and experience as well as details from the article to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• Do you know someone like ______________ (character in the story)? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• Who would be interested in reading this type of selection? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• Why would someone read this selection? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What lesson can be learned from the selection? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in this space below.
• What could the author have included to help the reader better understand the text? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What is the text mostly about? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What is the third and fourth paragraph mainly about? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What is the selection mainly about? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What is another good title for this story? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• Is this a good title for the story? Use details from the selection to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What did the author do to help the reader better understand the text? Use details from the selection to support your answer.
• After reading the article, what important ideas did you learn about being a friend? Write your answer in the space below.
• What do _____________’s (character) words and actions show about him/her? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• Why/How does ________________(character) change over time? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
• What conclusions can you draw about____________________? Use facts from the text to support your answer.
• What will probably happen next? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below. Write your answer in the space below.
• Summarize the text. Include details from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Write your answer in the space below.
• Summarize paragraphs 1 and 2. Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below. Write your answer in the space below.
What Makes a “Good” Response?
✓ Shows evidence of making meaning from the text (Can you tell I read?)
✓ Responds to the question (Did I answer the question?)
✓ Provides text-based evidence to support the response (Did I include proof from the text?)
✓ Provides extension or clarification in relationship to the question to show enhanced understanding of the text (Did I make an interpretation?)
Selected Response Overview
Selected response (SRs) questions or multiple choice questions contain four distracters. Elimination is not a good testing tip to use with students because each of the distracters are common errors students make; therefore, they are attractive options for students who have not mastered the skill. Below are a few sample SRs. Test items were obtained from .
|1. In this question, there are three words. Decide which word is made up of two words. Then mark the space for the answer you have |
|chosen. |
|rescue |
|windowsill |
|vegetable |
|Correct Answer |
|B. windowsill |
|2. Read this question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen. |
|In which word does tri mean three? |
|trip |
|countries |
|tricycle |
|Correct Answer |
|C. tricycle |
|3. Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which of the other three words has |
|the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen. |
|crayon |
|break |
|ready |
|bean |
|Correct Answer |
|A. break |
|4. Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which of the other three words has |
|the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen. |
|bounce |
|four |
|brown |
|soup |
|Correct Answer |
|B. brown |
|5. Choose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word. Then mark the space for the |
|answer you have chosen. |
|The bill for our electricity arrived. |
|In which sentence does the word bill mean the same thing as in the sentence above? |
|That duck has a large bill. |
|Did Maida pay this bill yet? |
|The store will bill you for this wood. |
|Congress will vote on the bill. |
|Correct Answer |
|B. Did Maida pay this bill yet? |
Being a Fish
by Russell E. Erickson
Would it be fun to be a fish? They are, after all, quite different from us.
Fish have no ears as we do. Their bodies are covered with thin, flat plates called scales. The only sounds they know are what they feel using certain scales along their sides. These are special scales called lateral lines.
We get oxygen from the air by using our lungs. Fish get oxygen from the water by using the gills on the sides of their heads. We can play in water and on land, but fish must stay in the water all the time.
Fish never get hot or cold. They are called cold-blooded because they are always the same temperature as the water around them. That means they have no need for hot soup, or cold lemonade, or cozy blankets, or cool sandals.
All in all, it's probably more fun being us.
|6. Read the story ''Being a Fish'' and answer the following question. |
|This story mainly tells _____. |
|how fish are different from people |
|how many kinds of fish there are |
|where fish can be found |
|how fish swim |
|Correct Answer |
|A. how fish are different from people |
|7. Read the story ''Being a Fish'' and answer the following question. |
|Which question does the article answer? |
|Do fish have teeth? |
|How can I catch a fish? |
|Do fish sleep? |
|What does cold-blooded mean? |
|Correct Answer |
|D. What does cold-blooded mean? |
|8. Read the story ''Being a Fish'' and answer the following question. |
|You would most likely find an article like this in a book about _____. |
|farm animals |
|water fun |
|sea life |
|fishing |
|Correct Answer |
|C. sea life |
|9. Read the story ''Being a Fish'' and answer the following question. |
|How do fish hear? |
|With ears |
|By feeling |
|By tasting |
|By smelling |
|Correct Answer |
|B. By feeling |
What Objectives are Assessed
Listed below are only the objectives that have assessment limits and can be assessed on the MSA as obtained from .
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 3rd grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for |
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|Phonics |
|Apply phonics skills |
| |Phonics (No longer assessed on MSA at the 4th grade level) | | |
|Break words into familiar parts |
| |Compound or other multi-syllabic words* | | |
| |Contractions | | |
| |Possessives | | |
| |Inflectional Endings* | | |
| |Word roots/base words* | | |
| |Prefixes* | | |
| |Suffixes* | | |
|Vocabulary |
|Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meaning of words |
| |Antonyms | | |
| |Synonyms | | |
| |Homophones | | |
| |Homographs | | |
|Use context to determine the meaning of words |
| |Above grade level words used in context | | |
| |Words with multiple meanings | | |
| |Connotations versus denotations | | |
| |Grade appropriate idioms and figurative expressions | | |
|Use word structure to determine the meaning of words |
| |Prefixes and Suffixes* | | |
| |Root words and base words* | | |
| |Compound Words* | | |
| |Inflectional Endings* | | |
|Use resources to determine the meaning of words |
| |Dictionaries | | |
| |Glossaries | | |
| |Thesauruses | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|General Reading Comprehension |
|Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
| |Identify and explain the main idea (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |What is directly stated in the text (main ideas, supporting details, and other | | |
| |information stated in the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |What is not directly stated in the text by drawing inferences (implied information from | | |
| |the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge (Stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text) | | |
| |Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas (stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text) | | |
| |Paraphrase the main idea (complete text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Summarize (the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience (Prior knowledge or experience| | |
| |that clarifies or extends the ideas and/or the information in the text) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 3rd grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame |
| | |instruction |for review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Informational Text (Standard 2) |
|Comprehension for Informational Text |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of nonfiction materials to gain information and content knowledge (Grade-appropriate informational|
|texts) |
| |Textbooks, reference materials, personal narratives, diaries and journals, biographies, newspapers, | | |
| |letters, articles, web sites and other online materials, and other appropriate content specific texts | | |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of functional documents (Grade-appropriate informational texts) |
| |Sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms, menus, pamphlets, rules, | | |
| |invitations, recipes, advertisements, and other functional documents. | | |
|Use print features (text or portion of the text) |
| |Large bold print | | |
| |Font size/ type | | |
| |Colored print | | |
| |Quotation marks | | |
| |Underlining | | |
|Use graphic aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Illustrations and pictures | | |
| |Photographs | | |
| |Drawings | | |
| |Sketches | | |
| |Cartoons | | |
| |Maps (key scale legend) | | |
| |Graphs | | |
| |Charts/ tables | | |
| |Diagrams | | |
|Use informational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Introductions and overviews | | |
| |Materials lists | | |
| |Timelines | | |
| |Captions | | |
| |Glossed words* | | |
| |Labels | | |
| |Number steps | | |
| |Pronunciation key | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
| |Boxed text | | |
| |Bulleted lists | | |
| |Footnoted words | | |
|Use organizational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Titles, chapter titles, and subtitles | | |
| |Headings, subheading | | |
| |Table of contents | | |
| |Numbered steps | | |
| |*Glossaries* | | |
| |Indices | | |
| |*Transition words* | | |
|Use online features (text or portion of the text) |
| |URLS, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, homepages, and site maps | | |
|Identify and explain the contributions of text features to meaning (text or portion of the text) |
| |Connections between text features and the main idea and/or the reader’s understanding | | |
|Identify and analyze the organization of texts (text or portion of the text) |
| |Sequence and chronological order | | |
| |Cause/effect | | |
| |Problem/solution | | |
| |Similarities and differences | | |
| |*main idea and supporting details* | | |
|Identify and use words and phrases associated with common organizational patterns (text or portion of the text) |
| |Chronology (first, second third) | | |
| |Description (above, beneath, next to, beside) | | |
| |Cause and effect (because, as a result) | | |
| |Sequence (next, then, finally) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in informational text |
| |Author’s Purpose or purpose of the text (Purpose of the author or the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Author’s opinion (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Main idea and messages (text or portion of text) | | |
| |Summarize or paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Information not related to the main idea | | |
| |Relationships between and among ideas (*compare and contrast, *cause and effect, *sequence and | | |
| |chronology, relationships between and among ideas in one or more texts, relationships between prior | | |
| |knowledge and one or more texts) | | |
| |Draw conclusions, inferences, generalizations, and make predications (one or more texts) | | |
| |Fact and opinion (one or more texts) | | |
| |Identify and explain how someone might use the text (application of the text for personal use or | | |
| |content-specific use) | | |
| |Connect text to prior knowledge or experience (clarify, extends or challenges ideas) | | |
|Identify and explain the author’s use of language |
| |Identify and explain specific words or phrases that contribute to text meaning (similes, metaphors, | | |
| |personification, content vocabulary, denotations of above-grade level words in context, connotations | | |
| |of grade-appropriate words in context) | | |
| |Identify and explain specific words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain the effect of repetition of words or phrases | | |
|Read critically to evaluate informational text |
| |Explain whether the text fulfills the reading purpose | | |
| |Identify and explain additions or changes to format or features that would make the text easier to | | |
| |understand* | | |
| |Identify and explain what makes the text a reliable source of information (Fiction versus nonfiction, | | |
| |real versus fantasy) | | |
| |Explain whether or not the author’s purpose if presented fairly | | |
| |Identify and explain information not included in the text (information that would increase the | | |
| |reader’s understanding) | | |
| |Identify and explain words and other techniques that affect the readers’ feelings (significant words | | |
| |and phrases that have emotional appeal) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 3rd grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for|
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level |instruction |review |
|Comprehension of Literary Text (Standard 3) |
|Comprehension of Literary Text |
|Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary text |
| |Identify and explain how *organizational aids* contribute to meaning (*title of the book, poem, or play) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *graphic aids* contribute to meaning (*pictures and illustration, punctuation, and print | | |
| |features) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *informational aids* contribute to meaning (footnote words and phrases, *captions) | | |
|Narrative Texts |
| |Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts (realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy | | |
| |tales, biographies, *characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction*, folk tales, historical fiction) | | |
| |Identify explain elements of a story (*main problem, *sequence or chronology of events, solution to the problem) | | |
| |Identify and describe the setting and the mood (details that create setting and details that create mood) | | |
| |Identify and analyze the characters (main versus minor, conclusions about character’s traits based on what the | | |
| |character says and does, conclusion about the character motivations based on character’s actions and interactions | | |
| |with other characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain relationships between and among characters, setting, and events (*Cause/effect)* | | |
| |Identify and explain how the actions of the character(s) affect the plot (in a text, portion of the text, or | | |
| |across multiple texts) | | |
| |Identify and describe the narrator (narrator of the story, speaker of the poem, first person versus third person | | |
| |point of view) | | |
|Poetry |
| |Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form (structure, including lines and stanzas; shape; | | |
| |form, including lines and stanzas; refrain; chorus; rhyme scheme; and types of poems such as haiku, diamonte, | | |
| |etc.) | | |
| |Identify and explain the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas (literal versus figurative meaning) | | |
| |Identify and explain sound elements of poetry ( rhyme, rhyme scheme, rhythm, alliteration, and other means of | | |
| |repetition) | | |
| |Identify and explain other elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. contribute to meaning | | |
|Drama |
| |Use structural features to identify a play a literary form ( list of characters (cast) including the narrator, | | |
| |introductory information about the setting, stage directions, dialogue, acts) | | |
| |Identify and explain the action of a scene (specific actions and events that occur in a scene) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions that help to create character and movement (connections between the stage | | |
| |directions and the physical movement of the characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions and dialogue that help to create character (connections among the stage | | |
| |directions, the character’s lines, and how the character delivers those lines) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in literary texts |
| |Identify and explain the main ideas and universal themes (text or portion of the text, literal versus interpretive| | |
| |meanings, message, moral, or lesson learned from the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain a similar idea or theme in more than one text (main idea across texts, messages, morals, or | | |
| |lessons learned, different versions of the same story across eras or cultures) | | |
| |Paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |*Summarize* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain personal connections to the text | | |
|Author’s use of Language |
| |Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story (character and plot development) | | |
| |Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning* (*Denotations, *connotations, | | |
| |*multiple meaning words) | | |
| |Identify and explain words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain figurative language (*simile, *personification, metaphors and onomatopoeia) | | |
| |Identify and explain language that appeals to the senses and feelings | | |
| |Identify and explain repetition and exaggeration | | |
|Read critically to evaluate literary text |
| |Identify and explain the believability of a character’s actions and the story events (realism versus fantasy) | | |
| |Identify and explain questions left unanswered by the text | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 4th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for |
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|Phonics |
|Apply phonics skills |
| |Phonics (No longer assessed on MSA at the 4th grade level) | | |
|Break words into familiar parts |
| |Compound or other multi-syllabic words* | | |
| |Contractions | | |
| |Possessives | | |
| |Inflectional Endings* | | |
| |Word roots/base words* | | |
| |Prefixes* | | |
| |Suffixes* | | |
|Vocabulary |
|Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meaning of words |
| |Antonyms | | |
| |Synonyms | | |
| |Homophones | | |
| |Homographs | | |
|Use context to determine the meaning of words |
| |Above grade level words used in context | | |
| |Words with multiple meanings | | |
| |Connotations versus denotations | | |
| |Grade appropriate idioms and figurative expressions | | |
|Use word structure to determine the meaning of words |
| |Prefixes and Suffixes* | | |
| |Root words and base words* | | |
| |Compound Words* | | |
| |Inflectional Endings* | | |
|Use resources to determine the meaning of words |
| |Dictionaries | | |
| |Glossaries | | |
| |Thesauruses | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|General Reading Comprehension |
|Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
| |Identify and explain the main idea (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |What is directly stated in the text (main ideas, supporting details, and other | | |
| |information stated in the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |What is not directly stated in the text by drawing inferences (implied information from | | |
| |the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge (Stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text) | | |
| |Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas (stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text) | | |
| |Paraphrase the main idea (complete text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Summarize (the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience (Prior knowledge or experience| | |
| |that clarifies or extends the ideas and/or the information in the text) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 4th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame |
| | |instruction |for review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Informational Text (Standard 2) |
|Comprehension for Informational Text |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of nonfiction materials to gain information and content knowledge (Grade-appropriate informational|
|texts) |
| |Textbooks, reference materials, personal narratives, diaries and journals, biographies, newspapers, | | |
| |letters, articles, web sites and other online materials, and other appropriate content specific texts | | |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of functional documents (Grade-appropriate informational texts) |
| |Sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms, menus, pamphlets, rules, | | |
| |invitations, recipes, advertisements, and other functional documents. | | |
|Use print features (text or portion of the text) |
| |Large bold print | | |
| |Font size/ type | | |
| |Colored print | | |
| |Quotation marks | | |
| |Underlining | | |
|Use graphic aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Illustrations and pictures | | |
| |Photographs | | |
| |Drawings | | |
| |Sketches | | |
| |Cartoons | | |
| |Maps (key scale legend) | | |
| |Graphs | | |
| |Charts/ tables | | |
| |Diagrams | | |
|Use informational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Introductions and overviews | | |
| |Materials lists | | |
| |Timelines | | |
| |Captions | | |
| |Glossed words* | | |
| |Labels | | |
| |Number steps | | |
| |Pronunciation key | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
| |Boxed text | | |
| |Bulleted lists | | |
| |Footnoted words | | |
|Use organizational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Titles, chapter titles, and subtitles | | |
| |Headings, subheading | | |
| |Table of contents | | |
| |Numbered steps | | |
| |Glossaries* | | |
| |Indices | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
|Use online features (text or portion of the text) |
| |URLS, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, homepages, and site maps | | |
|Identify and explain the contributions of text features to meaning (text or portion of the text) |
| |Connections between text features and the main idea and/or the reader’s understanding | | |
|Identify and analyze the organization of texts (text or portion of the text) |
| |Sequence and chronological order | | |
| |Cause/effect | | |
| |Problem/solution | | |
| |Similarities and differences | | |
| |*main idea and supporting details* | | |
|Identify and use words and phrases associated with common organizational patterns (text or portion of the text) |
| |Chronology (first, second third) | | |
| |Description (above, beneath, next to, beside) | | |
| |Cause and effect (because, as a result) | | |
| |Sequence (next, then, finally) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in informational text |
| |Author’s Purpose or purpose of the text (Purpose of the author or the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Author’s opinion (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Main idea and messages (text or portion of text) | | |
| |Summarize or paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Information not related to the main idea | | |
| |Relationships between and among ideas (*compare and contrast, *cause and effect, *sequence and | | |
| |chronology, relationships between and among ideas in one or more texts, relationships between prior | | |
| |knowledge and one or more texts) | | |
| |Draw conclusions, inferences, generalizations, and make predications (one or more texts) | | |
| |Fact and opinion (one or more texts) | | |
| |Identify and explain how someone might use the text (application of the text for personal use or | | |
| |content-specific use) | | |
| |Connect text to prior knowledge or experience (clarify, extends or challenges ideas) | | |
|Identify and explain the author’s use of language |
| |Identify and explain specific words or phrases that contribute to text meaning (similes, metaphors, | | |
| |personification, content vocabulary, denotations of above-grade level words in context, connotations | | |
| |of grade-appropriate words in context) | | |
| |Identify and explain specific words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain the effect of repetition of words or phrases | | |
|Read critically to evaluate informational text |
| |Explain whether the text fulfills the reading purpose | | |
| |*Identify and explain additions or changes to format or features that would make the text easier to | | |
| |understand* | | |
| |Identify and explain what makes the text a reliable source of information (Fiction versus nonfiction, | | |
| |real versus fantasy) | | |
| |Explain whether or not the author’s purpose if presented fairly | | |
| |Identify and explain information not included in the text (information that would increase the | | |
| |reader’s understanding) | | |
| |Identify and explain words and other techniques that affect the readers’ feelings (significant words | | |
| |and phrases that have emotional appeal) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 4th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for|
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level |instruction |review |
|Comprehension of Literary Text (Standard 3) |
|Comprehension of Literary Text |
|Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary text |
| |Identify and explain how *organizational aids* contribute to meaning (*title of the book, poem, or play) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *graphic aids* contribute to meaning (*pictures and illustration, punctuation, and print | | |
| |features) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *informational aids* contribute to meaning (footnote words and phrases, *captions) | | |
|Narrative Texts |
| |Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts (realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy | | |
| |tales, biographies, *characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction*, folk tales, historical fiction) | | |
| |Identify explain elements of a story (*main problem, *sequence or chronology of events, solution to the problem) | | |
| |Identify and describe the setting and the mood (details that create setting and details that create mood) | | |
| |Identify and analyze the characters (main versus minor, conclusions about character’s traits based on what the | | |
| |character says and does, conclusion about the character motivations based on character’s actions and interactions | | |
| |with other characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain relationships between and among characters, setting, and events (*Cause/effect)* | | |
| |Identify and explain how the actions of the character(s) affect the plot (in a text, portion of the text, or | | |
| |across multiple texts) | | |
| |Identify and describe the narrator (narrator of the story, speaker of the poem, first person versus third person | | |
| |point of view) | | |
|Poetry |
| |Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form (structure, including lines and stanzas; shape; | | |
| |form, including lines and stanzas; refrain; chorus; rhyme scheme; and types of poems such as haiku, diamonte, | | |
| |etc.) | | |
| |Identify and explain the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas (literal versus figurative meaning) | | |
| |Identify and explain sound elements of poetry ( rhyme, rhyme scheme, rhythm, alliteration, and other means of | | |
| |repetition) | | |
| |Identify and explain other elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. contribute to meaning | | |
|Drama |
| |Use structural features to identify a play a literary form ( list of characters (cast) including the narrator, | | |
| |introductory information about the setting, stage directions, dialogue, acts) | | |
| |Identify and explain the action of a scene (specific actions and events that occur in a scene) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions that help to create character and movement (connections between the stage | | |
| |directions and the physical movement of the characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions and dialogue that help to create character (connections among the stage | | |
| |directions, the character’s lines, and how the character delivers those lines) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in literary texts |
| |Identify and explain the main ideas and universal themes (text or portion of the text, literal versus interpretive| | |
| |meanings, message, moral, or lesson learned from the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain a similar idea or theme in more than one text (main idea across texts, messages, morals, or | | |
| |lessons learned, different versions of the same story across eras or cultures) | | |
| |Paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |*Summarize* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain personal connections to the text | | |
|Author’s use of Language |
| |Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story (character and plot development) | | |
| |*Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning* (*Denotations, *connotations, | | |
| |*multiple meaning words) | | |
| |*Identify and explain words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain figurative language (*simile, *personification, metaphors and onomatopoeia) | | |
| |Identify and explain language that appeals to the senses and feelings | | |
| |Identify and explain repetition and exaggeration | | |
|Read critically to evaluate literary text |
| |Identify and explain the believability of a character’s actions and the story events (realism versus fantasy) | | |
| |Identify and explain questions left unanswered by the text | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 5th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for |
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|Vocabulary |
|Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meaning of words |
| |Antonyms | | |
| |Synonyms | | |
| |Homophones | | |
| |Homographs | | |
|Use context to determine the meaning of words |
| |Above grade level words used in context | | |
| |Words with multiple meanings | | |
| |Connotations versus denotations | | |
| |Grade appropriate idioms and figurative expressions | | |
|Use word structure to determine the meaning of words |
| |Prefixes and Suffixes | | |
| |Root words and base words | | |
| |Compound Words | | |
| |Inflectional Endings | | |
|Use resources to confirm definitions and gather further information about words |
| |Dictionaries | | |
| |Glossaries | | |
| |Thesauruses | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|General Reading Comprehension |
|Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
| |Identify and explain the main idea (text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |What is directly stated in the text (main ideas, supporting details, and other | | |
| |information stated in the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |What is not directly stated in the text by drawing inferences (implied information from | | |
| |the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge (Stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas (stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |Paraphrase the main idea (complete text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Summarize (the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience (Prior knowledge or experience| | |
