Standardized
Meredith Hendery
Purpose: The purpose of this
procedure mini-lesson is to better inform students how to take standardized
reading tests. End of grade tests are required at the end of the year for
public schools in most states, and they include an entire section on
reading. This lesson should be given toward the end of the year as
students are gearing up to take final exams.
Materials: Bookmark Handout
A Drop of Water reading
The Moon and You reading
Time Required: 30 minutes
Objectives: 2.01 Analyze and
evaluate informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed
by: summarizing information, drawing inferences, and
making
connections
4.01 Analyze the purpose of the
author or creator and the impact of that purpose by: evaluating the
underlying assumptions of the author/creator
Script:
"Congratulations! You've made it through your eighth grade year and
high school is right around the corner. You've worked hard this year in
language arts; now I want you to show it in your end of grade tests. Prove
to everybody that you know your stuff! I know many of you struggle with
the long passages that you are faced with in the reading section of these final
tests. Today I am going to teach you some strategies that will help you
pick out the main points in these passages in order to become better readers.
Now I am going to pass out to you a passage I took from A Drop of Water, by Walter Wick. Most of you probably have never read it. As you read, follow the rules on the guideline bookmark that I am passing out to you. These guidelines will help you find the main facts in a short amount of time. Answer the five questions at the end of the passage. You will be timed, as most end of grade tests are. Does everyone have a worksheet and a bookmark? OK, go.
(Five minutes later). OK, let's go
over the questions at the end and see if we all agree about what the main ideas
are. (After discussing the five questions, I proceed to pass out a second
passage). We are going to do the same thing with a different
passage. Now that you are a little more familiar with the guidelines,
this reading should come a little easier to you. I am passing out The Moon
and You, by E.C. Krupp. Once again, answer
the
five questions at the end and I will let you know when time is up.
(Five minutes later). Was that any easier for you? Let's go over
the questions. I see that more of you are volunteering answers this time
around. You are definitely catching on! By following the guidelines,
such as reading the questions ahead of time, you have an idea of what you are
looking for as you read. Elimination of the most far fetched answers also
helps to narrow down your choices when answering questions. You are
learning how to read large amounts by gathering the "chunks" of
information that are necessary.
Keep this guideline bookmark in your books to help you as you read.
Website: www.wannalearn.com/Reviews/771.html
Reading for Standardized
Tests Guidelines
1. Read the first and last
couple sentences of the
passage and the
questions.
2. Read the passage and
look for answers to the
questions.
3. Eliminate the answers
that seem the most far
fetched. Reread the
remaining answers.
4. Return to the reading.
Use a skimming/scanning
approach.
5. If a question asks for a
meaning, read the whole
sentence that it appears in.
Check for context clues.
6. Don't spend a lot of time
coloring in dots. One firm
mark will do ya good.
Good luck!