| |that clarifies or extends the ideas and/or the information in the text)* | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 5th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame |
| | |instruction |for review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Informational Text (Standard 2) |
|Comprehension for Informational Text |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of nonfiction materials to gain information and content knowledge (Grade-appropriate informational|
|texts) |
| |Textbooks, reference materials, personal narratives, diaries and journals, biographies, newspapers, | | |
| |letters, articles, web sites and other online materials, other appropriate content specific texts, and| | |
| |research and other historical documents | | |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of functional documents (Grade-appropriate informational texts) |
| |Sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms, menus, pamphlets, rules, | | |
| |invitations, recipes, advertisements, other functional documents. | | |
|Use print features (text or portion of the text) |
| |Large bold print | | |
| |Font size/ type | | |
| |Colored print | | |
| |Quotation marks | | |
| |Underlining | | |
|Use graphic aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Illustrations and pictures | | |
| |Photographs | | |
| |Drawings | | |
| |Sketches | | |
| |Cartoons | | |
| |Maps (key scale legend) | | |
| |Graphs | | |
| |Charts/ tables | | |
| |Diagrams | | |
|Use informational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Introductions and overviews | | |
| |Materials lists | | |
| |Timelines | | |
| |Captions | | |
| |Glossed words* | | |
| |Labels | | |
| |Number steps | | |
| |Pronunciation key | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
| |Boxed text | | |
| |Bulleted lists | | |
| |Footnoted words | | |
|Use organizational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Titles, chapter titles, and subtitles | | |
| |Headings, subheading | | |
| |Table of contents | | |
| |Numbered steps | | |
| |Glossaries* | | |
| |Indices | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
|Use online features (text or portion of the text) |
| |URLS, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, homepages, and site maps | | |
|Identify and explain the contributions of text features to meaning (text or portion of the text) |
| |Connections between text features and the main idea and/or the reader’s understanding | | |
|Identify and analyze the organization of texts (text or portion of the text) |
| |Sequence and chronological order | | |
| |Cause/effect | | |
| |Problem/solution | | |
| |Similarities and differences | | |
| |Description | | |
| |Main idea and supporting details* | | |
|Identify and use words and phrases associated with common organizational patterns (text or portion of the text) |
| |Chronology (first, second third) | | |
| |Description (above, beneath, next to, beside) | | |
| |Cause and effect (because, as a result) | | |
| |Sequence (next, then, finally) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in informational text |
| |Author’s Purpose or purpose of the text (Purpose of the author or the text or portion of the text or | | |
| |Connections between the text and the intended audience | | |
| |Author’s opinion (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Main idea and messages* (text or portion of text) | | |
| |Summarize or paraphrase* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Information not related to the main idea | | |
| |Relationships between and among ideas (*compare and contrast, *cause and effect, *sequence and | | |
| |chronology, relationships between and among ideas in one or more texts, relationships between prior | | |
| |knowledge and one or more texts) | | |
| |Draw conclusions, inferences, generalizations, and make predications (one or more texts) | | |
| |Fact and opinion (one or more texts) | | |
| |Identify and explain how someone might use the text (application of the text for personal use or | | |
| |content-specific use, and topics and ideas within a text or across texts that may have implications | | |
| |for readers or contemporary society) | | |
| |Connect text to prior knowledge or experience (clarify, extends or challenges ideas) | | |
|Identify and explain the author’s use of language |
| |Identify and explain specific words or phrases that contribute to text meaning (similes, metaphors, | | |
| |personification, content vocabulary, denotations of above-grade level words in context, connotations | | |
| |of grade-appropriate words in context) | | |
| |Identify and explain specific words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain the effect of repetition of words or phrases | | |
|Read critically to evaluate informational text |
| |Explain whether the text fulfills the reading purpose | | |
| |Identify and explain additions or changes to format or features that would make the text easier to | | |
| |understand* | | |
| |Identify and explain what makes the text a reliable source of information (Fiction versus nonfiction, | | |
| |real versus fantasy) | | |
| |Explain whether or not the author’s purpose if presented fairly | | |
| |Identify and explain information not included in the text (information that would increase the | | |
| |reader’s understanding) | | |
| |Identify and explain words and other techniques the author uses to appeal to emotion(significant words| | |
| |and phrases that have emotional appeal) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 5th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for|
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Literary Text (Standard 3) |
|Comprehension of Literary Text |
|Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary text |
| |Identify and explain how *organizational aids* contribute to meaning (*title of the book, poem, play, titles of | | |
| |chapters, subtitles, and subheadings) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *graphic aids* contribute to meaning (*pictures and illustration, punctuation, and print | | |
| |features) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *informational aids* contribute to meaning (footnote words and phrases, captions) | | |
|Narrative Texts |
| |Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts (realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy | | |
| |tales, biographies, *characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction*, folk tales, historical fiction, short stories,| | |
| |folklore, legends, myths, science fiction, autobiographies, and *plays and poetry*) | | |
| |Identify explain elements of a story (*main problem, exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution) | | |
| |Identify and describe the setting and the mood and explain how the setting affects the characters and the mood | | |
| |(details that create setting and/or mood, and connections among the characters, the setting, and the mood in the | | |
| |text or a portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze characterization (main versus minor, conclusions about character’s traits based on what the character says| | |
| |and does, conclusion about the character motivations based on character’s actions and interactions with other | | |
| |characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain relationships between and among characters, setting, and events (*Cause/effect)* | | |
| |Identify and explain how the actions of the character(s) affect the plot (in a text, portion of the text, or | | |
| |across multiple texts) | | |
| |Identify and describe the narrator (narrator of the story, speaker of the poem, first person versus third person | | |
| |point of view) | | |
|Poetry |
| |Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form (structure, including lines and stanzas; shape; | | |
| |form, including lines and stanzas; refrain; chorus; rhyme scheme; and types of poems such as haiku, form/shape, | | |
| |etc.) | | |
| |Identify and explain the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas (literal versus figurative meaning) | | |
| |Identify and explain sound elements of poetry ( rhyme, rhyme scheme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and other| | |
| |means of repetition) | | |
| |Identify and explain other elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. contribute to meaning | | |
|Drama |
| |Use structural features to identify a play a literary form and distinguish among types of poems ( list of | | |
| |characters (cast) including the narrator, introductory information about the setting, stage directions, dialogue, | | |
| |acts) | | |
| |Identify and explain the action of a scene (literal versus interpretative meaning) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions that help to create character and movement (connections between the stage | | |
| |directions and the physical movement of the characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions and dialogue that help to create character (connections among the stage | | |
| |directions, the character’s lines, and how the character delivers those lines) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages* in literary texts |
| |Identify and explain main ideas and universal themes (text or portion of the text, literal versus interpretive | | |
| |meanings, message, moral, or lesson learned from the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain similar themes across multiple texts (main idea across texts, messages, morals, or lessons | | |
| |learned, different versions of the same story across eras or cultures) | | |
| |Paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Summarize* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain personal connections to the text | | |
| |Explain the implications of the text for the reader and/or society (ideas and issues of a text that may have | | |
| |implications for the reader) | | |
|Author’s use of Language |
| |Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story (character and plot development) | | |
| |Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning (Denotations, multiple, connotations, | | |
| |meaning words) | | |
| |Identify and explain words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain figurative language that contributes to meaning (simile, personification, metaphors and | | |
| |onomatopoeia) | | |
| |Identify and explain language that appeals to the senses and feelings | | |
| |Identify and explain repetition and exaggeration that contributes to meaning | | |
|Read critically to evaluate literary text |
| |Determine and explain the plausibility of the character’s actions and the plot (in the text or portion of the | | |
| |text) | | |
| |Identify and explain questions left unanswered by the text | | |
| |Identify and explain the relationship between a literary text and its historical and/or social context | | |
| |(implications of the historical or social context on literary context) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 6th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level |instruction |review |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|Vocabulary |
|Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meaning of words |
| |Antonyms | | |
| |Synonyms | | |
| |Homophones | | |
| |Homographs | | |
|Use context to determine the meaning of words |
| |Above grade level words used in context | | |
| |Words with multiple meanings | | |
| |Connotations versus denotations | | |
| |Grade appropriate idioms and figurative expressions | | |
|Use word structure to determine the meaning of words |
| |*Prefixes and Suffixes* | | |
| |*Root words and base words* | | |
| |*Compound Words* | | |
| |*Inflectional Endings* | | |
|Use resources to confirm definitions and gather further information about words |
| |Dictionaries | | |
| |Glossaries | | |
| |Thesauruses | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|General Reading Comprehension |
|Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
| |*Identify and explain the main idea (text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |*What is directly stated in the text (main ideas, supporting details, and other | | |
| |information stated in the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |*What is not directly stated in the text by drawing inferences (implied information from | | |
| |the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |*Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge (Stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |*Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas (stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |*Paraphrase the main idea (complete text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |*Summarize (the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |*Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience (Prior knowledge or | | |
| |experience that clarifies or extends the ideas and/or the information in the text)* | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 6th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame |
| | |instruction |for review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Informational Text (Standard 2) |
|Comprehension for Informational Text |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of nonfiction materials to gain information and content knowledge (Grade-appropriate informational|
|texts) |
| |Textbooks, reference materials, personal narratives, diaries and journals, biographies, newspapers, | | |
| |letters, articles, web sites and other online materials, other appropriate content specific texts, and| | |
| |research and other historical documents | | |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of functional documents (Grade-appropriate informational texts) |
| |Sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms, menus, pamphlets, rules, | | |
| |invitations, recipes, advertisements, other functional documents. | | |
|Use print features (text or portion of the text) |
| |Large bold print | | |
| |Font size/ type | | |
| |Colored print | | |
| |Quotation marks | | |
| |Underlining | | |
|Use graphic aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Illustrations and pictures | | |
| |Photographs | | |
| |Drawings | | |
| |Sketches | | |
| |Cartoons | | |
| |Maps (key scale legend) | | |
| |Graphs | | |
| |Charts/ tables | | |
| |Diagrams | | |
|Use informational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Introductions and overviews | | |
| |Materials lists | | |
| |Timelines | | |
| |Captions | | |
| |*Glossed words* | | |
| |Labels | | |
| |Number steps | | |
| |Pronunciation key | | |
| |*Transition words* | | |
| |Boxed text | | |
| |Bulleted lists | | |
| |Footnoted words | | |
| |Works cited | | |
|Use organizational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Titles, chapter titles, and subtitles | | |
| |Headings, subheading | | |
| |Table of contents | | |
| |Numbered steps | | |
| |*Glossaries* | | |
| |Indices | | |
| |*Transition words* | | |
|Use online features (text or portion of the text) |
| |URLS, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, homepages, and site maps | | |
|Identify and explain the contributions of text features to meaning (text or portion of the text) |
| |Identify and explain the contributions of the text features to support the main idea of the text | | |
|Identify and analyze the organization of texts (text or portion of the text) |
| |Sequence and chronological order | | |
| |Cause/effect | | |
| |Problem/solution | | |
| |Similarities and differences | | |
| |Description | | |
| |*main idea and supporting details* | | |
| |Transition or signal words and phrases that indicate the organizational pattern | | |
| |Explain how the organizational pattern clarifies and reinforces meaning and supports the | | |
| |author’s/text’s purpose (text or portion of the text) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in informational text |
| |Author’s Purpose or purpose of the text (purpose of the author or the text or portion of the text or | | |
| |Connections between the text and the intended audience | | |
| |Author’s opinion (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |*Main idea and messages* (text or portion of text) | | |
| |*Summarize or paraphrase* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Information not related to the main idea | | |
| |Relationships between and among ideas (*compare and contrast, *cause and effect, *sequence and | | |
| |chronology, relationships between and among ideas in one or more texts, relationships between prior | | |
| |knowledge and one or more texts) | | |
| |Synthesize ideas from the text (from one text or a portion of the text or across multiple texts) | | |
| |Fact and opinion (one or more texts) | | |
| |Explain how someone might use the text (application of the text for personal use or content-specific | | |
| |use, and topics and ideas within a text or across texts that may have implications for readers or | | |
| |contemporary society) | | |
| |Connect text to prior knowledge or experience (clarify, extends or challenges ideas) | | |
|Analyze purposeful use of language |
| |Analyze specific words or phrases that contribute to the meaning of a text (similes, metaphors, | | |
| |personification, content vocabulary, denotations of above-grade level words in context, connotations | | |
| |of grade-appropriate words in context) | | |
| |Analyze specific language choices that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the effect of repetition of words and phrases on meaning (text or portion of a text) | | |
|Read critically to evaluate informational text |
| |Explain whether the text fulfills the reading purpose | | |
| |Analyze changes and or additions to the structure and text features that would make the text easier to| | |
| |understand (connections between effectiveness of format and text features in clarifying the main idea | | |
| |and /or purpose of the text, and connections between effectiveness of organizational patter and | | |
| |clarity of the main idea and/or purpose of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the text and its information for reliability (connections between the credentials of the | | |
| |author and the information in the text, and verification of information included in the text) (Fiction| | |
| |versus nonfiction, real versus fantasy) | | |
| |Determine and explain whether or not the author’s argument or position is presented fairly (evidence | | |
| |of opposing points of view) | | |
| |Identify and explain information not included in the text (information that would increase the | | |
| |reader’s understanding) | | |
| |Identify and explain words and other techniques the author uses to appeal to emotion(significant words| | |
| |and phrases that have emotional appeal) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 6th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for|
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Literary Text (Standard 3) |
|Comprehension of Literary Text |
|Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary text |
| |Identify and explain how *organizational aids* contribute to meaning (*title of the book, poem, play, titles of | | |
| |chapters, subtitles, and subheadings) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *graphic aids* contribute to meaning (*pictures and illustration, punctuation, and print | | |
| |features) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *informational aids* contribute to meaning (footnote words and phrases, *captions) | | |
|Narrative Texts |
| |Identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts (realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy | | |
| |tales, biographies, *characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction*, folk tales, historical fiction, short stories,| | |
| |folklore, legends, myths, science fiction, autobiographies, and *plays and poetry*) | | |
| |Analyze the events of the plot (exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution) | | |
| |Analyze details that provide information about the setting, the mood, created by the setting, and ways in which | | |
| |the setting affects characters (details that create the setting and/or mood in the text or a portion of the text, | | |
| |connections among the characters, the setting, and the mood in the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze characterization (main versus minor, conclusions about character’s traits based on what the character says| | |
| |and does, conclusion about the character motivations based on character’s actions and interactions with other | | |
| |characters) | | |
| |Analyze relationships between and among characters, setting, and events (text, portion of the text, or across | | |
| |multiple texts) | | |
| |Identify and explain how the actions of the character(s) affect the plot (in a text, portion of the text, or | | |
| |across multiple texts) | | |
| |Analyze internal and/or external conflicts that motivate characters and those that advance the plot (text or | | |
| |portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain the author’s approach to issues of time in a narrative (flashback) | | |
| |Identify and explain the point of view (connections between point of view and meaning, conclusions about the | | |
| |narrator based on his/her thoughts and /or observations) | | |
|Poetry |
| |Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form (structure, including lines and stanzas; shape; | | |
| |form, including lines and stanzas; refrain; chorus; rhyme scheme; and types of poems such as haiku, form/shape, | | |
| |cinquain etc.) | | |
| |Identify and explain the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas (literal versus figurative meaning) | | |
| |Identify and explain sound elements of poetry contribute to meaning ( rhyme, rhyme scheme, rhythm, alliteration, | | |
| |onomatopoeia, and other means of repetition) | | |
| |Identify and explain other elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. contribute to meaning | | |
|Drama |
| |Use structural features to distinguish among types of poems ( list of characters (cast) including the narrator, | | |
| |introductory information about the setting, stage directions, dialogue, acts) | | |
| |Identify and explain the action of a scene and acts (literal versus interpretative meaning) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions that help to create character and movement (connections between the stage | | |
| |directions and the physical movement of the characters) | | |
| |Identify and explain stage directions and dialogue that help to create character (connections among the stage | | |
| |directions, the character’s lines, and how the character delivers those lines) | | |
|Determine important ideas and messages in literary texts |
| |Analyze main ideas and universal themes (text or portion of the text, experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in | | |
| |a text that give rise to universal themes meanings, message, moral, or lesson learned from the text) | | |
| |Analyze similar themes across multiple texts (main idea across texts, messages, morals, or lessons learned, | | |
| |different versions of the same story across eras or cultures, experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in a text | | |
| |that give rise to universal themes) | | |
| |Paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Summarize (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain personal connections to the text | | |
| |Explain the implications of the text for the reader and/or society (ideas and issues of a text that may have | | |
| |implications for the reader) | | |
|Author’s use of Language |
| |Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story (character and plot development) | | |
| |*Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning* (*Denotations, *multiple, | | |
| |*connotations,* meaning words) | | |
| |*Identify and explain words and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Identify and explain figurative language that contributes to meaning (*simile, *personification, metaphors and | | |
| |onomatopoeia) | | |
| |Identify and explain language that appeals to the senses and feelings | | |
| |Identify and explain repetition and exaggeration that contributes to meaning | | |
|Read critically to evaluate literary text |
| |Determine and explain the plausibility of the character’s actions and the plot (in the text or portion of the | | |
| |text) | | |
| |Identify and explain questions left unanswered by the text | | |
| |Identify and explain the relationship between a literary text and its historical and/or social context | | |
| |(implications of the historical or social context on literary context) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 7th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for |
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|Vocabulary |
|Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meaning of words |
| |Antonyms | | |
| |Synonyms | | |
| |Homophones | | |
| |Homographs | | |
|Use context to determine the meaning of words |
| |Above grade level words used in context | | |
| |Words with multiple meanings | | |
| |Connotations versus denotations | | |
| |Grade appropriate idioms and figurative expressions | | |
|Use word structure to determine the meaning of words |
| |Prefixes and Suffixes* | | |
| |Root words and base words* | | |
| |Compound Words* | | |
| |Inflectional Endings* | | |
|Use resources to confirm definitions and gather further information about words |
| |Dictionaries | | |
| |Glossaries | | |
| |Thesauruses | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|General Reading Comprehension |
|Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
| |Identify and explain the main idea (text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |What is directly stated in the text (main ideas, supporting details, and other | | |
| |information stated in the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge (Stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas (stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |Paraphrase the main idea (complete text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Summarize (the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience (Prior knowledge or experience| | |
| |that clarifies or extends the ideas and/or the information in the text)* | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 7th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame |
| | |instruction |for review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Informational Text (Standard 2) |
|Comprehension for Informational Text |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of primary and secondary sources to gain information and content knowledge (Grade-appropriate |
|informational texts) |
| |Textbooks, tradebooks, reference and research materials, periodicals, editorials, speeches, | | |
| |interviews, articles, non print materials, web sites and other online materials, other primary and | | |
| |secondary appropriate content specific texts, and research and other historical documents | | |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of real world and work place documents (Grade-appropriate informational texts) |
| |Sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms, instructional manuals, | | |
| |menus, pamphlets, rules, invitations, recipes, advertisements, other functional, workplace and real | | |
| |world documents. | | |
|Analyze print features (text or portion of the text) |
| |Large bold print | | |
| |Font size/ type | | |
| |Colored print | | |
| |Quotation marks | | |
| |Underlining | | |
|Analyze graphic aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Illustrations and pictures | | |
| |Photographs | | |
| |Drawings | | |
| |Sketches | | |
| |Cartoons | | |
| |Maps (key scale legend) | | |
| |Graphs | | |
| |Charts/ tables | | |
| |Diagrams | | |
|Analyze informational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Introductions and overviews | | |
| |Materials lists | | |
| |Timelines | | |
| |Captions | | |
| |Glossed words* | | |
| |Labels | | |
| |Number steps | | |
| |Pronunciation key | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
| |Boxed text | | |
| |Bulleted lists | | |
| |Footnoted words | | |
| |Works cited | | |
|Analyze organizational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Titles, chapter titles, and subtitles | | |
| |Headings, subheading | | |
| |Table of contents | | |
| |Numbered steps | | |
| |Glossaries* | | |
| |Indices | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
|Analyze online features (text or portion of the text) |
| |URLS, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, homepages, and site maps | | |
|Analyze the relationship between text features and the content of the text to make meaning (text or portion of the text) |
| |Analyze the relationship of the text features and the content of the text as a whole | | |
|Analyze the organization of texts (text or portion of the text) |
| |Sequence and chronological order | | |
| |Cause/effect | | |
| |Problem/solution | | |
| |Similarities and differences | | |
| |Description | | |
| |Main idea and supporting details* | | |
| |Order of importance | | |
| |Transition or signal words and phrases that indicate the organizational pattern | | |
| |Analyze the contributions of the organizational pattern to clarify or reinforce meaning and supports | | |
| |the author’s purpose and/or argument (text or portion of the text) | | |
|Analyze important ideas and messages in informational text |
| |Author’s Purpose or purpose of the text (purpose of the author or the text or portion of the text or | | |
| |Connections between the text and the intended audience | | |
| |Author’s argument, viewpoint, or perspective (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Main idea and messages* (text or portion of text) | | |
| |Summarize or paraphrase* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Information or ideas peripheral to the main idea or message | | |
| |Relationships between and among ideas (*compare and contrast, *cause and effect, *sequence and | | |
| |chronology, relationships between and among ideas in one or more texts, relationships between prior | | |
| |knowledge and one or more texts) | | |
| |Synthesize ideas from the text (from one text or a portion of the text or across multiple texts) | | |
| |Fact and opinion (one or more texts) | | |
| |Explain how someone might use the text (application of the text for personal use or content-specific | | |
| |use, and topics and ideas within a text or across texts that may have implications for readers or | | |
| |contemporary society) | | |
| |Connect text to prior knowledge or experience (clarify, extends or challenges ideas) | | |
|Analyze purposeful use of language |
| |Analyze specific words or phrases that contribute to the meaning and/or create style (similes, | | |
| |metaphors, personification, content vocabulary, denotations of above-grade level words in context, | | |
| |connotations of grade-appropriate words in context),discernible styles such as persuasive, informal, | | |
| |formal | | |
| |Analyze specific language choices that determine tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze repetition and variation of specific words and phrases on meaning (text or portion of a text) | | |
|Read critically to evaluate informational text |
| |Analyze whether the text fulfills the reading purpose | | |
| |Analyze the extent to which the structure and text features clarify the purpose and the information | | |
| |(connections between effectiveness of format and text features in clarifying the main idea and /or | | |
| |purpose of the text, and connections between effectiveness of organizational patter and clarity of the| | |
| |main idea and/or purpose of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the text and its information for reliability (connections between the credentials of the | | |
| |author and the information in the text, and verification of information across multiple sources) | | |
| |(currency of the information in the text) (Fiction versus nonfiction, real versus fantasy) | | |
| |Analyze the author’s argument or position for clarity and/or bias (evidence of opposing points of | | |
| |view) | | |
| |Analyze additional information that would clarify or strengthen the author’s argument or viewpoint | | |
| |(information that would increase the reader’s understanding) | | |
| |Analyze words and other techniques the author uses to appeal to emotion(significant words and phrases | | |
| |that have emotional appeal) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 7th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for|
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Literary Text (Standard 3) |
|Comprehension of Literary Text |
|Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary text (text or portions of text) |
| |Analyze how *organizational aids* contribute to meaning (*title of the book, poem, play, titles of chapters, | | |
| |subtitles, and subheadings) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *graphic aids* contribute to meaning (*pictures and illustration, punctuation, and print | | |
| |features) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *informational aids* contribute to meaning (footnote words and phrases, *captions) | | |
|Narrative Texts |
| |Distinguish among types of narrative texts (realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy tales, | | |
| |biographies, *characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction*, folk tales, historical fiction, short stories, | | |
| |folklore, legends, myths, science fiction, autobiographies, *plays, and lyric and narrative poetry*) | | |
| |Analyze the events of the plot (exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution) | | |
| |Analyze details that provide information about the setting, the mood, created by the setting, and ways in which | | |
| |the setting affects characters (details that create the setting and/or mood in the text or a portion of the text, | | |
| |connections among the characters, the setting, and the mood in the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze characterization (main versus minor, conclusions about character’s traits based on what the character says| | |
| |and does, conclusion about the character motivations based on character’s actions and interactions with other | | |
| |characters) | | |
| |Analyze relationships between and among characters, setting, and events (text, portion of the text, or across | | |
| |multiple texts) | | |
| |Analyze the actions of the characters that serves to advance the plot (in a text, portion of the text, or across | | |
| |multiple texts) | | |
| |Analyze internal and/or external conflicts that motivate characters and those that advance the plot (text or | | |
| |portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the author’s approach to issues of time in a narrative (flashback and foreshadowing) | | |
| |Analyze the point of view (connections between point of view and meaning, conclusions about the narrator based on | | |
| |his/her thoughts and /or observations) | | |
|Poetry |
| |Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form (structure, including lines and stanzas; shape; | | |
| |form, including lines and stanzas; refrain; chorus; rhyme scheme; and types of poems such as ballad, narrative, | | |
| |lyric) | | |
| |Analyze the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas (literal versus figurative meaning) | | |
| |Analyze sound elements of poetry contribute to meaning ( rhyme, rhyme scheme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, | | |
| |and other means of repetition) | | |
| |Identify and explain other elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. contribute to meaning | | |
|Drama |
| |Use structural features to distinguish among types of poems ( list of characters (cast) including the narrator, | | |
| |introductory information about the setting, stage directions, dialogue, acts) | | |
| |Analyze the action of a scene and acts and their relationship to plot (literal versus interpretative meaning) | | |
| |Analyze how stage directions affect dialogue, characters, and plot (connections between the stage directions and | | |
| |the physical movement of the characters) | | |
|Analyze important ideas and messages in literary texts |
| |Analyze main ideas and universal themes (text or portion of the text, experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in | | |
| |a text that give rise to universal themes meanings, message, moral, or lesson learned from the text) | | |
| |Analyze similar themes across multiple texts (main idea across texts, messages, morals, or lessons learned, | | |
| |different versions of the same story across eras or cultures, experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in a text | | |
| |that give rise to universal themes) | | |
| |Paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Summarize (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Reflect on and explain personal connections to the text | | |
| |Explain the implications of the text for the reader and/or society (ideas and issues of a text that may have | | |
| |implications for the reader) | | |
|Author’s use of Language |
| |Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story (character and plot development) | | |
| |*Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning* (*Denotations, *multiple, | | |
| |*connotations,* meaning words) | | |
| |Analyze language choices, and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze figurative language that contributes to meaning (*simile, *personification, metaphors and onomatopoeia) | | |
| |Analyze imagery that contributes to meaning and/or creates style | | |
| |Analyze elements of style and their contribution to meaning ( common elements of style such as repetition, | | |
| |hyperbole, and rhetorical questions) | | |
|Read critically to evaluate literary text |
| |Analyze the plausibility of the plot and the credibility of the characters (in the text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the extent to which the text contains ambiguities, and subtleties, or contradictions | | |
| |Analyze the relationship between a literary text and its historical and/or social context (implications of the | | |
| |historical or social context on literary context) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 8th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for |
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|Vocabulary |
|Identify and explain word relationships to determine the meaning of words |
| |Antonyms | | |
| |Synonyms | | |
| |Homophones | | |
| |Homographs | | |
|Use context to determine the meaning of words |
| |Above grade level words used in context | | |
| |Words with multiple meanings | | |
| |Connotations versus denotations | | |
| |Grade appropriate idioms and figurative expressions | | |
|Use word structure to determine the meaning of words |
| |Prefixes and Suffixes* | | |
| |Root words and base words* | | |
| |Compound Words* | | |
| |Inflectional Endings* | | |
|Use resources to confirm definitions and gather further information about words |
| |Dictionaries | | |
| |Glossaries | | |
| |Thesauruses | | |
|General Reading Processes (Standard 1) |
|General Reading Comprehension |
|Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
| |Identify and explain the main idea or argument (text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |What is directly stated in the text (main ideas, supporting details, and other | | |
| |information stated in the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Draw conclusions based on the text and prior knowledge (Stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |Confirm, refute, or make predictions and form new ideas (stated or implied information | | |
| |from the text)* | | |
| |Paraphrase the main idea (complete text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Summarize (the text or portion of the text)* | | |
| |Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience (Prior knowledge or experience| | |
| |that clarifies or extends the ideas and/or the information in the text)* | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 8th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame |
| | |instruction |for review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Informational Text (Standard 2) |
|Comprehension for Informational Text |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of primary and secondary sources to gain information and content knowledge (Grade-appropriate |
|informational texts) |
| |Textbooks, tradebooks, reference and research materials, periodicals, editorials, speeches, | | |
| |interviews, articles, non print materials, web sites and other online materials, other primary and | | |
| |secondary appropriate content specific texts, and research and other historical documents | | |
|Read, use, and identify the characteristics of real world and work place documents (Grade-appropriate informational texts) |
| |Sets of directions, science investigations, atlases, posters, flyers, forms, instructional manuals, | | |
| |menus, pamphlets, rules, invitations, recipes, advertisements, pamphlets, how-to manuals, other | | |
| |functional, workplace and real world documents. | | |
|Analyze print features (text or portion of the text) |
| |Large bold print | | |
| |Font size/ type | | |
| |Colored print | | |
| |Quotation marks | | |
| |Underlining | | |
|Analyze graphic aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Illustrations and pictures | | |
| |Photographs | | |
| |Drawings | | |
| |Sketches | | |
| |Cartoons | | |
| |Maps (key scale legend) | | |
| |Graphs | | |
| |Charts/ tables | | |
| |Diagrams | | |
|Analyze informational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Introductions and overviews | | |
| |Materials lists | | |
| |Timelines | | |
| |Captions | | |
| |Glossed words* | | |
| |Labels | | |
| |Number steps | | |
| |Pronunciation key | | |
| |Transition words* | | |
| |Boxed text | | |
| |Bulleted lists | | |
| |Footnoted words | | |
| |Works cited | | |
|Analyze organizational aids (text or portion of the text) |
| |Titles, chapter titles, and subtitles | | |
| |Headings, subheading | | |
| |Table of contents | | |
| |Numbered steps | | |
| |*Glossaries* | | |
| |Indices | | |
| |*Transition words* | | |
|Analyze online features (text or portion of the text) |
| |URLS, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, homepages, and site maps | | |
|Analyze the relationship between text features and the content of the text to make meaning (text or portion of the text) |
| |Analyze the relationship of the text features and the content of the text as a whole | | |
|Analyze the organization of texts (text or portion of the text) |
| |Sequence and chronological order | | |
| |Cause/effect | | |
| |Problem/solution | | |
| |Similarities and differences | | |
| |Description | | |
| |Main idea and supporting details* | | |
| |Order of importance | | |
| |Transition or signal words and phrases that indicate the organizational pattern | | |
| |Analyze the contributions of the organizational pattern to clarify or reinforce meaning and supports | | |
| |the author’s purpose and/or argument (text or portion of the text) | | |
|Analyze important ideas and messages in informational text |
| |Analyze author’s Purpose or purpose of the text (purpose of the author or the text or portion of the | | |
| |text or Connections between the text and the intended audience | | |
| |Analyze author’s argument, viewpoint, or perspective (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Main idea and messages* (text or portion of text) | | |
| |Summarize or paraphrase* (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Information or ideas peripheral to the main idea or message | | |
| |Relationships between and among ideas (*compare and contrast, *cause and effect, *sequence and | | |
| |chronology, relationships between and among ideas in one or more texts, relationships between prior | | |
| |knowledge and one or more texts) | | |
| |Synthesize ideas from the text (from one text or a portion of the text or across multiple texts) | | |
| |Explain how someone might use the text (application of the text for personal use or content-specific | | |
| |use, and issues and ideas within a text or across texts that may have implications for readers or | | |
| |contemporary society) | | |
| |Connect text to prior knowledge or experience (clarify, extends or challenges ideas) | | |
|Analyze purposeful use of language |
| |Analyze specific words or phrases that contribute to the meaning and/or create style (similes, | | |
| |metaphors, personification, content vocabulary, denotations of above-grade level words in context, | | |
| |connotations of grade-appropriate words in context),discernible styles such as persuasive, informal, | | |
| |formal | | |
| |Analyze specific language choices that determine tone and the appropriateness of tone (text or portion| | |
| |of the text) | | |
| |Analyze repetition and variation of specific words and phrases on meaning (text or portion of a text) | | |
|Read critically to evaluate informational text |
| |Analyze whether the text fulfills the reading purpose | | |
| |Analyze the extent to which the structure and text features clarify the purpose and the information | | |
| |(connections between effectiveness of format and text features in clarifying the main idea and /or | | |
| |purpose of the text, and connections between effectiveness of organizational patter and clarity of the| | |
| |main idea and/or purpose of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the text and its information for reliability (connections between the credentials of the | | |
| |author and the information in the text, and verification of information across multiple sources) | | |
| |(currency of the information in the text) (Fiction versus nonfiction, real versus fantasy) | | |
| |Analyze the author’s argument or position for clarity and/or bias (evidence of opposing points of | | |
| |view) | | |
| |Analyze additional information that would clarify or strengthen the author’s argument or viewpoint | | |
| |(information that would increase the reader’s understanding) | | |
| |Analyze the effectiveness of words and persuasive techniques the author uses to sway the reader to a | | |
| |particular point of view (significant words and phrases that have emotional appeal) | | |
| |Analyze the effect of elements of style on meaning (formal vs informal language, varied sentence | | |
| |structure, or the use of non sentences) | | |
|Unit |Objectives Tested by 8th grade MSA |Time frame for |Time frame for|
| | |instruction |review |
| |Highlighted text indicates the introduction of a concept or skill at this grade level | | |
|Comprehension of Literary Text (Standard 3) |
|Comprehension of Literary Text |
|Use text features to facilitate understanding of literary text (text or portions of text) |
| |Analyze and evaluate how *organizational aids* contribute to meaning (*title of the book, poem, play, titles of | | |
| |chapters, subtitles, and subheadings) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *graphic aids* contribute to meaning (*pictures and illustration, punctuation, and print | | |
| |features) | | |
| |Identify and explain how *informational aids* contribute to meaning (footnote words and phrases, *captions) | | |
|Narrative Texts |
| |Distinguish among types of narrative texts (realistic fiction, tall tales, legends, fables, fairy tales, | | |
| |biographies, *characteristics of fiction versus nonfiction*, folk tales, historical fiction, short stories, | | |
| |folklore, legends, myths, science fiction, memoirs, autobiographies, *plays, and lyric and narrative poetry*, | | |
| |etc.) | | |
| |Analyze the events of the plot (exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution) | | |
| |Analyze details that provide information about the setting, the mood, created by the setting, and the role the | | |
| |setting plays in the text (details that create the setting and/or mood in the text or a portion of the text, | | |
| |connections among the characters, the setting, and the mood in the text or portion of the text, connections | | |
| |between setting and theme) | | |
| |Analyze characterization (main versus minor, conclusions about character’s traits based on what the character says| | |
| |and does, conclusion about the character motivations based on character’s actions and interactions with other | | |
| |characters) | | |
| |Analyze relationships between and among characters, setting, and events (text, portion of the text, or across | | |
| |multiple texts) | | |
| |Analyze the actions of the characters that serves to advance the plot (in a text, portion of the text, or across | | |
| |multiple texts) | | |
| |Analyze internal and/or external conflicts that motivate characters and those that advance the plot (text or | | |
| |portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze the author’s approach to issues of time in a narrative (flashback and foreshadowing) | | |
| |Analyze the point of view and its effect on meaning (connections between point of view and meaning, conclusions | | |
| |about the narrator based on his/her thoughts and /or observations) | | |
|Poetry |
| |Use structural features to identify poetry as a literary form (structure, including lines and stanzas; shape; | | |
| |form, including lines and stanzas; refrain; chorus; rhyme scheme; and types of poems such as ballad, narrative, | | |
| |lyric, elegy) | | |
| |Analyze the meaning of words, lines, and stanzas (literal versus figurative meaning) | | |
| |Analyze sound elements of poetry contribute to meaning ( rhyme, rhyme scheme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, | | |
| |and other means of repetition) | | |
| |Identify and explain other elements, such as setting, mood, tone, etc. contribute to meaning | | |
|Drama |
| |Use structural features to distinguish among types of poems ( list of characters (cast) including the narrator, | | |
| |introductory information about the setting, stage directions, dialogue, acts) | | |
| |Analyze structural features of drama that contribute to meaning (literal versus interpretative meaning) | | |
| |Analyze how dialogue and stage directions work together to create characters and plot (connections between the | | |
| |stage directions and the physical movement of the characters) | | |
|Analyze important ideas and messages in literary texts |
| |Analyze main ideas and universal themes (text or portion of the text, experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in | | |
| |a text that give rise to universal themes meanings, message, moral, or lesson learned from the text) | | |
| |Analyze similar themes across multiple texts (main idea across texts, messages, morals, or lessons learned, | | |
| |different versions of the same story across eras or cultures, experiences, emotions, issues, and ideas in a text | | |
| |that give rise to universal themes) | | |
| |Paraphrase (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Summarize (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Reflect on and explain personal connections to the text | | |
| |Explain the implications of the text for the reader and/or society (ideas and issues of a text that may have | | |
| |implications for the reader) | | |
|Author’s use of Language |
| |Identify and explain how the use of dialogue contributes to a story (character and plot development) | | |
| |Identify and explain specific words and phrases that contribute to meaning* (*Denotations, *multiple, | | |
| |*connotations,* meaning words) | | |
| |Analyze and evaluate language choices, and punctuation that create tone (text or portion of the text) | | |
| |Analyze and evaluate figurative language that contributes to meaning and/or creates style (*simile, | | |
| |*personification, metaphors and onomatopoeia) | | |
| |Analyze imagery that contributes to meaning and/or creates style ( specific words and phrases that create sensory | | |
| |images or contribute to style (text or portions of the text) | | |
|Read critically to evaluate literary text |
| |Analyze and evaluate the plausibility of the plot and the credibility of the characters (in the text or portion of| | |
| |the text) | | |
| |Analyze and evaluate the extent to which the text contains ambiguities, and subtleties, or contradictions | | |
| |Analyze and evaluate the relationship between a literary text and its historical and/or social context | | |
| |(implications of the historical, social, and/or political context on literary context) | | |
Before and During Reading Strategies
Clarification
The following clarifications were obtained from .
Before Reading Strategies: To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, a reader should have a cadre of practical strategies to activate prior to reading any text. Using these strategies should ease an entry to a text and support a reader's basic comprehension.
A reader should peruse each page of a text and take note of all its text features. The type and amount of text features will vary according to the level and genre of the text. It is not sufficient for a reader simply to identify a type of text feature. However, it is necessary for a reader to begin to understand a text by noting the type and amount of information from text features and to use this information throughout the reading of the text.
The types of text features a student encounters will vary between informational and literary text. Informational text is more likely to contain charts, graphs, word boxes, diagrams, sidebars, etc… while literary text could feature captioned illustrations, text within text like one character's letter to another character, selected words in bold or italicized print, etc…Any text feature in either type of text reveals a clue to understanding.
Using the information from the survey of text features, a reader should be able to set a purpose for reading the text. At times, the instructor may set a reading purpose for a student or a reader may set an individual reading purpose. These purposes may include a goal to acquire additional information or details from a science text or to confirm or refute a prediction made about a character's actions based upon an initial survey. For a longer text, the setting of goals and making predictions about the text are ongoing.
Additionally, prior to a first reading, a student may use the survey of text features to draw connections between his/her prior knowledge and the supposed content of the text. Also the survey may reveal that the format or organization of the text is a familiar one.
The use of text features to set purposes, make predictions, and connect to previous learning creates an advantage for a student to achieve a basic understanding from a first read of a text.
During Reading Strategies: To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, during the reading of a literary or informational text, a reader will develop an understanding of the key elements in that text. Some of these elements are stated directly in the text while others are not. Identification and explanation of these elements rely upon strategic reading and serve as a basis for a general understanding of the text. In turn, a general understanding of the text is the beginning of interpretive and critical analysis of the text.
As students read a text, they should reread any parts of that text that were difficult for them to understand. Rereading helps a reader clarify a text. It is helpful if a reader sets a purpose for rereading and while rereading, thinks about the connection of the reread part to the entire text.
After rereading a difficult part of a text, a method to build understanding is to restate that part of the text in a student's own words. Once a student has thought about the reread section of text, he/she may restate it orally to the teacher, a student partner, or write it in a reading journal.
As a student builds understanding of a text through rereading and restating, he/she should continue reading the text while periodically returning to the previously identified difficult sections to make connections between those sections and the proceeding text. This practice should help a student more firmly grasp an understanding of complex parts of the text and integrate them within the scope of the entire text.
Whether or not a student has difficulty with text comprehension, that student should look back or skim the previously read text to develop connections about ideas, information, narrative elements, etc…to create an understanding of the whole text. Younger students should be directed and monitored by the teacher to create connections within a text. More advanced students should be taught how to read for connections and then prompted to revisit text before moving on.
Just as a student makes predictions based upon a preview of text prior to reading, that same method works equally well as a student reads. When students make predictions about text as they read, they move through the text while learning if their predictions were right or wrong, or simply that the text neither confirmed nor refuted their ideas. During reading, predictions must always be based upon previously read text. If a student prediction proves correct, it is useful for the student to determine what element of text evidence was most helpful in making a correct prediction.
When a student reads and frequently forms a summary of the information or story, etc…this practice assists with understanding. Summarizing is essential when reading informational text. A reader can better comprehend informational text if he/she can restate the important ideas in simpler language. To comprehend literary text, summarizing by isolating the most important story elements allows a reader to focus on the most essential parts of the text. During reading, pausing to summarize equips the student to continue reading with a better understanding.
When comprehending informational text, paraphrasing a text is an important skill. A reader can better understand the essential information if he/she can restate those ideas in simpler language. Paraphrasing a literary text allows a reader to take a story, play, poem, etc… and tell it in his/her own words. The ability to paraphrase correctly reveals understanding.
When comprehending informational text, visualizing of a text is a necessary skill. Readers can better comprehend the important information in a text if they can create a mental picture in their minds. When readers can see a picture of that information in their minds, those readers are visualizing. Visualizing becomes a vital tool of a reader and can help a reader "see" and remember what has been read.
Visualizing a literary text allows readers to take any text and make mental pictures throughout the story, poem, or play. For example, when a reader can make a mental picture of the details of a setting, plot, or character, that reader is visualizing. Visualizing while reading a literary text makes that work become real and engages a reader.
As a student reads and takes notes either in a traditional manner, on a graphic organizer, or in a literary or informational response journal, etc…that student is employing rereading, paraphrasing, summarizing skills, etc…before note taking begins. When a student pauses to review those notes, he/she will have a "hard copy" of his/her thoughts during reading. Returning to review the notes allows a revision of thoughts. Information or details that had seemed important initially may, farther into the text, become non-essential. An organization pattern for a text may emerge. Tracking the development of a character may appear more clearly. Helping students to view note taking as a resource rather than simply a demand can be developed through modeling and monitoring.
Finally, connecting with a text as one reads is an integral part of comprehension. Connecting with text occurs when a reader can identify something in a text that relates to him/her. Readers also use their beliefs and background knowledge as sources of connections. This type of interaction with a text is thought provoking and allows a reader to think beyond an initial understanding of a text.
Testing Tips
While before and during reading strategies are not directly assessed on the MSA, these skills are necessary in making meaning of the text. Students should internalize these processes prior to testing. Providing daily independent reading time is also essential in building reading stamina to assist students in doing their best throughout the assessment.
One way to teach children to remember all the before reading strategies is to call them the 4 P’s. The four P’s are predicting, prior knowledge, previewing, and purpose.
One testing taking tip is to have students read questions before the passage then they set their purpose for reading with finding the answer to the question.
Some of the most important during reading strategies include fix-up strategies. More details about fix-up strategies are offered in the upcoming pages. It is important for students to self-monitor for meaning as they read and apply the appropriate fix-up strategy as necessary.
Seed Lessons
Use the anticipation guide to preview, predict, and clarify texts:
A response journal form for making predictions:
Three 30 minute lessons for using the prediction strategy to set a purpose for reading:
Additional lessons from :
The following are three lessons to teach activating prior knowledge from Teacher Vision:
The following are during reading strategy lessons from All America Reads:
Blackmasters of during reading strategies:
The Reading Lady offers several different reading strategy lessons:
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Fix-up Strategies
Clarification
Fix-up strategies assist students when they “get stuck” during reading. Students need to be able to self-monitor to determine when to apply a fix-up strategy. For example, students may reread, read on, chunk, rhyme, use context clues, use cueing systems, identify the initial sound of the word, or use picture clues.
Testing Tips
Fix-up strategies are not directly assessed on the MSA; however, they will help students make meaning from the text on the assessment when they cannot ask questions use resources such as glossaries or dictionaries.
Seed Lessons
The Reading Lady provides several lessons that focus on fix-up strategies using a t-chart:
Information for the teacher in reference to reading strategies:
Three 45 minute lessons for scaffolding reading strategies including clicks and clunks and getting the gist:
Lessons include word attack fix-up strategies and comprehension fix-up strategies:
Multiple lessons for reading strategies and fix-up strategies:
Scaffolding Comprehension Strategies Using Graphic Organizers
Obtained from
Author
Susan Ruckdeschel
Beacon, New York
Estimated Lesson Time
Three to four 45-minute class sessions
Overview
In this lesson, collaborative strategic reading (CSR) is initially presented to students through modeling and whole-class instruction. To facilitate comprehension during and after reading, students apply four reading strategies: preview, click and clunk, get the gist, and wrap-up. Graphic organizers are used for scaffolding of these strategies while students work together in cooperative groups.
From Theory to Practice
Klingner, J.K. & Vaughn, S. (1999). Promoting reading comprehension, content learning, and English acquisition through Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR). The Reading Teacher, 52, 738–747.
CSR combines two instructional approaches: reading comprehension strategy instruction and cooperative learning. These approaches improve learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities and with limited proficiency in English.
To facilitate comprehension of content area texts, students work in small, cooperative groups and apply four reading strategies
1. Preview. Structured previewing of text allows students to generate interest and questions about the text, to stimulate their background knowledge and associations with the text, and to facilitate their ability to make predictions about what they will learn.
2. Click and clunk. Students are taught to use self-monitoring strategies while reading to aid them in recognizing information they know ("clicking"), and identifying words, concepts, or ideas they do not understand or need to know more about ("clunking").
3. Get the gist. Students identify the main idea from the reading to confirm their understanding of the information.
4. Wrap-up. The wrap-up session provides students with an opportunity to self-monitor their reading while applying metacognitive strategies that further extend comprehension.
Student Objectives
Students will
• Record information using graphic organizers
• Apply think-aloud strategies to aid in metacognition and verbalize their thinking
• Preview text to generate questions and answers, stimulate prior knowledge, make predictions, and interact with print
• Apply self-monitoring and self-correct strategies to aid in conceptual understanding of content material
• Use summarization strategies to identify, process, and comprehend crucial information in a text
• Discuss material with peers, monitor and correct their own work, encourage and support one another, and reinforce social skills in collaborative learning groups
Resources
Cooperative learning rubric
Cooperative learning roles
Clunk pattern poster
Content-area texts
Folder for handouts
Graphic organizers:
KWL graphic organizer
Clunks and clues graphic organizer
QAD graphic organizer
Overhead projector or whiteboard
Instructional Plan
Preparation
1. Review and, if necessary, modify the graphic organizers to meet the specific needs and abilities of your students. For assistance in creating or recreating graphic organizers, use the following resources:
Learning Resources: Graphic Organizers
SCORE Graphic Organizers
Kidspiration (educational software)
2. Display a poster-size version of the Clunk pattern poster in your classroom for students' reference during the lesson.
3. Create a poster-size version of the Cooperative learning roles, in addition to printing a handout for each student.
4. Make one copy of the KWL graphic organizer handout for each student.
5. Find students or colleagues to assist in the modeling of cooperative learning roles.
6. Select a sample passage from a textbook to use for modeling the four reading strategies used in this lesson: preview, click and clunk, get the gist, and wrap-up.
7. Review the Cooperative learning rubric or prepare one on your own to use for evaluation of students' cooperative learning behaviors.
Instruction and Activities
Session 1: Previewing the text
1. Model the previewing process for students by displaying the KWL graphic organizer on an overhead projector. Read the title of the text passage and preview the pictures.
Fill in the "K" portion of the organizer, by asking yourself, "What do I already know about this topic?" Think aloud by saying for example, "The topic is volcanoes . . . I know about Mount St. Helen . . . I know volcanoes spew hot, dangerous ash . . . "
Next fill in the "W" portion by asking yourself, "What do I want to know about this topic?" Again, verbalize your thoughts by saying, "I've always been curious about . . . I want to know why . . . "
After guiding students through the previewing process, facilitate more interactive responses for the "K" and "W" portions of the chart and record student responses.
2. Read the first few passages of the text aloud, then verbalize your thoughts about what new information you just learned. Fill in this information on the "L" portion of the chart.
3. Explain why students need to investigate and record what they already know ("K") and what they want to know ("W") about a topic before reading, and how this strategy will help them understand what they are about to read.
4. Instruct students to preview the next section of text and independently complete the "K" and "W" portions on their own KWL chart.
5. Have students read the section of text that they just previewed and complete the "L" portion of the chart, "What did I learn after reading about this topic?" Elicit responses from students and then discuss the previewing process with them:
What worked?
What did not work?
What difference did it make in their understanding of the text?
Session 2: Clunks, get the gist, and wrap-up
1. Review cooperative learning roles by using students (or former students having practiced with this method) as role-players. Display the Cooperative learning roles on an overhead or projector screen for visual prompting. For reference during the lesson, a poster-sized version of the cooperative learning roles should be displayed in the classroom and students should also be given an individual handout. At this time, students should also review the Cooperative learning rubric that you prepared in advance of the lesson.
2. Display the Clunks and clues graphic organizer on an overhead or projector screen and model the fix-up strategies for self-correction.
Walk students through each clunk by modeling how you use the various fix-up strategies. Clunk words should be preselected from a particular passage of text.
To model the get the gist strategy, ask students to identify the main idea from the preselected passage of text. Rephrase their responses on the worksheet using as few words as possible.
3. Demonstrate the wrap-up strategy using the QAD graphic organizer with question prompts.
4. At the end of this session, be sure to reinforce each of the cooperative learning roles. During the next session, students will be working in cooperative groups and using these roles.
Session 3: CSR in action
1. Assign students into groups with mixed abilities. Assign a cooperative learning role to each student within a group.
2. Before reading. Instruct students to preview a selection of text before reading using the list on the KWL graphic organizer, and complete the "K" and "W" portions of the chart.
3. During reading. Have students complete the top portion of the Clunks and clues graphic organizer while reading, applying the fix-up strategies and coordinating their work using the assigned cooperative learning roles. Monitor students' progress by walking around the room and offering assistance. This is also a good opportunity for you to take anecdotal notes, which can be used for assessment.
4. After reading. Students complete the "Get the gist" portion of the Clunks and clues graphic organizer and then return to the KWL graphic organizer to complete the "L" portion. Students should then do a wrap-up by completing the QAD graphic organizer and discussing how the cooperative learning roles worked within their groups.
5. Facilitate a class discussion on how everything worked, particularly the sharing of cooperative learning roles and the various strategies for reading.
Student Assessment/Reflections
Teacher observation. Includes anecdotal notes, class records, and classroom circulation.
Graphic organizers. Includes the KWL graphic organizer, the Clunks and clues graphic organizer, and the QAD graphic organizer. These graphic organizers should be filed in a folder during the lesson.
--Individual student conferences for review of graphic organizers
--Grading of student graphic organizers
Student self-assessment. Students rate their own behavior and the behavior of their peers using the Cooperative learning rubric. Review the students' self and peer assessments and provide your own rating for each group. A whole-class discussion is suggested so that students are aware of their behavior, how well they did, and what they can do to improve future cooperative learning sessions.
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After Reading Strategies
Clarification
The after reading strategies are also sometimes called the “Big Eight” or “Power Objectives” because these objectives are interrelated to other objectives in all three standards that are assessed on the MSA.
The following clarifications were obtained from .
To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, after reading a literary or informational text a reader will express an understanding of the key elements in that text. Some of these elements are stated directly in the text; others are not. Identification and explanation of these elements relies upon strategic reading and serves as the basis for general understanding of the text. In turn, a general understanding of the text is the beginning of interpretive and critical analysis of the text.
To identify and explain the main idea or argument in a text or a portion of a text, a reader first must identify the most important idea, subject, or argument in the text. In an informational text, this idea, subject, or argument is often apparent in the opening paragraphs. Paying attention to the details and events in a literary text often reveals the most important idea, subject, or argument. Once a reader has identified the idea, subject, or argument, he or she should determine the details or information in the text that support this idea or argument. Determining these supporting details or information aids a reader in the explanation of the idea or argument.
Identifying and explaining what is directly stated in the text requires a reader to read carefully. This allows a reader to follow the building of an explanation or argument in an informational text or the sequence of events or development of a character in a literary text. From an initial, careful reading, a reader will have a general idea where to locate specific information or details within a text. Once a general location has been determined, a rereading of that section of text should yield the needed information or details.
At other times, information or details the reader needs for a complete understanding of a text are not directly stated. This also requires careful reading. To correctly suggest what is not directly stated in a text, a reader must infer, draw conclusions, or make generalizations based upon the text. When a text does not directly provide an idea, a comment about a character or conflict, or a generalization about a situation, etc…a careful reader must isolate clues within the text that will allow him or her to suggest a reasonable, logical response in lieu of the missing idea or detail. This inference, conclusion, or generalization must be text-based and judged against the information or details the reader has acquired through careful reading. While a reader may use common knowledge or prior experience, the more dependable source of information or details lies within the text.
Taking bits of information or details from a text and putting them together to determine the relationship between or among that information or details allows a reader to draw a text-based conclusion. When a reader uses information or details from a text, a reader may generalize or state a general rule that in most cases a particular statement may be true about an explanation, a character, a setting, an idea, etc… Thus, drawing a conclusion or making a generalization both begins with the accumulation of information or details from a text.
Prior to reading an active, involved reader has the ability to preview a text in such a way that he/she may make predictions about the progression of the text. Upon reading a text, a reader may discover that the predictions prove correct or incorrect or simply not confirmed or refuted by the text. Those predictions that cannot be validated by text may be logical were the text to be continued. To make such predictions a reader must preview all available information or details provided in a text. Titles, subtitles, footnotes, glossed words, graphics, captions, etc…should be analyzed prior to predicting. All predictions should be based upon the accumulation of text evidence. Once predictions are made and confirmed or refuted, a critical reader reviews the evidence upon which he/she made the predictions to determine which evidence was most helpful.
When comprehending informational text, paraphrasing or summarizing a text or portion of a text is an essential skill. A reader can better comprehend the important information in a text if he/she can restate complex ideas in simpler language. When a reader can recount these ideas in language that makes sense to him/her, that reader is paraphrasing. To summarize an informational text, a reader must determine the most important ideas in that text and state them in his/her own words. As texts grow in complexity, summarizing allows a reader to focus on essential ideas to clarify understanding.
Paraphrasing a literary text allows a reader to take a more complex text and make it understood by placing difficult ideas into simpler language. For example, when a reader can tell a story in words that make sense to him/her, that reader is paraphrasing. As the lengths of stories increase, multiple characters can appear, and changes in plot and setting can occur, then paraphrasing becomes a necessary tool of a critical reader.
In a literary text, when a reader can distinguish between essential and peripheral plot actions or literary components, that reader is summarizing. When summarizing, a reader paraphrases only those essential components. As texts grow in complexity, summarizing allows a reader to focus on the important elements of a literary passage to increase understanding.
The ability to connect with a text through its characters, plot action, theme, information, message, main idea, etc…is essential for a critical reader. When a reader can identify something of himself/herself or someone that reader knows or has read about or an experience, thought, or belief that a reader has undergone or developed, that reader is connecting with a text. This attachment to a text causes a reader to better understand, extend or enhance, or counter the ideas in the text. This type of interaction with a text is thought provoking and allows a critical reader to think beyond the boundaries of a text while remaining grounded in a text. Once this connection is established, a critical reader can define how the connection is made and construct meaning while citing both text and personal ideas and experiences.
Personal Connection
Testing Tips
Making personal connections is the building block for all the after reading strategies. Students must be able to compare and contrast text to their lies, the world, or another text. To retain information it is essential to make connections with one’s own experiences and prior knowledge. For children living in poverty it is sometimes difficult to connect certain experiences to their lives. If this is the case, it is important o teach students how to connect with broader or universal themes such as love, friendship, anger, jealously, etc. While a child may not be able to connect directly with a specific event or setting in a selection, this will allow the student to connect to the character’s motivations or feelings.
Seed Lessons
Literary Text (obtained from )
After reading a literary text, students will discuss its characters with the teacher. During the discussion the teacher should model making a connection with a character. For example the teacher would state that he/she knows how a particular character feels when a certain event occurs because of a like situation the teacher had experienced. Once the thought processes have been modeled students should be encouraged to make their own connections patterning their responses on the model.
Have students read or read to them a literary text like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. After reading is complete, students should be asked to relate their very bad days as Alexander did thereby connecting with the character. Teacher Note: While intended for younger audiences, this text holds much appeal for older students as well.
Students should read a piece of realistic fiction. After reading is complete and a brief discussion of its major points has been conducted, the teacher should provide students with a series of real-life situations most of which should be represented in the text. An example follows.
|Real-life situation |Text connection |Self connection |
|Child disobeys parents | | |
|Individual assists another in need | | |
|Individual wins award or recognition | | |
|Individual overcomes a challenge | | |
Working in small groups, students should determine an example of the situation in the text and those in the group to whom a self connection to the situation is possible should record that connection. Group members should share their information with other members of the class.
After reading a literary text, students will organize their thoughts about that text using a 3-2-1 pattern. This activity can be completed by the entire class, small groups, or individuals. First, students should record three important ideas or events that occurred within the text. Next, students should list the names of two memorable characters, and finally, students should record one personal connection they were able to make with a character, event, or idea in the text. Students should share their information with others in the classroom or group.
Informational Text (obtained from )
• Have students choose a topic of interest, such as skateboarding, horseback, riding, playing basketball etc. Have students list their prior knowledge and experience related to this topic. Have students use online resources and/or informational texts to locate information on the same topic and determine how their prior knowledge relates to the resources that they located and explored. Ask students to suggest additional information that they feel should have been included in the resources they used. Students may also share what items could be deleted from those same sources that would not change the meaning of the selection.
• Students complete a KWL organizer on a topic selected by the teacher. The teacher will select informational passages that contain text/print features, include: titles, subheadings, bold print, italics, etc. Students are directed to review the text and think about what they already know or have read about the topic. Students will share their knowledge with a partner or a small group. The students will read the text. As a group students will determine which text is the best developed text, or the text that provided them with information that extended their understanding of the topic.
• Provide students with informational text. Prior to reading the text have students share their experience/s and prior knowledge that they possess with the given topic. Students will read the text and complete a graphic organizer. They will combine prior knowledge and experience with information from the text to draw a conclusion about the text.
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• The teacher will present students with a topic that appeals to the students' age and interests. Students will brainstorm their collective knowledge and experience with this topic. Next students will read an assigned informational text on the topic. After reading students will list any new information about the topic they learned from the text. Share their new learning with the remainder of the class.
Obtained from
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Rationale:
Schema theory explains how our previous experiences, knowledge, emotions, and understandings affect what and how we learn (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000). Schema is the background knowledge and experience readers bring to the text. Good readers draw on prior knowledge and experience to help them understand what they are reading and are thus able to use that knowledge to make connections. Struggling readers often move directly through a text without stopping to consider whether the text makes sense based on their own background knowledge, or whether their knowledge can be used to help them understand confusing or challenging materials. By teaching students how to connect to text they are able to better understand what they are reading (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000). Accessing prior knowledge and experiences is a good starting place when teaching strategies because every student has experiences, knowledge, opinions, and emotions that they can draw upon.
Keene and Zimmerman (1997) concluded that students comprehend better when they make different kinds of connections:
• Text-to-self
• Text-to-text
• Text-to-world
Text-to-self connections are highly personal connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading material and the reader’s own experiences or life. An example of a text-to-self connection might be, "This story reminds me of a vacation we took to my grandfather’s farm."
Sometimes when reading, readers are reminded of other things that they have read, other books by the same author, stories from a similar genre, or perhaps on the same topic. These types of connections are text-to-text connections. Readers gain insight during reading by thinking about how the information they are reading connects to other familiar text. “This character has the same problem that I read about in a story last year,” would be an example of a text-to-text connection.
Text-to-world connections are the larger connections that a reader brings to a reading situation. We all have ideas about how the world works that goes far beyond our own personal experiences. We learn about things through television, movies, magazines, and newspapers. Often it is the text-to-world connections that teachers are trying to enhance when they teach lessons in science, social studies, and literature. An example of a text-to-world connection would be when a reader says, "I saw a program on television that talked about things described in this article."
Cris Tovani (2000) offers reasons why connecting to text helps readers:
• It helps readers understand how characters feel and the motivation behind their actions.
• It helps readers have a clearer picture in their head as they read thus making the reader more engaged.
• It keeps the reader from becoming bored while reading.
• It sets a purpose for reading and keeps the reader focused.
• Readers can see how other readers connected to the reading.
• It forces readers to become actively involved.
• It helps readers remember what they have read and ask questions about the text.
How to Use the Strategy:
To effectively use this strategy, teachers should spend time modeling for students how to make meaningful connections. The easiest connection to teach is text-to-self. Teachers should model text-to-self connections initially with selections that are relatively close to the student's personal experiences. A key phrase that prompts text-to-self connections is, "this reminds me of...." Next, teachers should model how to make text-to-text connections. Sometimes when we read, we are reminded of other texts we have read. Encourage students to consider the variety of texts they have experienced which will help them understand the new selection. Finally, teachers should model how to make text-to-world connections. When teachers suspect that students may lack the ability to make meaningful connections, classroom instruction will be necessary to bridge the gap between reading experiences and author assumptions. Building the necessary background knowledge is a crucial means for providing text-to-world support and may be used to pre-empt reading failure. Harvey and Goudvis (2000) caution that merely making connections is not sufficient. Students may make tangential connections that can distract them from the text. Throughout instruction, students need to be challenged to analyze how their connections are contributing to their understanding of the text. Text connections should lead to text comprehension.
Below are some examples of connecting statements for students to use as a reference or teachers can use them as prompts for classroom discussion.
This part reminds me of....
I felt like...(character) when I....
If that happened to me I would....
This book reminds me of...(another text) because....
I can relate to...(part of text) because one time....
Something similar happened to me when....
Below are some examples of questions that can be used to facilitate student connections:
Text-to-self:
What does this remind me of in my life?
What is this similar to in my life?
How is this different from my life?
Has something like this ever happened to me?
How does this relate to my life?
What were my feelings when I read this?
Text-to-text:
What does this remind me of in another book I’ve read?
How is this text similar to other things I’ve read?
How is this different from other books I’ve read?
Have I read about something like this before?
Text-to-world:
What does this remind me of in the real world?
How is this text similar to things that happen in the real world?
How is this different from things that happen in the real world?
How did that part relate to the world around me?
Ideas for Assessment:
The Making Connections strategy will help teachers assess how students use prior knowledge to understand text. In terms of informal assessment, teachers can use the organizers to gain insights into students’ connections as they are reading. The use of this simple strategy on an ongoing basis will allow teachers to provide additional (differentiated) instruction and support to students who need additional instruction. In addition, teachers will able to plan for further instruction. This strategy can be used with varied texts.
Another option for assessing this strategy is the Major Point Interview found in Mosaic of Thought (Keene & Zimmerman, 1997). This assessment can be given as an interview or in written response form. The Major Point Interview assesses the student’s ability to use the strategy through a series of questions. The students’ answers are scored using a rubric.
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(Click on the graphic above to go to a pdf file of the Making Connections worksheets or go to the html file.)
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(Click on the graphic above to go to a pdf file of a sample elementary Text-to-Self Connections worksheet.)
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(Click on the graphic above to go to a pdf file of a sample elementary Text-to-Text Connections worksheet.)
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(Click on the graphic above to go to a pdf file of a sample secondary Text-to-World Connections worksheet from an independent reading project.)
For more informative links on the making connections strategy see the following:
• - Mosaic Listserv Tools. You will find tools used by teachers implementing Mosaic of Thought in the classroom.
• - this site has information on making connections and sample classroom activities.
• - this site contains additional reading strategies that can be used with each type of text connection.
• - this site contains information on using the making connections strategy in a reading workshop. Included is a listing of books that can be used to teach the strategy.
• - this site contains a sample lesson plan for teaching text-to-self connections.
• - this site contains downloadable posters and bookmarks on making connections.
• - Read Write Think lesson plan for making connections using a double entry diary.
References
Buehl, D. Comprehension Teaching Learning Activity Articles: "Yeah, that reminds me of...." Retrived Octover 6, 2004 from
Florida Online Reading Professional Development (2004). Lesson 8: Scaffolding Students’ Comprehension and Guiding Students Toward Independence in Reading. University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. Available at:
Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Keene, E. & Zimmerman, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Tovani, C. (2000). I read it, but I don’t get it: Comprehension strategies for adolescent readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Practice Question(s)
Obtained from
SRs
| |
|Topic E. General Reading Comprehension |
|Indicator 4. Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) |
|Objective h. Connect the text to prior knowledge or personal experience |
|Assessment limit: Prior knowledge that clarifies, extends, or challenges the ideas in the text or a portion of the text |
|Selected Response Item |
|Read the story ''Being a Fish'' (see page 10 for text) and answer the following question. |Correct Answer: |
|You would most likely find an article like this in a book about _____. |C |
|farm animals | |
|water fun | |
|sea life | |
|fishing | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_011.xml | |
BCRs
A. In the article, the author states, “________________” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use your prior knowledge and experience as well as details from the article to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
B. Do you know someone like ______________ (character in the story)? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
C. Who would be interested in reading this type of selection? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
D. Why would someone read this selection? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
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Inference
Testing Tips
Having students act as reading detectives will help them infer. Tell them that authors leave clues in their writings to help the reader read “between the lines.” Making an inference is making the best judgment from the facts at hand. Simple role playing or analyzing non print text can be used to help students begin inferring. Looking at a picture of someone wearing a raincoat and umbrella can lead students to say it is raining. A picture of someone who is frowning can lead a student to infer that the person is sad or angry. Then apply these same clues in written form and have students make the same inferences (i.e. the boy was wearing his raincoat and carrying an umbrella when e entered the building.). Let me know these are the types of clues that they are searching for in text. Make an interpretation on a BCR requires students to infer or to make a new idea based on what they know and what they read.
Seed Lessons
Informational Text (Obtained from )
• Provide students with an uncaptioned picture/illustration from an informational passage. Have students make predictions about what is happening in the picture/illustration. Have students read the accompanying passage and then judge how accurate were their predictions. A similar procedure with a twist is to divide students into groups and give them all the same picture but tell them that each group has a different picture. Have them share group interpretations with the class without revealing the picture until the conclusion.
• Provide students with an informational passage to read. After students have read give students a conclusion using information from the article. Have students return to the text and highlight or record the information that would lead to this conclusion. The reverse can be done. Give students the supporting information and have them draw the conclusion.
• Place students in 7 small groups. Provide each group with an informational passage and a chart where the following elements are recorded: Text Purpose, Intended Audience, Author's Argument, Viewpoint, or Perspective, Main Idea/s, Message/s, Information Unrelated to Main Idea, and Relationship between Ideas. Assign each group a specialty that aligns with an element on the chart. Rotate among the groups 7 different informational passages. Each group will read the passage and record a response for their assigned specialty. Once the full rotation is complete and charts are complete for each passage, the groups reorganize with an "expert" from each of the 7 elements in each group. Since each element has now been analyzed, students will conduct a review of the entire passage. Each group will report to the entire class how each element of the passage contributed to understanding the entire text.
• First model this activity for students. Present students with an informational passage for which text purpose, intended audience, author's argument, viewpoint, or perspective , main idea/s, message/s, information unrelated to main idea, and relationship between ideas has been identified. Teacher and students will discuss how each element contributes to understanding the entire text. The teacher will change one element, present it to the students and discuss how that change may alter the understanding of individual elements or the entire text. Students practice the same process either individually, with a partner, or in small groups. Once completed, students will share results with another student, pair of students, or small group.
Practice Question(s)
|Read the story ''Being a Fish'' and answer the following question. |Correct Answer: |
|How do fish hear? |B |
|With ears | |
|By feeling | |
|By tasting | |
|By smelling | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_012.xml | |
Making Inferences
Main Idea
Testing Tips
Main idea is a two step process including identifying the topic/subject of the selection and then identifying what the author is saying about the topic. Students should be able to identify a main idea in the first sentence, last sentence, or an implied main idea. Students should also be able to use text features such as a title or heading to help identify the topic/subject. There are many words that will appear on the MSA that require students to find the main idea including mostly, mainly, message, moral, theme lesson learned , or important idea. Have students identify these key words in the questions and find the main idea to answer the questions. Student should also understand that the main idea of a paragraph can be the same or different from the entire selection.
Seed Lessons
Literary Text (Obtained from )
The teacher will place students in small groups and provide them with a literary text. After reading the text, students will be given envelopes which contain sentence strips. The sentence strips will list the main idea of the literary text, supporting details for that main idea, and details that do not support the main idea. The group of students must isolate the main idea and its supporting details from the available materials. Students will share their answers with other class members.
After students have read a required literary text, they will discuss the passage. During class discussion, the teacher will record the important ideas in the passage and ask students to give him/her supporting details for those important ideas. When the discussion is concluded, the teacher will place the students in small groups. Each group will be asked to create an alternate title for the passage and then present it to the rest of the class. During the presentation students will show how their title reflects an important idea in the passage.
Prior to reading, students will be asked to share times when someone did something kind for them or they were kind to another. The teacher will state that kindness is often a topic for themes in literary works. Students will then read Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" or a like-themed literary passage. While students read these passages they should record the ways in which kindness is shown in these texts. After reading, students should share with the entire class the evidences of kindness they found. Next, with teacher assistance, students should form a theme statement for the text. Following this, the teacher should place students into small groups giving each group a text which they must read and analyze to complete the following chart.
|Title |Theme Topic |Supporting Details for Theme |Theme Statement |Application to Real Life Situations |
| | | | | |
As texts are passed from one group to another, each text should be entered on the chart. Once all groups have seen all the texts, students will share their responses with the other members of the class.
As students read a novel or any longer literary work, they will track the development of theme. When appropriate at certain stages in the novel, teacher and students will isolate theme topics and will develop theme statements. In small groups or as an entire class with teacher direction, students will trace the beginning of the theme to its conclusion. Students will identify the origin of the theme. Did it begin with character, setting, or conflict or a combination of elements? Teacher Note: A suggested way for students to see the interrelatedness of narrative elements is to map the novel's plot and then alongside plot the origin and development of the theme/s. Once students have completed tracking the theme, in a class or small group discussion they should apply the theme to real-life situations.
Students will read 2 texts that have been paired for their similarity of theme. A suggestion is The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleishman and The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. Once students have read both texts, both teacher and students will record any likenesses between the two texts. With teacher direction, students will isolate those likenesses of ideas between the texts that comprise the theme. Then students will compose a theme statement/s for the paired texts. Students will return to the list of likenesses and select items on the list that serve as support for the theme/s. At the conclusion of this activity students should be able to state a theme from paired texts and use text support to justify it.
As students read a series of text throughout a unit, marking period, or any other designated period of time, with teacher direction students should isolate theme topics and then develop theme statements for each text. At the conclusion of the designated time, a gallery walk should be organized where an entry for each text is displayed. The entry should list the theme and other pertinent information about each text. As students participate in the gallery walk they should look for a series of texts that contain similar themes and make note of them. After the gallery walk students and teacher should discuss the texts grouped by theme, present their findings to the class and justify their grouping.
Students should read multiple versions of the same literary text. (For example, The Three Little Pigs) After reading each text, teacher and students should talk about particular narrative elements: plot, setting, characters, and theme. Once all versions have been read, the teacher should begin a categorizing activity by designating a particular area on the board to place the title of one of the stories. (If titles are the same, differentiate them by numbering.) Then students should be instructed to review the remaining versions and select one that can join the original one on the board. As the activity continues, different places on the board may be needed to accommodate texts that are too different to be categorized together. Once the categorizing is complete students should look at those they grouped together, examine their themes, and, if necessary, adjust the theme statements.
The teacher will select and provide students with a variety of literary texts with similar stated and implied themes. A suggestion is the works of Gary Soto. In addition the teacher will give each student a copy of the following chart.
|Text A |Text B |
|Author's methods to reveal theme (character, imagery, dialogue etc…) |Authors methods to reveal theme (character, imagery, dialogue etc…) |
|Method One: |Method One: |
|Text Support |Text Support |
|Method Two: |Method Two: |
|Text Support |Text Support |
|Lesson/s learned by character/s |Lesson/s learned by character/s |
| | |
|Idea/Theme in Text |Idea/Theme in Text |
| | |
|Shared Idea/s or Theme/s in Both Texts |Text Support (Texts A and B) |
| | |
As students read, they should be encouraged to note any similarities between the texts keeping in mind that the tracking of similar themes is the ultimate goal. After reading, the teacher and class will discuss all of the similarities, beginning with broad likenesses and finally focusing on idea/theme likenesses. Next, the teacher should model as well as direct students in the completion of the chart. Once charts are completed, students will share their findings with the rest of the class.
Informational Text (Obtained from )
• Provide students with informational text/s. Explain to students that they are able to better understand an author's most significant points in written text by identifying the main idea of each paragraph. As students read their individual texts, they are instructed to underline the main ideas or supporting details of at least four different paragraphs. Classroom discussion should lead them to the following conclusions: The main idea may be stated at the beginning, middle, or end of the paragraph. It may also not be directly stated, but suggested by details.
• Provide students an informational passage from which all subheadings have been removed and replaced with numbers. Have students read each section and write a subheading that captures the main idea of that section. Share the subheadings with the entire class to determine their accuracy or appropriateness.
• Teacher will provide students with an informational passage. Before reading provide students with the topic of the text's message. As students read, they should highlight, post note, or record any information relating to the topic. Once reading is complete, discuss with students everything the author says about the topic. From this information conclude the author's message.
• Read an informational passage. After reading is complete, show students a list of statements drawn from the passage which include statements of detail, example, main idea, and message. Have students categorize the statements according to their purpose. Share the results and discuss any conflicts to ensure understanding. Take message statement/s and return to the text to find supporting details.
Practice Question(s)
SRs (Obtained from )
|Read the story ''Being a Fish'‘ (see previous page 10 for text) and answer the following question. |Correct Answer: |
|This story mainly tells _____. |A |
|how fish are different from people | |
|how many kinds of fish there are | |
|where fish can be found | |
|how fish swim | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_009.xml | |
BCRs
What lesson can be learned from the selection? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in this space below.
A. What could the author have included to help the reader better understand the text? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
B. What is the text mostly about? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
C. What is the third and fourth paragraph mainly about? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
D. What is the selection mainly about? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
E. What is another good title for this story? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
F. Is this a good title for the story? Use details from the selection to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
G. What did the author do to help the reader better understand the text? Use details from the selection to support your answer.
H. After reading the article, what important ideas did you learn about being a friend? Write your answer in the space below.
Finding the Main Idea
Drawing Conclusions
Testing Tips
Drawing conclusions uses same thinking process as finding the main idea. The graphic organizers are very similar. The student needs to identify facts or details to support a conclusion from the text. It is important for students to be able to determine importance so that the details they find align with the conclusions that were made. Some students will draw conclusions and then find details to support their conclusions while other students will need to identify details and then draw a conclusion (it depends on whether they are inductive or deductive thinks). Identifying a character trait is also a drawing a conclusion (the three details are more defined into what a character thinks, says, and does).
Seed Lessons
Literary Text (Obtained from )
After reading a narrative text, small groups of students will be assigned a character and have identified for them a single trait that character possesses. Students will return to the text to justify how that character has that trait and complete the information on the chart below.
What a character...
|Says |Thinks |Does |
| | | |
Next students will return again to text and find further justification for the trait from the responses of other character.
What other characters...
|Say |Think |Do |
| | | |
A presenter from each small group of students should share their findings with the entire class.
Before students read a narrative text, the teacher will share with them quotes from a single character in the text. Students will discuss and predict what type of character this might be based upon what the character says. After reading the selection students may modify or reaffirm their initial predictions to give an accurate description of this character. In their discussion of the character students must give additional text information to reaffirm their predictions or deliver new text support to refute an initial prediction.
Prior to students reading a narrative text, the teacher will model the difference between static and dynamic characters using characters from a previous reading or film clip. In addition, the teacher will divide the text into two sections. As students read the first section of the narrative text, they will complete a graphic organizer that addresses various ways characters are developed and then discuss their findings with the class. Next students will complete reading the text and complete the second part of the organizer. Using the text details, teacher and students will compare the character from the beginning to the end of the text and determine whether that character is static or dynamic.
The teacher should select a narrative text which features multiple main characters. After students have read the text, place them in small groups. Assign each group a character to analyze. Have each group return to the text and each member of the group should record three important things their character did, two important things their character said, and one important thing their character thought. Once this is complete, the teacher should rearrange the groups so that a mix of different characters is present in each newly formed group. Next students should use their character notes to discuss how their characters interact with each other.
Informational Text (Obtained from )
• Provide students with an uncaptioned picture/illustration from an informational passage. Have students make predictions about what is happening in the picture/illustration. Have students read the accompanying passage and then judge how accurate were their predictions. A similar procedure with a twist is to divide students into groups and give them all the same picture but tell them that each group has a different picture. Have them share group interpretations with the class without revealing the picture until the conclusion.
• Provide students with an informational passage to read. After students have read give students a conclusion using information from the article. Have students return to the text and highlight or record the information that would lead to this conclusion. The reverse can be done. Give students the supporting information and have them draw the conclusion.
• Place students in 7 small groups. Provide each group with an informational passage and a chart where the following elements are recorded: Text Purpose, Intended Audience, Author's Argument, Viewpoint, or Perspective, Main Idea/s, Message/s, Information Unrelated to Main Idea, and Relationship between Ideas. Assign each group a specialty that aligns with an element on the chart. Rotate among the groups 7 different informational passages. Each group will read the passage and record a response for their assigned specialty. Once the full rotation is complete and charts are complete for each passage, the groups reorganize with an "expert" from each of the 7 elements in each group. Since each element has now been analyzed, students will conduct a review of the entire passage. Each group will report to the entire class how each element of the passage contributed to understanding the entire text.
• First model this activity for students. Present students with an informational passage for which text purpose, intended audience, author's argument, viewpoint, or perspective , main idea/s, message/s, information unrelated to main idea, and relationship between ideas has been identified. Teacher and students will discuss how each element contributes to understanding the entire text. The teacher will change one element, present it to the students and discuss how that change may alter the understanding of individual elements or the entire text. Students practice the same process either individually, with a partner, or in small groups. Once completed, students will share results with another student, pair of students, or small group.
Practice Question(s)
SRs
The following item was obtained from .
Summer Palace
By Heidi Chang
"Here, Yeh Yeh (grandfather), I drew another picture for you."
"Ah, Sasha, you are getting so good now," her grandfather said. Sasha liked to draw so much. She could spend hours at the kitchen table drawing. Sasha especially liked giving her drawings to her grandfather.
Yeh Yeh hung all of Sasha's pictures in his study. It made Sasha feel special. Her grandfather always found a place for them.
"What is this drawing, Sasha?" her yeh yeh asked, putting on his glasses and looking closely. Sasha liked the way her grandfather took time to talk about her drawings.
"Well, that's Dad coming home from work and taking off his shoes," Sasha said.
"It's very nice. I think I'll put it here right next to my books." Sasha's grandfather had been a scholar in China and had a lot of books. Many of them were old and taped together. She knew the story of when Yeh Yeh left China. All he packed in his two suitcases were books. Sasha knew how much Yeh Yeh's books meant to him. She was proud to have her drawings hang above them.
"I'm glad you always like my drawings, Yeh Yeh," Sasha said.
"Your drawings are very special to me, Sasha," he said. "Do you know why?" "Well, probably because I'm your granddaughter," she laughed.
"Yes, I suppose," her grandfather said, removing his glasses. He patted Sasha on the head. "I never told you this before because I thought you were too young to understand. But your drawings remind me of my father."
"They do? Why?" she asked.
"Well, he was an artist. He came to Beijing from a small village in China. He was a young man at the time when they were building Yi He Yuan, the Summer Palace. He was one of the major craftspeople who worked on it. It is a famous garden in China and has some of the most beautiful buildings."
"Wow, Yeh Yeh. I didn't know that," Sasha said. "He liked to draw, too?"
"Yes, Sasha. So you see, I am so glad you like to draw. Every time you give me a drawing, I think of my father."
Sasha smiled and looked around at all her pictures on the walls. She felt happy to have given her grandfather so many memories.
|1. Read the story ''Summer Palace'' and answer the following question. |Correct Answer: |
|What do you think Sasha will do next? |C |
|read a book to her grandfather | |
|sit at the kitchen table with her grandfather | |
|draw another picture for her grandfather | |
|go to the Summer Palace with her grandfather | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_4_012.xml | |
BCRs
The following item was obtained from .
Follow That Horse
By Shannon Teper
Cuddles is on the job! Her owner, Dan Shaw, grips the handle of her harness. He says, "Take a walk," and the pair starts off. Because he is blind, Dan can't see the road ahead, but he knows he's safe with Cuddles. Cuddles is one of only a few trained guide horses for blind people.
Cuddles, a chestnut miniature horse, stands knee-high next to Dan. At 26 inches tall and 80 pounds, she's the size of a large dog. Since Cuddles is compact, rides elevators, fits under restaurant tables, and flies with Dan on an airplane. Cuddles is also housebroken. A horse that isn't housebroken cannot be a guide horse.
People expect to see a guide dog leading a blind person, but a guide horse is something new!
Wherever she goes, Cuddles wears four tiny sneakers. At first, the sneakers must have felt strange. Cuddles lifted her hooves high and tried to step out of them. Now she wears sneakers everywhere. They protect her hooves from being hurt by broken glass or hot pavement, and from slipping on polished floors.
Cuddles is the first miniature horse to guide a blind owner. Janet and Don Burleson trained Cuddles at the Guide Horse Foundation in Kittrell, North Carolina. The Burlesons wanted to offer another choice to blind people who are allergic to or afraid of dogs.
Dan feels more comfortable being guided by a horse. "I've loved horses all my life. I'm proud to walk down the street with a horse," he said.
Cuddles learned 23 different commands during her training. Like guide dogs, guide horses learn commands such as forward, right, and left, as well as requests such as Find the door. Cuddles also learned to "spook in place," to stand still instead of running away when something frightens her.
"I'm proud to walk down the street with a horse," Dan said.
To keep Dan safe, Cuddles was taught to decide when to disobey. If Dan commands her to cross the street when a car is coming, Cuddles won't cross.
Cuddles saved Dan from danger recently when a bike raced into his path. She quickly stepped between him and the bicycle. "She makes sure I'm safe," Dan said.
Cuddles has been guiding Dan since May 2001. Now he wouldn't be without her. Dan says, "The best thing about Cuddles is the freedom and independence she's given me. She's brought a lot of happiness to my life."
1. Read the article 'Follow That Horse' and answer the following question.
Explain how information in the article shows how Cuddles changed Dan's life. In your response, use information from the article that supports your explanation.
Additional BCRs
A. What do _____________’s (character) words and actions show about him/her? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
B. Why/How does ________________(character) change over time? Use details from the text to support your answer. Write your answer in the space below.
C. What conclusions can you draw about____________________? Use facts from the text to support your answer.
Drawing Conclusions
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Paraphrase
Testing Tips
Paraphrasing a text is an important skill that is used in conjunction with other big eight skills. Paraphrasing a text will also aid students in critically thinking about the author’s use of language as well as assist students in determining the meaning of lines and stanza in poetry. The key to paraphrasing is building a good vocabulary including the mastery of multiple meaning words and synonyms. Synonyms will assist students in putting the text in their own words. Knowledge of multiple meaning words will assist them in understanding the interpretative meaning of a text as well as the literal meaning.
Seed Lessons
Literary Text (Obtained from )
This activity requires students to have prior knowledge of the multiple meanings of words. The teacher will select at least four different poems which contain a word or words with multiple meanings which is important to the understanding of the poem. The teacher will create a chart for each multiple meaning word placing the word at the top of the chart and dividing the remainder of the chart into four squares. The charts should be placed in various areas of the classroom. The class should be divided into the number of small groups which will allow one group to each chart. The group members for each chart will draw a picture depicting a different meaning for that chart's word. After the pictures are complete, a student or teacher should read aloud the poem from which that word comes. Then students need to decide which picture accurately shows the meaning of the word as it is used in the poem. Continue with this activity until all words' meanings have been decided.
To prepare for this activity, the teacher will organize a four square graphic organizer. Square One requires a student to summarize the poem. Square Two requires a student to decide whether the poem has a message, and, if it does, to record that message. Square Three requires the reader to identify and record key words or phrases from the poem. Square Four requires the reader to record any questions they may have about the poem. Next, place students in small groups providing each group with the four square organizer and a poem. Students should read the poem and then cooperatively complete the organizer. Each group should share its completed organizer with the rest of the class.
To prepare for this activity the teacher should select an age appropriate poem of eight to ten lines and print each line of the poem on an individual sentence strip. To begin the activity with students the teacher should select eight to ten students to receive a poetry line sentence strip. These students should position themselves in an open area of the classroom and remaining students should form a circle around them in a Fishbowl configuration. Each student holding a sentence strip should read aloud its line of poetry and offer, if possible, a restatement of its meaning. Any student in the outer circle may also offer suggestions regarding the meaning of the line. Once each student has shared his/her line and its meaning has been suggested, students in the outer circle may direct students in the inner circle to place themselves to show the correct order of lines in the poem. Once the correct order has been set, a student should read aloud the entire poem. Next students and teacher should discuss the meaning of the complete poem with attention given to whether or not the suggested line meanings change when the complete poem is considered.
Once the teacher has instructed students about the difference between the poet and the speaker of the poem, students should be able to read and complete the following chart independently. The teacher should provide students with an age appropriate poem that they will read silently. A suggestion: lyric poetry works well with this activity. Once students have read the poem they may complete the chart individually, with a partner, or with a small group.
|Speaker Identification |Text Source |
|Male/Female | |
|Species | |
|Age | |
|Cultural Background | |
|Other Text Specific Identifiers | |
The teacher and students should discuss answers to verify correctness. The same activity can be completed with small groups of students reading different poems.
The teacher will select a variety of age appropriate poems and compose paraphrases of each poem for student instruction. The teacher will read aloud a selected poem and then read aloud the accompanying paraphrase. Then teacher and students will discuss how the paraphrase is different from the original poem, how it is the same, and how a paraphrase helps one construct their own meaning of a text. Next, the teacher will give the remaining poems to students and have them match the remaining paraphrases to the original text. Finally students should be given a final poem that they will read silently and then paraphrase orally or in written form.
To help students distinguish the speaker of the poem from the poet, the teacher should review the role of the narrator in prose. Once students understand the role of the narrator in prose, they can transfer that information to a piece of narrative poetry. First students should read an age appropriate narrative poem. Next, students should identify the point of view of the speaker of the poem as first person (a character in the poem), third person (a character not in the poem who observes and then reports actions within the poem), third person limited (a character not in the poem but with insight into the thoughts of a single character in the poem), or third person omniscient (a character not in the poem but with insight into the thoughts of all the characters in the poem). Through discussion, students should come to understand that the speaker of the poem like a narrator in prose is a creation of the poet. Finally students should be able to identify characteristics of the speaker of the poem. An extension of this activity would require students to select another character in the narrative poem to serve as the speaker and discuss how the poem would change were the speaker to change.
Students will read an age appropriate poem. After reading the poem the teacher will provide students with an accompanying text related to the poem: brief biography of the poet, information about the poem's time period, information about any poetry feature, etc…Students will read that text for further information. Prior to giving students the accompanying text, the teacher will have extracted particular words and phrases from that text and recorded them on slips of paper, note cards, etc…Next, students will be placed in small groups; each group will be given a set of the extracted words and phrases. The group of students will be instructed to construct a poem from those words and phrases that will mirror the importance of the information in the prose passage. Students may use a combination of long and short lines, single word lines, repetition of words, etc…to emphasize the importance of word placement in poetry. When each poem has been organized, each group will present the poem to the class and explain the significance of the word placement.
Informational Text (Obtained from )
• Read an informational text. Provide students with several different summaries written about that same informational text. Have students read each summary and determine which one is the best summary of the text based upon the criteria for summarization found in clarifications. Have students verbalize the points that make it the best summary while verbalizing the problems with the other summaries.
• Read an informational passage. Show students a series of sentence strips on which are written information from the passage. Using the criteria for summarization, have students select the strips that should be used for a summary. Next, have students organize the strips in summary order. After organization is complete, students should read the summary and make adjustments if necessary. As adjustments are made, students should justify/explain the changes.
• Read an informational text. Have students record important facts from the article on word cards, in a bulleted list, or in a double entry journal. Have students put the word cards on one side of their desk. On blank cards adjacent to the original word cards students are to rewrite these facts in their own words; the same can be done with the bulleted list. Students will then write a summary of the text in their own words.
• Read excerpts from an informational text. Using the criteria for paraphrasing found in clarifications students should review several different paraphrases of portions of the informational text. Have students select the accurate paraphrasing of the portion of text. Students should be able to verbalize why their choice is the best as well as identify the problems with the other choices.
Practice Question(s)
(Obtained from )
|Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item |
|Read the article 'The Pudding Like a Night on the Sea' (text appears later in this document) and | |
|answer the following question. | |
|Read what Julian says in paragraph 4. | |
|Huey and I guarded the pudding. | |
| | |
|Explain whether guarded is a good word for Julian to use to describe the boys' actions in this | |
|story. In your response, use words and phrases from the story that support your explanation. Write | |
|your answer on your answer document. | |
|Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item |
|Read the article 'Protecting the Pandas' (text appears earlier in this document) and answer the | |
|following question. | |
|The author says that giant pandas are "special creatures." Explain whether the word special is a | |
|good word to use to describe the giant panda. In your response, use information from the article | |
|that supports your answer. Write your answer on your answer document. | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela | |
Summary
Testing Tips
Students need to understand the difference between retelling a text and summarizing a text. In a good summary, students should include details from the beginning, middle, and end of a selection. Determining importance and paraphrasing are key pre-requisites in writing a summary. Students must also be able to identify the main idea.
Seed Lessons
(Obtained from )
Retelling
Students will read a literary text. After reading is complete, the teacher will divide the story into a beginning, middle, and end being specific about the events that start and stop each section. Next the teacher will place students in groups of three. Each student will be assigned the beginning, middle, or end of the story. That student must retell his/her section of the story to the other two students in his/her group.
The teacher will read aloud a portion of or a complete literary text to the students. After reading is complete, the teacher will provide each student with a specified portion of the text just read. The student should reread only that portion of text with the purpose of retelling that portion to the entire class or a small group.
Literary Text
The teacher will provide each student with a short literary text and its summary. Students will read both and, through class discussion, develop a student meaning for the term "summary." Next, students should be placed in small groups and provided with two folders one of which contains original literary text and the second which contains summaries of those literary texts. Group members should read texts in both folders and then match the original with its summary. Groups should share their findings with the remainder of the class.
Students will read a literary text. After the reading is complete, the teacher will share with students a completed story map of the text. Using the story map as a scaffold the teacher will orally summarize the literary text. Next, students will read another literary text for which a completed story map is provided. Students will follow the teacher's model and orally summarize the literary text. As an extension, the teacher may record students' oral summaries and then replay them so that students may focus on what they have done well as well as to catch any errors in summarizing.
The teacher will provide students with a disposable section of a literary text and have them read the text with the purpose of summarizing it. With teacher direction, students will highlight text ideas that are not important to a general understanding of the text and important text ideas that are redundant leaving those important ideas with only a single appearance in the disposable text. Next, students should categorize any like ideas that may appear in the text like Nikes, Air Jordans, and Adidas that may be grouped in a summary as tennis shoes. The teacher should direct students to focus on the non-highlighted portions of the text, and the teacher will then orally summarize the text using those portions as a guide. This process may be completed with teacher monitoring with the goal of having students complete the oral summary.
Place students in groups of five. Give each student a copy of a literary text to read with the purpose of creating a summary. Assign each student his/her area of focus. They could be characters, setting, plot, theme, and point of view. As students read they should take notes relating to that focus area. Once reading is complete, students should share their notes with other members of the group. Each group should attend to the information for that narrative element and select only those elements necessary to a summary of the text. Each element should be analyzed. Once all elements have been reviewed, students in the group should orally compose a summary of the text to share with other class members.
• Read an informational text. Provide students with several different summaries written about that same informational text. Have students read each summary and determine which one is the best summary of the text based upon the criteria for summarization found in clarifications. Have students verbalize the points that make it the best summary while verbalizing the problems with the other summaries.
• Read an informational passage. Show students a series of sentence strips on which are written information from the passage. Using the criteria for summarization, have students select the strips that should be used for a summary. Next, have students organize the strips in summary order. After organization is complete, students should read the summary and make adjustments if necessary. As adjustments are made, students should justify/explain the changes.
• Read an informational text. Have students record important facts from the article on word cards, in a bulleted list, or in a double entry journal. Have students put the word cards on one side of their desk. On blank cards adjacent to the original word cards students are to rewrite these facts in their own words; the same can be done with the bulleted list. Students will then write a summary of the text in their own words.
• Read excerpts from an informational text. Using the criteria for paraphrasing found in clarifications students should review several different paraphrases of portions of the informational text. Have students select the accurate paraphrasing of the portion of text. Students should be able to verbalize why their choice is the best as well as identify the problems with the other choices.
Practice Question(s)
(Obtained from )
1. Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' (see page 10 for text) and answer the following question.
Write a summary of this story. Use the sentence below to begin your summary.
One day, some animals watched a big moose drink water from the river.
Write your answer on your answer document.
hare/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_
|Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' and answer the following question. |Correct Answer: |
|2. What is the main idea of the story? |C |
|A moose drinks all the water from a river | |
|A group of animals is afraid of a big moose | |
|A fly gets rid of a troublesome moose | |
|A group of animals is always quarreling | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_001.xml | |
|Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item |
|3. Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' and answer the following question. | |
|What lesson could someone learn from this story? Use details from the story to support your answer. | |
|Write your answer on your answer document. | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela | |
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Word Study
Clarification
(Obtained from )
Acquiring and Using Vocabulary: To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, students should use the words, phrases, and sentences that surround unfamiliar words to develop a meaning for new vocabulary. These surrounding words, phrases, and sentences may offer clues to the meaning of the unfamiliar word. These clues might offer a meaning for the unknown word through a synonym, antonym, descriptive clues, or situational details, etc… Using these context clues can help a student access the meaning of above grade level words and words with multiple meanings.
To further new word acquisition, a reader should analyze the structure of an unknown word. By investigating the roots, prefixes, and suffixes of unfamiliar words, students should note common or familiar parts of that word and determine the meaning of the new word through deconstruction. Once meaning of individual parts of the word have been determined, the meaning of the entire word is possible.
Individually, a student can clarify and confirm the meaning and history of a new vocabulary word by accessing available resources. These resources include but are not limited to traditional and electronic versions of dictionaries and thesauruses as well as information within the text itself such as glossaries, footnotes, sidebars, and various text features.
Once new vocabulary has been added, a student should solidify the knowledge of those words by incorporating them into writing and speaking assignments. In whole class and small group discussions students should attempt to use them within a proper context. Doing so will embed knowledge not only of the individual word or words but also offer practice in the language of the discipline. When writing for explanatory, descriptive, or narrative purposes, a student should include newly acquired vocabulary. Continued use of new vocabulary assists a student in internalizing these new words and becoming conversant in vocabulary aligned with the instruction of a variety of subjects.
To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, a reader should be able to retain a sufficient knowledge of vocabulary that allows that student to develop a deeper understanding of individual words and to perceive the different relationships that exist among them. To begin the process, students should be able to sort words that they already know into conceptual categories. Conceptual refers to the main or most important idea of a given category. For example, placing items in categories that denote what is small in opposition to what is large is working with two conceptual categories. As students increase their vocabulary skills, the conceptual categories become more complex as does the degree of the vocabulary words. Layers of word meaning, multiple meanings of words, and their syntax should add to the difficulty of the categorization.
Once words have been placed in categories, students should be able to justify their categorization of those words by addressing the commonalities of them. Simply, students should define the broad, collective idea that links the words within a category but should also be able to note the fine differences among those same words. Given new words, students should recognize the commonalities or differences they have in relationship to those words already categorized. In that way, prior knowledge of the relationship of words is used to develop understanding of new words.
Then students should demonstrate their knowledge of categorized words in speech, reading, and writing that shows an understanding of the likenesses and differences among words and how these words generate subtle shades of meaning.
To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, students should use the words, phrases, and sentences that surround unfamiliar words to develop a meaning for new vocabulary. These surrounding words, phrases, and sentences may offer clues to the meaning of the unfamiliar word. These clues might offer a meaning for the unknown word through a synonym, antonym, descriptive clues, or situational details, etc… Using these context clues can help a student access the meaning of above grade level words and words with multiple meanings.
To further new word acquisition, a reader should analyze the structure of an unknown word. By investigating the roots, prefixes, and suffixes of unfamiliar words, students should note common or familiar parts of that word and determine the meaning of the new word through deconstruction. Once meaning of individual parts of the word have been determined, the meaning of the entire word is possible.
Individually, a student can clarify and confirm the meaning and history of a new vocabulary word by accessing available resources. These resources include but are not limited to traditional and electronic versions of dictionaries and thesauruses as well as information within the text itself such as glossaries, footnotes, sidebars, and various text features.
Once new vocabulary has been added, a student should solidify the knowledge of those words by incorporating them into writing and speaking assignments. In whole class and small group discussions students should attempt to use them within a proper context. Doing so will embed knowledge not only of the individual word or words but also offer practice in the language of the discipline. When writing for explanatory, descriptive, or narrative purposes, a student should include newly acquired vocabulary. Continued use of new vocabulary assists a student in internalizing these new words and becoming conversant in vocabulary aligned with the instruction of a variety of subjects.
Seed Lessons
(Obtained from )
Prior to the activity, the teacher should model and guide students in creating a personal dictionary or word log where they will record new and/or interesting words encountered in independent reading. As students listen to read-alouds, read independently, or engage in discussions of literary or informational text, they should record their self-selected words in their personal dictionaries or word logs. Each word entry should include a definition written in the student's own words and a graphic clue (symbol, drawing, sketch, etc…) that will prompt the student's memory of the word. Once students have had time to accumulate multiple entries in their dictionaries or word logs, they will meet in small groups. Each student in the group will share a word from his/her dictionary or word log telling the group where the word was encountered, why it drew attention, and then proceed to "teaching" the word to the group members. Then each group member will add the word to his/her dictionary with a student-written definition and graphic clue. Once each student has presented a word, the group will decide which word would be the most useful to include in a working vocabulary. Next the entire group will teach the word to the entire class. Once each group has presented its word the entire class will determine the most useful word for the class which will be added to a class Word Wall.
To begin, the teacher creates a list of words selected from the classroom Word Wall. Next, the class is divided into two teams. To start the activity, each team will select one student to represent the team in a game of "Password." Play begins as the two representatives are given a word and allowed thirty seconds to name a synonym for that word. The player who responds more quickly and correctly within the thirty seconds wins a point for his/her team. The play should rotate through as many students as time will allow. The team which has accumulated the most points wins. An alternate way of playing is to have student players respond with an antonym for a selected word.
Prior to this activity, the teacher will select a literary or informational text to be read aloud to students. The text should meet the requirements of high quality, high interest, and rich vocabulary. Before sharing this text with students, the teacher should select no more than 10 words from the text. The ten words should be written on the board, on the overhead, or chart paper, etc…and should be visible to students during the read-aloud. The teacher should introduce the text to the class by sharing any print, organizational, or graphic text features. As the teacher reads aloud and encounters selected words, the reading should pause as the teacher and students talk about the meaning and use of the word in the text. Once the reading concludes, the teacher can extend the discussion of the words. For example, if the text were literary, the teacher and students could determine how many of the words were used in regard to characters, setting, conflict, etc…Or if the text were informational, discussion could focus on how the words helped a reader understand the solution to a problem or the reasons for a decision, etc…(Teacher Note: When selecting the words prior to reading to the class, the teacher can control the focus of the discussion by selected words that lie in a single category. For example, selected words may be only about characters in a literary text.)
Before reading a selection to students, the teacher should preview the text to select words that can be grouped in a particular category. For example, the category might be size. As the teacher introduces the selection to students, he/she should instruct them to listen for and remember any words they hear that tell about the size of someone or something. Once reading is complete, the teacher should list "size" words on the overhead that students remember from the story. Then each word should be briefly discussed to ensure that all students understand their meanings. Finally, students can share other "size" words that they know which should be added to the existing list.
The teacher should place the class into small groups of no more than five students. Then the teacher will give each group an age-appropriate topic for discussion. Before the discussion begins, the teacher will instruct students that each of them must listen for one unfamiliar word used by another member of the group. After five to eight minutes, the discussion should end. Within the group each student will share the unfamiliar word, and other group members will help that student uncover a correct meaning and use for the word. During the discussion and word discovery, the teacher should monitor and facilitate any difficulties within the group.
The teacher should select a work of art, a piece of music, or a section of a movie or television show. All should be age-appropriate. Have students view or listen to this selection. Once they have time to interact with the art, music, or video, have them suggest words that describe what they have just seen or heard. Students should be able to justify the descriptive word they have chosen based upon the meaning of the word and what they have seen or heard. Once student ideas are exhausted, the teacher should offer some suggestions. Allow students to justify the teacher suggestion or, if they are unable, the teacher should offer the justification. To conclude, each student should choose which three words he/she thought offered the best description.
Prior to reading a selected text, the teacher should give each student a highlighter or sticky notes. The teacher should instruct students to mark 1-3 new or interesting words they discover as they read. After reading, the students should meet in small groups to compare their chosen words. The small group of students should select 5 useful words for class study. Given the lists, the teacher should create a class list of 5-8 words. Next, each group of students should be given a single word for which they will create a visual representation. The group should share this representation with the entire class and then display it on the classroom wall.
To prepare for a number of days of instruction, the teacher should provide each student with a grid containing each letter of the alphabet with enough space provided to write at least one word. As students read independently, are read to, discuss ideas, etc…they should write interesting or unfamiliar words in grid spaces. Teachers should prompt students at various intervals during the day to add to the grid. After a number of instructional days have been completed, students can share favorite new words from their grid with the rest of the class. Next, each student should select one word and complete a word map.
|New Word |Definition |
|Drawing |Example of Use |
An alternate to completing the word map involves a one-to-one meeting with the teacher where the new word is discussed.
Practice Question(s)
(Obtained from )
Phonics (grade 3 only)
|Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which|Correct Answer: |
|of the other three words has the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have |A |
|chosen. | |
|crayon | |
|break | |
|ready | |
|bean | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_015.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which|Correct Answer: |
|of the other three words has the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have |B |
|chosen. | |
|bounce | |
|four | |
|brown | |
|soup | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_016.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which|Correct Answer: |
|of the other three words has the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have |B |
|chosen. | |
|sure | |
|silver | |
|crash | |
|pass | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_017.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In which word does the letter c have the same sound as it does in the word cabin? |Correct Answer: |
|Cabin |B |
|cellar | |
|doctor | |
|race | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_030.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In which word do the letters st have the same sound as they do in the word stone? |Correct Answer: |
|Stone |A |
|stuck | |
|short | |
|split | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_031.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In which word do the letters sm have the same sound as they do in the word smart? |Correct Answer: |
|Smart |C |
|stem | |
|stump | |
|smell | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_032.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In which word do the letters th have the same sound as they do in the word third? |Correct Answer: |
|Third |B |
|they | |
|thin | |
|there | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_033.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|Which word has the same sound as the letters sh in the word wash? |Correct Answer: |
|Wash |A |
|nation | |
|sandwich | |
|sweep | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_034.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In which word does the letter a have the same sound as it does in the word snap? |Correct Answer: |
|Snap |B |
|state | |
|handle | |
|straw | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_035.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In which word does the letter a have the same sound as it does in the word lady? |Correct Answer: |
|Lady |C |
|garden | |
|candle | |
|able | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_036.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|Which word has the same sound as the letter g in the word orange? | |
|Orange | |
|sang | |
|gold | |
|jet | |
Vocabulary
Choose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.
To sprinkle is to _____.
A. boil
B. drag
C. pound
D. scatter
|Selected Response Item |
|Choose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word. |Correct Answer: |
|Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen. |B |
|The bill for our electricity arrived. | |
|In which sentence does the word bill mean the same thing as in the sentence above? | |
|That duck has a large bill. | |
|Did Maida pay this bill yet? | |
|The store will bill you for this wood. | |
|Congress will vote on the bill. | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_019.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|Choose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word. | |
|Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen. | |
|The people began applauding to show Anne that they liked her singing. Applauding means _____. | |
|whispering | |
|calling | |
|clapping | |
|chattering | |
|Selected Response Item |
|In this question, there are three words. Decide which word is made up of two words. Then mark the |Correct Answer: |
|space for the answer you have chosen. |B |
|rescue | |
|windowsill | |
|vegetable | |
|/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_013.xml | |
|Selected Response Item |
|Read this question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen. | |
|In which word does tri mean three? | |
|trip | |
|countries | |
|tricycle | |
Informational Text
Clarification
(Obtained from )
In order to demonstrate proficiency of the skills in this indicator, a reader should be able to develop, apply, and refine comprehension skills by reading a variety of self-selected and assigned print and electronic informational texts. It is essential that a reader have the prerequisite knowledge of the characteristics of informational text. To do so, a reader must have the ability to recognize factual information, determine the organizational structure, and interpret the text features of a non-fiction text.
When a reader accesses a variety of informational primary and secondary sources, he or she must focus on identifying information in those texts that contributes to their meaning. Knowing the functions of print features, graphic aids, informational aids, organizational aids, and online features assists a reader in selecting information and using it purposefully to construct meaning.
Primary Sources
• Personal Narratives
true stories
• Diaries/Journals
daily personal accounts/records
• Letters
written communications
• Research documents
factual investigations
• Historical documents
dated proof of facts
• Speeches
formal, public talk
• Interviews
formal questioning for information
• Commentary
explanation/interpretation
• Editorials
article expressing editor's/publisher's opinion
Secondary Sources
• Textbooks
books used for study of a subject
• References
dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases
• Biographies
account of a person's life
• Newspapers
accounts of current information
• Articles
passage in a periodical
• Web sites/Online materials
information available electronically
• Trade books
booksellers' published materials
• Non-print materials
pictures, drawings, illustrations
• Content-specific texts
texts related to a content/subject
• Periodicals
information published at regular intervals
When a reader accesses functional, workplace, or other real-world documents, applying the knowledge of text features assists a reader in constructing meaning from those documents.
• Direction
instructions to complete a task
• Science investigations
organized inquiries
• Atlases
books of map
• Posters
large, displayed notice
• Flyers
handbill
• Forms
printed papers with blanks to be filled in
• Instructional manuals
handbooks to help readers understand something
• Menus
lists of available food items
• Pamphlets
booklet with information of current interest
• Rules
statements governing behavior
• Invitations
social requests for attendance
• Recipes
instructions for preparing food
• Applications
requests for employment
• Announcements
information made known
• Questionnaires
list of questions to sample opinions
• Surveys
formal inspections
• Schedules
list of when things will take place
• Job descriptions
outline of work requirements
• Technical manuals
handbooks to help readers understand a mechanical or industrial item
• Advertisements
announcements recommending products or services
When a reader selects informational texts based on personal interest, using knowledge of text features will help a reader understand the purpose of those texts and construct meaning from them.
To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, a reader will be able to identify, use, and analyze text features. These text features are purposeful and send visual signals to the reader about the nature and use of the content. As the complexity of texts increases, these features lead readers first to make predictions about the text and later to draw conclusions from the text.
In order to gain full comprehension of a text, a reader should use print features and analyze text features. A reader should take note of the use of bold or italic type, font type and size, colored type, underlining, and quotation marks, which allow insight into the relative importance and organization of a text. These varied uses of print features focus a reader's attention on specific aspects of text and help a reader gauge the importance of ideas and their relationship to each other.
Effective use and analysis of graphic aids is necessary to comprehend informational text. When using graphic aids, a reader should be able to identify the information the aid provides and determine a purpose for its use. Photographs and illustrations with or without captions deliver a quick insight into the content of a text. Cartoons relay an author's attitude and can, with minimum text, serve as a persuasive device. Maps, graphs, diagrams, and tables deliver much information from minimal text. Combining the information a graphic provides with effective use of print features enhances a reader's comprehension of a total text. This, in turn, allows a reader to draw conclusions about the importance of the information.
Using and analyzing informational aids is a vital component in text comprehension. A preview of text helps a reader prepare for accessing information. Timelines, glossed words (words defined within the text), bulleted lists, and pronunciation keys throughout the text assist a reader in securing specialized information that will increase comprehension. Recognition of transitional words helps a reader follow a sequence of events or development of an idea, argument, or persuasion. Footnotes and works cited establish a source from which a student can judge the reliability of a text. Analyzing informational aids in combination with print and graphic aids supports the comprehension of a text.
When a reader uses and analyzes the organizational aids in a text, he or she focuses on a general outline of information that contributes to meaning. Tables of contents set the order in which information is presented while titles, subtitles, headings, and subheadings within a chapter or section establish a sequence or degree of importance of that information. These aids along with other standard features such as glossaries and indices help a reader develop understanding of a text.
To use and analyze online information, a reader needs to use and analyze online features effectively. Once a reader knows the location and use of the URL, he or she can access additional sources of information through hypertext links or drop down menus. Knowing how these features work allows a reader to maneuver through a website to read with purpose and gather information.
• URL
Uniform Resource Locator is the address of the website.
• Home Page
This page is the first one in a website.
• Hypertext Links
Highlighted or underlined text will take a user to another website which has related information. A link to another website is indicated when the cursor moves over highlighted or underlined text and the cursor changes to a hand with a pointed finger. Left clicking the cursor allows a user to access that website.
• Drop Down Menu
These menus and lists are signaled by inverted pyramids. When the inverted pyramid is clicked on, a series of other sources appears.
• Sidebar
Information, such as site maps, lists, or explanations of the site, are set off in boxed text.
Locating the sponsor of a website combined with focused reading helps a reader judge the reliability of a source. Using certain elements of print, graphic, and organizational aids, a reader can make judgments about online text and construct meaning from it.
As readers have more experiences with these skills and with increasingly complex texts, their cognitive abilities will also increase. Experienced readers will be able to identify, explain, and analyze how all text features can support the main idea of a text. Readers will understand how these features contribute to and complement each other to help a reader construct meaning of an entire text.
Seed Lessons
(Obtained from )
• Provide students with two informational passages. As they read each passage, students should write key ideas on post it notes. Use a different color post-it note for each passage. When students have read both passages, have them arrange/group the post-its according to the shared ideas in both passages. Have students verbalize the shared ideas between the passages.
• Students will read an informational passage. The teacher will identify two different relationships that exist within the passage. They may be cause/effect, comparison/contrast, or sequence. Have students determine what, if any, relationship exists between the two identified ideas. If a relationship exists, have students create an appropriate graphic organizer that shows both relationships. This procedure can be done with students in small groups, each group reading a different passage.
• Have students read 2 informational passages in which the message is the same. Identify the message for students. Students should return to the texts and on a divided chart record for each passage the details and the examples each author used to support his/her message. When both are complete have students compare and contrast the information from both passages and determine which passage they thought was the most effective. This procedure can also be done with main idea.
• First model the following procedure with students. Review with students the organization and purpose of multiple graphic organizers. Present students with an informational passage. Students should read the passage and select the best organizer to convey the relationship among ideas in the text. Complete the organizer and present the information to the entire class.
Functional Documents
Students will be asked to perform simple, in-class tasks following sets of directions to create an end product that requires minimal materials. Place students with a partner or in small groups and give each group of students a set of directions and necessary materials to complete the task. After the completion of each task, the teacher and students should review the directions to determine what features of the directions (bold print, graphics, numbered items etc…) helped them understand what to do.
The teacher and students will brainstorm a list of workplace or real-world documents that people must use to work effectively at a job or to be hired for a job. Once the list has been generated, paired students will look at a single sample of one of these documents and identify its characteristics. Next, students will indicate a workplace or real-life situation where this document would prove useful. Finally, if feasible, students should complete or work with the document.
The teacher will assign the students a scenario where they will have to plan a party from beginning to end. Students will be placed in small groups where they will have to determine a list of things to accomplish and the real-world documents that may be necessary to organize the party. Students may suggest invitations, road directions, recipes, thank you notes, rules for games, schedules, poster, flyers etc…Next students need to create or find an example of each of their suggested documents, display them in some manner for a class presentation, and explain the usefulness of each one.
The teacher should organize and have available for student preview a variety of workplace and real-world documents. Teacher and students should discuss the different features found in these various documents. Next, students should be placed in small groups where each group is given a different type of document. Each group should specifically identify the document and its features and then determine a purpose for each feature. Once each document is reviewed, each group should report its findings.
Type of Document ____________________________________________
|Text Feature |This text feature increases my understanding of the document because… |
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Text Features
• The teacher will provide students with an informational text with multiple and varied text features where the main idea has been identified. Students will read the text, locate the text features, determine whether they support the main idea of the text, and explain how those selected features support the main idea of the text.
• The teacher will divide the class into four groups. The members of each group will become specialists on one text feature—print, graphic, informational, and organizational. The teacher will rotate a series of folders or envelopes containing informational texts with multiple and varied text features. As the folders rotate among the groups, students will read the text and focus only on their "special" text feature, recording the type of information it yields and the importance of that information to understanding the text. After the rotation is complete, the teacher will conduct a review of each text. The teacher will select a text and four students, one from each "specialty" group who will explain how that text feature contributes to comprehension of the text.
• Students will read an informational text which has multiple and varied text features but does not have illustrations. The teacher will provide students with multiple illustrations. Students will select a single illustration that enhances the text and existing text features. Next students will explain how the inclusion of that illustration fits the text, citing portions of text as support, to assist a reader in comprehension of the text.
• The teacher will model a think-aloud strategy to choose the most useful manual or set of directions to complete a specific task. For example, the teacher may have three computer manuals and compare the text features of each. He/she will explain why one manual is more useful than the others. The students will then read other informational texts provided by the teacher, and follow the same procedure with a partner or in a small group. As a follow up activity students could follow a set of the directions that they have studied and determine whether their assumptions about usefulness were correct. Students could also work in pairs or small groups to clarify directions that are confusing and share with their classmates how they could make the directions more meaningful/purposeful.
Text Structures
• Text Structures containing an informational text cut into paragraphs. Through sharing and discussion students within each group should correctly organize the text, and then identify the text structure as main idea/supporting details, sequential etc. Each group should present their text to the class explaining how they determined the structure. Teacher Note: It may be necessary to model a passage with the class.
• After instructing students in multiple organizational patterns, the teacher should place the class into teams. On the board designate areas representing each of the organizational patterns. Give each team five paragraphs in individual envelopes. As the game begins, each team should read each paragraph, determine its organizational pattern, and send a runner to the board to place the paragraph in its correct area. Once each team has finished its paragraphs, review each designated area to ensure correct responses. Incorrect responses should be adjusted. If each team has the same five paragraphs, use a different color paper for each team. The first team to correctly identify the organizational pattern of each paragraph is the winner.
• After students have been exposed to using multiple organizational patterns, the teacher will select passages for the students to read that clearly demonstrate the use of specific organizational patterns. On sentence strips list the following: sequential or chronological order, cause/effect, problem/solution, similarities/differences, description, main idea and supporting details, transition/signal words. The students will read the informational text and label each text according to its organization. As a group students will share their work and make necessary corrections.
• Students will be asked to read an assigned informational text. As students read the selections, they will write the name of the selections read under the proper heading that describes how the text is organized.
|Chronological Order |Cause and Effect |Compare and Contrast |Proposition and Support |
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• As students read selections they should realize that authors of informational text often use more than one pattern in a selection. Working with a partner, students will compare their understanding of text organization. Students will then discuss whether or not the author used/did not use the most effective organization or whether or not another type of organization might enhance the existing text.
Practice Question(s)
(Obtained from )
Mischief in the White House
By Jeanie Ransom
Tad Lincoln in a soldier's uniform that the Secretary of War allowed him to wear.
Abe Lincoln's son gave a troubled nation something to smile about.
Would your parents let you drive a cart pulled by goats through the middle of the living room? Or squirt visitors with a fire hose? You'd probably be grounded for decades.
But not Tad Lincoln, the youngest son of America's 16th president. Tad, who was 8 when the Lincolns moved into the White House in 1861, built forts on the White House roof, held plays and puppet shows in the attic and ran a lemonade stand in the White House lobby.
Animals Everywhere
Since his dad, Abraham Lincoln, was the first president with young children living in the White House, people sent lots of gifts— ponies, dogs, rabbits, even a pair of goats. Tad became particularly attached to a turkey that was meant to be the Lincolns' holiday dinner.
Tad named the turkey "Jack" and trained the bird to follow him all over the White House grounds. But when the day came to turn Jack into the main meal, Tad pleaded for his pet's life and his father relented. Jack got a stay of execution from the president.
Keeping Spirits Up
Tad's antics were more than fun and games. They served a useful purpose. The country was in the midst of the Civil War, and stories about Tad helped keep up people's spirits during dark times.
They also helped cheer the president and Mrs. Lincoln, who had lost one son before Tad was born and another boy just a year after the family moved into the White House.
Once, Tad drove his pet goat, Nanko, right through an important party his parents were having. Women dressed in hoop skirts screamed as Tad raced his goat in one door, circled the room, then drove him back out.
Another time, Tad jokingly waved a Confederate flag out the window while his father drilled Union soldiers on the lawn below. Then there was the day the youngster gave some important visitors an unexpected bath with a fire hose.
With so much energy, Tad was very much like the wiggly tadpole his father had nicknamed him after.
Inseparable Friends
Tad's playful nature was a help to the president, who could relax and forget his troubles when he was with his son. They loved to have wrestling matches on the expensive Oriental carpets that were Mrs. Lincoln's pride and joy. Tad and his dad also enjoyed riding horses around the White House grounds.
Tad was often at his dad's side, whether it was to meetings or to visit troops in their camps.
Tad died in 1871 from tuberculosis when he was 18, six years after his father was assassinated.
1. Read the story 'Mischief in the White House' and answer the following question.
Choose a text feature from the article. Explain how that text feature helps the reader understand the article. Use details from the article to support your choice.
Write your answer on your answer document.
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2. Read the story 'Mischief in the White House' and answer the following question.
Which question is not answered in the article?
A. Did Tad's parents ever get angry with him?
B. How did Tad spend his free time?
C. Where in the White House did Tad play?
D. What games did Tad and his father play together?
3. Read the article about toys from the past 'Schoolyard Toys'. Then answer the following.
What text feature could have been added to help a reader better understand the information in the section titled "Hoops?" In your response, use information from the article section called Hoops that supports your answer. Write your answer on your answer document.
Text Features in Non-Fiction
Name: _____________________ Date: ___________
Title: ____________________________________________
Author: __________________________________________
|Text Feature: |Example and Page Number: |
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|Titles | |
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|Headings | |
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|Sub-headings | |
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|Bold Print | |
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|Italicized Print | |
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|Maps | |
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|Illustrations | |
|Diagrams | |
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|Lists | |
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|Other | |
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Literary Text
Clarification
(Obtained from )
Narrative Text: To show proficiency of the skills stated in this indicator, a reader will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of narrative texts which are the components through which a story is told. Identification of each component and its relationship to all other components in a story assists a reader in comprehension of an entire text. As a text requires more complex thought processes, a reader advances from the identification, recognition, and recall of literal elements to the inference, analysis, and evaluation of more abstract elements. Thinking about all the elements in a story and determining how they fit together allow the reader to understand and evaluate an entire text and its complexity.
In order to comprehend narrative text, a reader must identify and distinguish among types of narrative texts. Narrative text tells a story to make a point, to express a personal opinion, or to provide a reader an enjoyable experience. By recognizing the characteristics of a variety of literary texts which represent diverse perspectives, a reader is better able to construct meaning from a text.
• Fiction
prose writing that tells an imaginary story
• Nonfiction
prose writing that tells about real people, places, and events
• Realistic Fiction
prose writing set in the modern world
• Science Fiction
prose writing that explores unexpected possibilities of the past or future by using scientific theories or data and imagination
• Historical Fiction
contemporary fiction set in the past, may reference actual people or events
• Tall Tales
humorously exaggerated stories about impossible events in which the main characters have extraordinary abilities
• Folktales
stories passed by word of mouth from generation to generation
• Folklore
traditions, customs, and stories passed down within a culture
• Myth
a traditional story, usually by an unknown author, that answers a basic question about the world
• Legend
a story handed down from the past about a specific person who usually demonstrates heroic accomplishments
• Fables
brief tales that teach lessons about human nature
• Fairy Tales
stories about imaginary beings possessing magical powers
• Fantasy
literature that contains fantastic or unreal elements
• Biography
story of a person's life written by someone else
• Autobiography
nonfiction; a person tells about his or her own life
• Personal Narrative
personal story; a shorter form of autobiographical writing
• Memoir
type of autobiography, usually about a significant experience in the author's life
• Journals
a personal record of experiences or reflections
• Short Story
a brief work of fiction, usually readable in one session
• Essay
a short, cohesive work of nonfiction dealing with a single subject and presenting the writer's viewpoint
• Play
literature intended to be performed by actors in front of an audience; includes script with dialogue, a cast of characters, and stage directions
• Poetry
stories, ideas, and feelings expressed in compact, imaginative, often musical language
• Lyric Poetry
poetry that presents the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker
• Narrative Poetry
poetry that tells a story and includes narrative elements
To identify, explain and analyze the conflict of a narrative and determine its role in advancing the plot, a reader must know the structure of a narrative passage.
In the beginning or exposition of a narrative, information is given about the characters, their location, and the situation in which they find themselves. This situation creates a story problem or conflict.
A conflict can be created by single or multiple sources, either external (caused by outside forces) or internal (created within the character). Typical types of conflict include person versus person (problem between and among characters), person versus society (problem with the laws/beliefs of a group), person versus nature (problem with natural forces), person versus self (problem within a character regarding decision-making), and person versus fate (problem which seems out of a character's control). In complex texts, there may be multiple conflicts.
A character experiencing one of these conflicts may act on or speak about the conflict to other characters and be motivated to action by the conflict. In some narratives, a conflict may help clarify character traits for the reader. In other stories, a conflict can also advance the story events, pushing the characters to a critical point of a story.
A critical reader can identify and determine conflicts, sometimes isolating a common cause for different conflicts.
In the rising action, the chronology of events develops and the conflict deepens. At the climax of the narrative, the deepening conflict reaches a critical point and can alter the subsequent events.
As the conflict resolves, the narrative moves toward completion in the falling action.
Finally, in the resolution the narrative comes to a close. A critical reader should be able to analyze the resolution of the conflict and trace the plot development to determine how each stage of that development advanced the plot.
As the level of a text becomes more difficult and the main plot develops, a subplot of lesser importance may be present. The subplot may have all the elements that a main plot does and will tell a story that relates to character development, theme development, or any other story element. The subplot may have an effect on the outcome of the main plot or may simply serve as additional, perhaps interesting, element of the story.
To identify, describe, and analyze details that provide information about setting, mood created by setting, and the role the setting plays in the text, a reader must first know what information to look for in a text. Setting is where and when a story takes place. Clues to setting include any of the following: time, day or dates, month, year, season, historical references, geographical names, landscape details, and weather elements. As the complexity of a text increases, a reader should take note not only of stated setting details but also look at more subtle details.
Setting can relay information about characters to a reader. A character's reaction to an environment, whether familiar or unfamiliar, gives clues to what a character is feeling or how a character will act in certain circumstances. Changes in setting may signal changes in mood and development of a character.
Mood is the feeling a text creates within a reader. Setting can help create mood. For example, a setting in an abandoned house creates an eerie mood. Details of that setting help establish that uncomfortable mood in a reader. An author also creates mood through dialogue and word choice.
A critical reader will be attentive to the details of setting, mood, and character and their integration within a narrative.
Not all narrative texts have theme, but in those that do, there is often more than a single theme. Theme is the author's message to the reader or the underlying idea of a text. Theme is often relayed to a reader through characters—what they say, what they do, or what others say about them-as well as by other narrative elements.
To identify and analyze characterization, a reader must identify a character as a person, animal, or imaginary being in a narrative. Major characters are most involved in the conflict of a narrative and are central to much of the story action. Minor characters are less important and become known to a reader through their interaction with major characters.
Characters may reveal their attitudes and innermost thoughts through their speech and their behavior. For more complicated texts, a reader is privileged to know directly the interior thought processes of a character. This enables a reader to draw conclusions about why a character might behave the way he/she does and to consider reasons for the type of interactions that character has with other major or minor characters. Then these interactions allow other characters to comment about the behavior or speech of that character. One character's comments about another character form a direct link to understanding their behavior.
Character speech, action, thought, motivation, and reaction are interdependent and work together to create well-rounded characters. These elements make a character "real" and lend believability to the narrative. When characters are made "real," they, like real people, change and grow. They are called dynamic characters because of their development. Their opposite, static characters, change not at all or only marginally. The strong, dynamic character shifts or is shifted by the plot, each exerting an equally forceful influence on each other. Character and plot then become linked in a narrative.
To identify, explain, and analyze relationships between and among characters, settings, and events, a reader must discover how each element is linked. Connections between and among characters are established by elements of characterization. Connections between and among situations are established by key events and how these events fit together. A critical reader can determine an organizational pattern, such as cause and effect, between or among situations and then draw conclusions about characters and their speech and behaviors within the context of the situation.
For more complicated texts, a critical reader can isolate characters and determine major from minor characters, the degree to which each is developed, and how they affect each other and the story events. A critical reader can isolate each story event to see its effect upon previous events and those that follow it as well as the effect the event exerts upon a character or characters.
To identify and describe the narrator, a reader must determine the teller of the story. In a first person narrative, the story is told by a character in the story who uses the nominative pronouns I, me, and we. In a third person narrative, the narrator is a voice outside the story action that uses the nominative pronouns he, she, it, and they.
The speaker of a poem is the voice that "talks" to the reader. The speaker of a poem is not necessarily the poet.
To identify, explain, and analyze the actions of the characters that serve to advance the plot, a reader should know that characters cause the plot to happen. Usually a story plot is based on what characters say, do, or believe. Conflicts evolve from interactions between and among characters. In turn, plots develop around conflicts. What a character does affects the development of the plot as well as its resolution.
A critical reader of literary text can
isolate characters, determining if they are major or minor characters, noting their actions, speech, and thoughts, and observing the attitudes of other characters toward them
detail conflicts created by and among characters and determine the type of conflict that is created
follow a plot, judging how that plot is driven by character elements or character conflict
determine how character, conflict, and plot function together
To analyze an author's approach to issues of time in a narrative, a reader must first be able to follow the elements of a narrative--exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution--and to identify key events within each of those divisions of a narrative. Some events may be related as flashbacks during which the author relates an event out of sequence at an earlier time. A flashback provides a reader with information that will help him/her understand setting, characters, or conflict. A critical reader is aware of transitional words or text features that signal a flashback.
Foreshadowing is present through hints or clues in a text that suggest what may occur later in the sequence of the narrative's events. Foreshadowing occurs throughout a narrative and helps to create a tension as the reader anticipates what will happen. A critical reader understands that plots are not always chronological and that these two techniques are used to augment a reader's comprehension of and interest in a narrative.
To identify, explain, and analyze point of view and its effect on the meaning of a narrative, a reader must know that point of view is the perspective from which an author tells a story. There are two major points of view-first person and third person. In a first person narrative, the story is told by a character in the story. This narrator is a participant in the story action and tells the story using the pronouns I, me, and we. This type of narration is limited because a reader knows only the narrator's perspective of other characters, the setting, and story events.
In a third person narrative, the story is told by someone who is not a character in the story. This type of story-teller may relate events much like a reporter relaying the news and use the nominative pronouns she, he, and they. More often, though, a third person narrator will relay the thoughts and attitudes of a single character, usually the main character. This is limited omniscient narration. At times a narrator will relay the thoughts and feelings of all characters. This is the omniscient or all-knowing narrator.
A critical reader knows that not all narrators are reliable and that they may present information limited by their own knowledge and observations. This, in turn, may limit a reader's knowledge. To construct meaning of a narrative, a critical reader must acknowledge the scope and the limitations of each type of narration and then using other narrative elements, draw conclusions about meaning.
To analyze the interactions among narrative elements and their contribution to meaning, a reader must have knowledge of all narrative elements and their dependence upon each other. A critical reader must determine the type of narrative being read, the type(s) of conflict in the narrative, the relationship between the setting and the mood of the narrative, the ways that character is developed, the relationship that exists among the characters, the setting, the story events, and the point of view from which a narrative is told. Each of these elements must be analyzed in isolation and then observed as a piece of a whole narrative. Finally, a critical reader makes judgments about the relative importance of each of these elements to a particular text, and then using each element and its contribution, constructs meaning of a whole text.
Seed Lessons
(Obtained from )
Story Elements
Students will read a short narrative text. After reading, students will be given a narrative map that lists all plot elements. Together teacher and students will complete the narrative map. Next students will be directed to delete or cover from sight the conflict information. Then teacher and students will discuss how the removal of the conflict changes the plot. Finally students will list all the changes that removal of the conflict causes within the plot. Students might then categorize these changes by impact on character, setting, theme, etc... or create a list from greatest to least impact on the plot.
|Narrative Map |
|Exposition |
|Rising Action |
|Conflict |
|Climax |
|Falling Action |
|Resolution |
The teacher and students will read a short narrative text and then list each decision made by a character on a Decision-Making Diagram. This will allow students to see the relationship between a character's decision and the effect of that decision on the plot. Students will need to know what the decision is, who made it, and why the decision was made, listing positive and negative effects for the decision-maker and other characters. Then each decision should be placed in the time order of the story to determine whether each decision stands alone or served as a cause for other decisions.
Decision-Making Diagram
|Decision # ___ |
|Who? |
|What? |
|Why? |
|Positive Impact |
|Negative Impact |
Students will read a short narrative text. After reading is complete, the teacher and students will list the story events in the order of their occurrence. Once the list is finished with teacher direction students will locate the conflict in the text. Next teacher and students will look at the story events that preceded the conflict and rate each event in regard to that event's causal relationship to the conflict on a scale of 0-3 with zero indicating no effect and three indicating major effect.
First, the teacher will locate a narrative text with a major plot and multiple subplots. Prior to students' reading the text, the teacher will provide them with a completed plot chart for the major plot. After reviewing that chart, students will be instructed to read the text for subplots. Once students have read the text and identified the subplots, the subplots should be charted as was the major plot. Next students and teacher should discuss how the subplots work in the design of the text determining whether each subplot was a spin-off of the major plot or exists independently of the major plot.
Setting and Mood
Students should read a narrative text with a detailed setting and mood. Once students have completed their reading, the teacher should identify the setting for them. Students should return to the text to select details that define the setting: time, day or dates, month, year, season, historical references, geographical names, landscape details, and weather elements. Next the teacher will identify the mood for students. Again students return to the text and find details of setting, dialogue, and word choice that create mood. Finally students and teacher should discuss whether or not or how the setting and mood work together in the narrative.
After students have read a narrative text, the teacher should write a statement about a narrative's setting, mood, or setting and mood on the board or overhead. Each student should turn to the student seated to the right of him or her and discuss the statement. Students must return to the text to retrieve support to argue for or against the statement on the board. After the partnered discussion, a general classroom discussion should follow where all relevant details of setting and mood are reviewed.
In a second reading of a narrative text, students will be asked to identify and record information about the setting and the mood and then to determine the setting and the mood of the text. Next students will return to the text to find any character actions or beliefs that can be directly attributed to either the setting or mood. Students will record that character action or belief and explain using text support the connection between the setting and/or mood and character. Teacher Note As an extension for more advanced students, they may analyze the chart's information and determine the level of importance the setting has to the schema of the text. To do this, they must decide to what degree the setting drives the behavior and beliefs of characters. Teacher and students should consider these guiding questions. Did the setting cause the character to behave the way he/she did? To what degree did the setting affect the character? What were other factors affecting the character's behavior? How did that character's behavior affect other characters or the setting itself? Initially modeling these thought processes with students will prove beneficial.
|Setting |Mood |Character's Actions |Explanation of Connection |
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After reading a narrative text, teacher and students will list details of setting and then of mood. Then students will instructed to draw the setting of the text labeling details from the text in their drawing. Finally students will compose a caption for the drawing which addresses both setting and mood.
Characters
After students have read a narrative text, direct them to a section of the text where the resolution of a cause/effect relationship is recorded. The teacher should list on four pieces of poster paper a single different cause for that final result. Place these posters in four different areas of the room. Have each student locate himself to that area of the room where is located the cause he/she believes to be correct. Each of the four groups should return to the text to find justification for his/her belief. After reviewing the text, students are allowed to revise their opinions and locate to another area. A final review will determine the correct cause or combination of causes.
Students will read a narrative text where cause/effect relationships exist. The teacher will isolate the cause/effect relationships for students. Teacher and students will work on placing each relationship in its correct sequence in the narrative. Next students will analyze the text to determine whether the relationship involved characters, setting, events, or any combination of the three. Finally students will analyze the sequence of these relationships in the text to determine if any cause/effect relationship was the cause of the following relationship or if the any cause/effect relationship works in isolation.
After reading a narrative text, students will be placed in small groups. Each student within the group will be given a teacher generated graphic organizer that will allow student to analyze relationships among characters.
|Character A |Relationship |Support |
|Character B | | |
|Character C | | |
|Character D | | |
The example above requires students to analyze Character A's relationships with three other characters. Each group's organizer will require those students to analyze the relationships of a different dominant character. For example the next group will analyze Character B or C. Once groups have completed their analysis of relationships, the information should be shared with the entire class. As the information is shared the teacher will create on the board or overhead a schema of the relationships of all the narrative's characters. This will allow students to have a visual of the interplay among all characters. As an extension for advanced students they may analyze the character relationships to determine how they affect story events or setting.
After reading a narrative, the teacher should place students in small groups. Each group will be given an envelope which will contain pieces of paper with names of characters, details of setting, and story events from the narrative. Students should be instructed to return to the text and create with the manipulatives as many narrative-based relationships as possible with the information from the envelope. Students should always be able to justify the relationships with text support.
Poetry
The teacher should place students in small groups and provide each group with a series of poetry texts that will serve as resources. Poetry texts should be marked so that students access specific poems. Each group should be assigned a structural feature of poetry as its focus. At earlier grades focuses can be refrain, stanzas, shapes, rhyme, etc…, and at more advanced grades focuses can be structures associated with types of poems like ballads, lyrics, elegies etc…(Definitions for all poetry structures and types can be found in the Clarification for Standard Three, Indicator Four.) Students in the group should read the marked texts. After the reading of each text, students in the group should take notes about their assigned focus within the poem. After reading all the marked texts and reviewing their notes, each group of students should complete a comprehensive judgment about their assigned structural feature. To extend this activity, each group can share their findings with the rest of the class or each group can move from area to area, reading the assigned poems and the comprehensive statement of the original group.
The teacher should place each student with a partner. Each pair of students should receive a single poem that contains some or all of the structural features of poetry. Around the room the teacher should place posters which list a single structural feature of poetry at the top of the poster and two columns extending the vertical length of the poster. One column should be labeled YES and the other column labeled NO. To begin this activity, each pair of students should read his/her assigned poem. With pairs of students beginning at different poster sites, the partners should determine if their poem has that structural feature and then write the poem's title under the YES or NO column. Additionally, the partners should underline/highlight that structural feature on the assigned poem. Once the partners have visited each poster site and identified structural features in the assigned poem, the teacher should review random entries on the charts to ascertain correctness of student responses.
To review or present the different structural features of poetry, the teacher would begin with Cornell notes. Divide a paper in half lengthwise. The left side is blank while the right side has listed the types and definitions of the selected poetry. As the teacher presents each type to the class, each student writes his/her reaction to that type on the left side of the paper. Reactions may be examples the student knows, questions the student might have, likes, dislikes etc…
Sample Cornell Notes
|Student Reaction/Response |Notes/Information |
|I think the story of Beowulf that we read in 7th grade started out as an |Narrative poetry: poetry that tells a story. It can be a ballad or|
|epic because it tells about his adventures. |epic. It has plot, setting, characters… |
After the students have reacted to each poetry type, students can be placed in small groups to share their reactions to the poems.
After students have been taught the structural features of poems, the teacher should present them with a chart structured like the sample with the number of types of poems the teacher wishes.
|Type of Poem |Structural Features |Example |
|Haiku |Form of Japanese poetry | |
| |Three lines focused on a single element | |
|Lyric |Shows thoughts and feelings of one speaker | |
| |Variety of forms | |
|Shape |Has form of its subject | |
Present students with a packet of poems with different structural features. Using the information on the chart, students should categorize the poems by listing their titles in the Example column. Students should also locate within the poems those structural features that identify that poem as a particular type. If the teacher has a variety of poetry collections available, students might go on a "scavenger hunt" to find examples of each type of poem in those collections.
Prior to this activity the teacher should select a series of poems that have distinct settings and then find a picture of a setting that matches or nearly matches the setting of the poem. To begin, the teacher will read aloud one of the selected poems and then show students the picture that matches the setting. With teacher guidance students should select words, phrases, or lines of the poem that are reflected in the picture. Next the teacher should display the remaining pictures, perhaps including some pictures that do not match any setting in the poems. Students should read the next poem and then select the matching picture again finding words, phrases, or lines of poetry that are reflected in the picture.
Each student will need a disposable copy of an age appropriate poem where a distinctive setting and mood are present and two different colored highlighters. Teacher and students should read the selected poem aloud and discuss the general meaning of the poem. Next, with teacher guidance, students should highlight details in the poem that address the setting. Then using a different colored highlighter students should highlight details in the poem that reflect the mood. Finally, teacher and students should discuss the elements of setting and mood in the poem, whether or not they match, and how their match or mismatch affects a reader's understanding of the poem.
To introduce students to mood in poetry, the teacher should play a variety of musical selections and have students respond to them by telling how the music made them feel. Next the teacher should read aloud a poem that has been selected for its distinctive mood and then play a musical selection that reflects the mood of the poem. With the assistance of the music, students should be able to identify the mood of the poem and select from it words, phrases, or lines of poetry that reflect the mood. Finally, teacher and students should read an additional poem, again selected for a distinctive mood. This time the teacher will play three musical selections and have students determine which selection best reflects the mood of the poem. Students should be able to isolate words, phrases, and lines of poetry that reflect the mood of the poem and match the mood of the music.
The teacher will give students copies of a narrative poem that has a dominant mood. Working in small groups, students will read the poem and identify its mood. For younger or struggling students, the teacher can provide a list of words that would describe a mood from which they can make a selection. Once students have identified the mood, they will need to find text support for their selection and explain why that mood is appropriate to that poem. These details can be recorded on a chart like the one below. After the chart is complete, students and teacher should discuss their findings.
|Title of Poem |Identified Mood |
|Text Support |Explanation of Text |
| | |
After multiple readings of a narrative poem, the teacher will give students a chart where the first column, which is lines from the poem, is already complete. Then students will analyze each given line to determine whether the line reflects elements of setting, mood, tone, or a combination of elements. Students may work on this individually, with a partner, or in a small group. When the chart has been completed, teacher and students should discuss the details.
|Lines from Poem |This line reflects setting |This line reflects mood |This line reflects tone |This line is a combination of elements |
| |because |because |because |because |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
The teacher and students should read the Langston Hughes's poem "Mother to Son" and discuss how Hughes felt about perseverance and hard work. Students will return to the poem and find words and phrases that support Hughes's feelings. The teacher will explain that those words reflect the poet's tone or attitude toward perseverance and hard work. Next, the teacher will place students in small groups and give them an additional poem where the tone is distinctive. Some suggestions are Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and John McL's "There's This That I Like About Hockey, My Lad." Students will follow the same procedure by isolating words and phrases that reflect the author's tone toward his subject. Class discussion will determine the accuracy of student responses. An extension of this activity is to have students complete an "I am…" poem that will help them define the author's tone. Any combination of the lines below will assist students in defining tone.
I am (name of character in the poem)
I am (two qualities of the character)
I wonder (something the character is curious about)
I hear (an imaginary or actual sound the character hears or would have heard)
I see (an imaginary or actual sight the character sees or would have seen)
I want (a desire of the character)
I am (name of the character)
I pretend (something the character would want)
I feel (actual emotions or physical feelings)
I touch (a tangible or metaphorical object)
I worry (a concern the character has)
I cry (about something, for something, someone)
I am (name of the character)
I understand (something the character comprehends)
I say (something the character has said)
I dream (something the character wants to happen)
I try (something the character attempts to do)
I hope (a wish or belief the character has)
I am (name of the character)
Drama
Prior to this activity, the teacher should select an age-appropriate play that has a variety of structural features, which are noted in the Clarification for Standard Three, Indicator Five. Enlarge or duplicate several pages of the play that contain some of these structural features. Using a think-aloud approach, talk students through those pages indicating the play's structural features and the types of details those structural features contain. To conclude the discussion of each structural feature the teacher should tell how each feature helps a reader better understand the play. Next, the teacher and students should access several pages of an additional play. The teacher should question students asking which structural feature will yield information about a character, a time, an action, a place, a tone of voice, etc… so that students become more familiar with the organization of drama. An alternate method of accessing details from structural features is for the teacher to indicate two to three specific features and then question students about a conclusion that can be drawn about a character, a place, a conflict, etc… from those specific features.
Prior to this activity, the teacher should select an age-appropriate play that contains a variety of structural features and collect a series of illustrations or photographs that match very well, partially well, or minimally the details given in the structural features of the selected play. Introduce students to the structural features of the play by reading aloud and discussing the value of these features. As each feature is noted, to conclude the discussion show students a series of photographs/illustrations that correspond to that structural feature and discuss which is the best representation of the details in the structural feature. Depending upon the selected play, this activity can help students realize the time of day, time in history, physical setting, characters, etc… detailed in the words of the structural feature and the necessity and value or structural features.
Prior to conducting this activity, the teacher should locate several pages of an age-appropriate play and remove all structural features from it. This would essentially leave only the dialogue among the characters for students to read. Initially, students should read only the revised portion of the play. After that reading is complete, the teacher will give students the original form of the play with structural features intact. With teacher guidance, students should compare both forms of the play first to determine what details the structural features provide and second to discuss how these structural features assist a reader's understanding of the play.
Before this activity is conducted, the teacher should have already taught students structural features of drama. First, the teacher should divide students into small groups and give each student within the group a different type of play. The possibilities are one act plays, radio plays, reader's theatre plays, made-for-television plays, musicals, ten-minute-plays, etc… Given a specific amount of time each individual within the group should examine the structural features of his/her play and record his/her observations. After the time is over, students should be regrouped so that only one type of play is represented among the group's participants. Those students should discuss the structural features of their play to determine the types of details those features provide in that particular type of play. Once this second round is complete, students should return to their original group where each individual will share with other group members the structural features encountered in the assigned play type. As a closure, students within the group will complete a chart like the one given below. Teachers should add more structural features to the chart if desired.
| |One Act Play |Radio Play |Musical |Reader's Theatre Play |
|Cast | | | | |
|State Directions | | | | |
|Scenes | | | | |
|Production Notes | | | | |
Once each group has completed the chart, a general discussion among members of the class should address how a student should be able to tell the difference among the different types of plays based upon their text features.
Before this activity, the teacher should already have instructed students to note the difference between acts and scenes and have selected a scene or act where the development of a character is evident. First, the students should read aloud the selected scene or act. With teacher guidance, the students should chart the development of that character and discuss what elements affected the development of the character and how or if the structural features of that scene or act assisted the reader in perceiving that development. Once this activity has been modeled, small groups of students should be given different scenes or acts of age-appropriate plays and instructed to track the development of a character, a setting, a conflict, etc… and be able to explain why the character developed as he/she did, why the setting changed, why the conflict evolved as it did, etc…
Prior to this activity, the teacher should select an age-appropriate play with a single act and multiple scenes or a play with at least two or more acts. Students should read a selected act or scene aloud. Next, the teacher should present students with a series of choices about the development of a character or conflict, the changing of a setting, etc… and encourage a discussion among students about which development or change is the most probable based upon their reading. The teacher may elect to have students focus on a single element or multiple elements of the selected scene or act. Ultimately, students should select the most probable development or change among the choices given and then read aloud the next scene or act to determine if their judgments were correct.
The teacher should select an age-appropriate play with at least one act that has multiple scenes. First students should read the entire act aloud. After reading is complete, students should return to the first scene in the act and verbally summarize that scene. That should be followed by discussion that details the elements or structural features in the first scene that create a transition to the second scene. Particular attention should be paid to any introduction to the following scene. After this activity has been modeled, students should be placed in small groups or with partners and assigned a particular pair of scenes. They should review the scenes to determine how transition to the next scene is handled. Once group work is complete and all scenes and their transitions have been discussed, the teacher and students should draw conclusions about the ways in which structural features can assist in the transition from one scene to another.
Once students understand the distinction between acts and scenes and their purpose within a play, the teacher should present students with an act where all designation of individual scenes has been removed. Working with a partner or with a small group, students should use the remaining structural features to determine where the scene breaks should occur. Once decisions have been made, the entire class should discuss the possibilities and as closure look at the original play with scene breaks intact to determine how helpful the structural features were in creating the scene breaks.
Practice Question(s)
(Obtained from )
When You Can Read
by Bobbi Katz
When you can read, then you can go
from Kalamazoo* to Idaho**—
Or read directions that explain
just how to build a model plane—
Or bake a cake or cook a stew—
The words will tell you what to do!
When you can read, then you can play
a brand new game the proper way—
Or get a letter from a friend
and read it…to the very end.
* Kalamazoo–a city in Michigan
** Idaho–a state in the United States
1. Read the poem 'When You Can Read'. Then answer the following.
Explain how the speaker of the poem feels about reading. In your response, use details and examples from the poem that support your explanation. Write your answer on your answer document.
The Pudding Like a Night on the Sea
By Ann Cameron
Julian and his brother Huey have helped their father make a pudding. The pudding is for their mother. After cleaning up the kitchen, their father decides to take a rest.
2"Now I'm going to take a nap," my father said. "If something important happens, bother me. If nothing important happens, don't bother me. And — the pudding is for your mother. Leave the pudding alone!"
He went to the living room and was asleep in a minute, sitting straight up in his chair.
4Huey and I guarded the pudding.
"Oh, it's a wonderful pudding," Huey said.
6"With waves on the top like the ocean," I said.
"I wonder how it tastes," Huey said.
"Leave the pudding alone," I said.
"If I just put my finger in—there—I'll know how it tastes," Huey said.
And he did it.
"You did it!" I said. "How does it taste?"
"It tastes like a whole raft of lemons," he said. "It tastes like a night on the sea."
"You've made a hole in the pudding!" I said. "But since you did it, I'll have a taste." And it tasted like a whole night of lemons. It tasted like floating at sea.
"It's such a big pudding," Huey said. "It can't hurt to have a little more."
"Since you took more, I'll have more," I said.
"That was a bigger lick than I took!" Huey said. "I'm going to have more again."
"Whoops!" I said
"You put in your whole hand!" Huey said. "Look at the pudding you spilled on the floor!"
"I am going to clean it up," I said. And I took the rag from the sink.
"That's not really clean," Huey said.
"It's the best I can do," I said.
"Look at the pudding!" Huey said.
It looked like craters on the moon. "We have to smooth this over," I said. "So it looks the way it did before! Let's get spoons."
And we evened the top of the pudding with spoons, and while we evened it, we ate some more.
"There isn't much left," I said.
"We were supposed to leave the pudding alone," Huey said.
"We'd better get away from here," I said. We ran into our bedroom and crawled under the bed. After a long time we heard my father's voice.
"Come into the kitchen, dear," he said. "I have something for you."
"Why, what is it?" my mother said, out in the kitchen.
Under the bed, Huey and I pressed ourselves to the wall.
"Look," said my father, out in the kitchen. "A wonderful pudding."
"Where is the pudding?" my mother said.
"WHERE ARE YOU BOYS?" my father said.
1. Read the article 'The Pudding Like a Night on the Sea' and answer the following question.
Explain how the father probably feels at the end of the story. In your response, use details and examples from the story that support your explanations. Write your response on your answer document.
2. Read the article 'The Pudding Like a Night on the Sea' and answer the following question.
Read what Julian says in paragraph 4.
|Huey and I guarded the pudding. |
Explain whether guarded is a good word for Julian to use to describe the boys' actions in this story. In your response, use words and phrases from the story that support your explanation. Write your answer on your answer document.
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Reading VSC Glossary
Alliteration:
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words (i.e., Waves want to be wheels…)
Analyze:
To examine, closely study, and evaluate a text by breaking down and examining its elements to comprehend its meaning.
Antithesis:
The opposite of (i.e., Good is the antithesis of evil.)
Antonym:
A word that means the opposite of another word (i.e., happy/sad)
Base word:
A word to which affixes may be added to create related words (i.e., hemisphere, coauthor)
Bias:
A general tendency or leaning in one direction; a partiality toward one view over another
Character:
A person, animal, or an imaginary being in a narrative
Characterization:
The techniques an author uses to develop a character: description of physical appearance, thoughts and feelings, speech, and behavior
Cognate:
A word related to one in another language, such as theater (English) and theatre (French)
Colloquialism:
Language that is familiar, informal everyday talk. Movies is an informal term for the more formal term cinema
Compound word:
A combination of two or more words that function as a single unit of meaning, such as barefoot
Connotation:
An idea or feeling associated with a word in addition to its literal meaning. Hysterical has a stronger connotation than laughable
Consonant blend:
A combination of two or three consecutive consonants each representing a distinct sound (i.e., thr, br)
Context clue:
Information surrounding a word or phrase (i.e., words, phrases, sentences, or syntax) that gives clues to its meaning
Contraction:
The shortening of a written or spoken word or expression by omission of one or more letters or sounds, such as can't
Culture:
The ideas, activities (art, foods, businesses), and ways of behaving that are special to a country, people, or region
Decode:
To pronounce a word by applying knowledge of letter/sound correspondences and phonetic generalizations
Denotation:
A literal dictionary meaning of a word
Diction:
A choice of words to express an idea accurately
Digraph:
Two letters that represent one speech sound (i.e., autumn, snow)
Diphthong:
A vowel sound produced by two adjacent vowels in the same syllable whose sounds blend together (i.e., oy, ow)
Drama:
A form of literature to be acted out before an audience
Ethnicities:
The characteristics, language, and customs of a race, or country of people
Etymology:
The origin or history of words
Fable:
A brief tale that teaches lessons about human nature
Figurative language:
Language enriched by word meanings and figures of speech (i.e., similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole)
Figures of speech:
Words or groups of words the writer doesn't mean literally, such as similes (thin as a reed), metaphors (…traffic is a high energy current jumping constantly between the poles of Brooklyn and New Jersey), and personification (…the very skins of the drums are singing with pleasure…)
Flashback:
An event in a narrative presented out of sequence from an earlier time
Fluency:
The ability to easily speak, read, or write a language; automatic word recognition, rapid decoding, and checking for meaning
Folk tale:
Stories passed by word of mouth from generation to generation
Folklore:
Traditions, customs, and stories passes down within a culture
Foreshadow:
Hints or clues in a text that suggests what may occur later in a narrative
Genre:
A category used to define literary works, usually by form, technique, or content (i.e., poetry, realistic fiction, historical fiction, play, and folklore)
Glossed words:
Words which are defined within the text
Graphic organizer:
Visual representations of information used for constructing meaning in reading, writing, and speaking
Haiku:
A form of Japanese poetry which has three lines focused on a single element
Homograph:
One of two or more words alike in spelling but different in meaning, derivation, or pronunciation; for example, the noun conduct and the verb conduct are homographs
Homophone/homonym:
One of two or more words alike in pronunciation but different in meaning, derivation, or spelling (i.e., to, two, too)
Hyperbole:
A statement where truth is exaggerated for effect
Hypertext:
Online highlighted or underlined text that take a user to another website which has related information
Idiom/Idiomatic expression:
A phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in it
Illustration:
Artwork, photography, or other pictures
Imagery:
Words and phrases that appeal to the five senses
Independent level text:
Text that is relatively easy for the reader, with no more than approximately 1 in 20 words that are difficult for the reader (95% accuracy); Source: Put Reading First by the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievment (CIERA), September 2001
Inference:
A logical guess based on text evidence I made an inference about the child's height when I saw his tall parents.
Inflectional ending:
The change of form that words undergo to mark distinctions such as number and tense (i.e., ing, s, es)
Informational text:
Text that conveys or explains information
Instructional level text:
Text that is challenging but manageable for the reader, with no more than approximately 1 in 10 words that are difficult for the reader (90% accuracy); Source: Put Reading First by the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA), September 2001
Internalize:
To make vocabulary and concepts a part of one's learning
Irony:
The contrast between what is said and what is meant or the contrast between what appears to be and what actually is
Literary text:
A wide range of texts that tell a story to make a point, express a personal opinion, or provide an enjoyable experience
Message:
The author's thoughts about a topic in informational text
Metaphor:
A stated comparison of two things that have some quality in common not using the words like or as
Mood:
The feeling a text creates within a reader
Narrative text:
A text that tells a story
Novella:
A short novel
Onomatopoeia:
The use of words that sound like the natural noises they name
Onset:
The initial consonant (i.e., the onset of bag is b and the onset of swim is sw)
Organizational structure/pattern:
The way facts and details are arranged in a text that help the reader understand the text (i.e., sequential order, time order, location order, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, similarities/differences)
Paraphrase:
A restatement of a text in a reader's own words
Peripheral information:
Information in a text that is not of central importance
Personification:
A statement that an inanimate object has lifelike characteristics
Perspective:
A reference to an author's beliefs and attitudes
Phonemes:
A minimal sound unit of speech, such as single letters
Phonemic awareness:
The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words
Plausibility:
An appearance of reality in a literary text
Plot:
The action or sequence of events in a story
Point of view:
The perspective from which an author tells a story. The two major points of view are first and third person
Prefix:
A word part added to the beginning of a root or base word to create a new meaning (i.e., regain, incomplete)
Primary source:
An original source, such as someone's diary or journal, a survey or interview, letters, autobiographies, and observations
Print feature:
Type of text feature that relates to print such as font style, color, and size
R-controlled vowel:
The modified sound of a vowel immediately preceding /r/ in the same syllable, such as car, birth, curl
Rhetorical question:
A question that is asked for effect where no answer is expected
Rimes:
Part of a syllable that contains the vowel and all that follows it (i.e., the rime of bag is ag and the rime of swim is im)
Secondary source:
A source that contains information that other people have gathered and interpreted, extended, analyzed, or evaluated, such as newspaper articles, a documentary on television, a website, a science text, and an encyclopedia entry
Setting:
The place and time when a story occurs
Sight word:
A word that is immediately recognized as a whole word and does not require word analysis for identification
Simile:
A stated comparison of two things that have some quality in common using the words like or as
Stanza:
A group of two or more lines of poetry
Strategy:
A systematic plan, consciously adapted and monitored, to improve one's performance in learning
Style:
The way an author uses language to express ideas including word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, repetition, symbols, dialogue, imagery, etc…
Suffix:
A word part that is added to the end of a root word (i.e., darkness)
Summarize:
A recounting of the important ideas of a text
Symbolism:
The use of a person, place, item, etc…that represents an abstract idea
Synonym:
A word that has a meaning identical with, or very similar to, another word in the same language (i.e., right/correct)
Syntax:
The way in which the words and phrases of a sentence are ordered that shows how they relate to each other
Synthesize:
To examine, closely study, and evaluate how individual text elements work together as a whole by combining the knowledge of one text element to the analysis of an additional element.
Text feature:
An important feature of literary and informational text that facilitates understanding for the reader (i.e., title, illustrations, diagrams, labels, bulleted lists, captions, etc.)
Theme:
The author's message about a topic within a text
Tone:
An author's attitude toward a subject
Trade books:
Books published for a general readership rather than specifically for the classroom
Transition words and phrases:
Words or phrases that signal a change from one idea to another
URL:
Uniform Resource Locator is the address of a website
Vignette:
A short, descriptive, literary sketch
Word root:
The main part of a word to which a prefix and/or suffix may be added to make another word, such as actor
(Obtained from )
-----------------------
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Making Predictions
Clues in the story
What I know
What I think will happen
Clarify (Was I right?)
Text:_____________________
What I read
In my life
In another book I read
Text:_________________________
Compare and Contrast
Text:____________________
What I read
What I already know
New idea
Text:
Text:
Main idea:
Subject: What does the heading mean?
Detail
Detail
Detail
Text:
Conclusion:
Detail 3:
Detail 2:
Detail 1:
Character Traits
Character:
Character Trait:
What the character says?
What the character does?
What others say or think about the character?
Text:__________________________
My thoughts
My paraphrase (in my own words)
Lines or sentences from text
Text:
Paraphrasing
Story Organizer
for Fiction and Drama
Title:
Beginning
Middle
End
Summarizing
Main Characters
Setting
Main Events
Problem or Conflict
Solution or Resolution
Text:
Summarize
5 W’s and H
What?
Who?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
Text:______________
Non-Fiction Organizer
Subject
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Cause and Effect
Why it happened?
cause
What happened?
effect
Text:_________________
Setting
Time:
Text Support
Place:
Text Support
Sequencing
Text:
First,
Then,
Next,
Then,
Finally,
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Problem Solution
Character
Problem
Solution
Text:______________________
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