TIPS FOR TAKING THE ENGLISH I EOC STAAR

TIPS FOR TAKING THE ENGLISH I EOC/ STAAR TEST Americas High School ELAR Department

GENERAL INFORMATION STAAR English End Of Course Exam § 5 hours § 2 parts § Writing § Essay and Revising and Editing § Reading Remember § Bring snacks and drinks § A sweater or jacket is always a good idea § Cellphones must be turned in (this can invalidate your test)

ENGLISH STAAR BLITZ Between now and the test (April 10 – English 1 and April 12 – English 2) we will be focusing specifically on the set of skills needed to succeed on the STAAR each and every day. Be present (not just here, but actively engaged. This is it, folks)

LET’S THINK… This is not your first rodeo. You have taken a series of state assessments. Take a moment to think about how you will approach this 3 part (essay, revising and editing, and reading), 5 hour test… Do you have a plan? What part will you do first? Why?

WHAT ORDER SHOULD I TAKE THE TEST IN? • It does NOT MATTER in what order you take the test. Just because the testing people put the essay on the last page does NOT mean you have to do the test in that order. • DO THE ESSAY FIRST – Remember, the essay is the most important part of the test. If you knock the essay out of the park, you most likely pass. IF YOU GET A 4—it is very likely you will get commended!!

WHAT ORDER SHOULD I TAKE THE TEST IN? • It does NOT MATTER in what order you take the test. Just because the testing people put the essay on the last page does NOT mean you have to do the test in that order. • Next, do the READING SECTION! Why, you ask? Because it takes the most concentration to write an essay, which is why you should do that first. It requires A LOT of concentration– sometimes those sections get tedious. RE-READ if your attention starts to drift!

WHAT ORDER SHOULD I TAKE THE TEST IN? • It does NOT MATTER in what order you take the test. Just because the testing people put the essay on the last page does NOT mean you have to do the test in that order. • Last, do the editing section. This is a very important section (hey, it’s ALL important) but it requires the LEAST amount of focus/concentration, so do this LAST.

WHAT ORDER SHOULD I TAKE THE TEST IN? • It does NOT MATTER in what order you take the test. Just because the testing people put the essay on the last page does NOT mean you have to do the test in that order. • After you finish all three sections, you should go back to any questions you put a star next to and double check.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Your energy and ability to focus will continue to decrease over the course of the test. Use your energy for the most difficult and demanding parts of the exam first.

RECAP What is the best order to approach this 3 part, 5 hour exam?

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST TAKING STRATEGIES – READING SECTION: • Read carefully and USE YOUR ANNOTATIONS. Underline key words/phrases, make comments and connections. If something seems important, put a marker next to it. • When you finish reading the selection, move on to the questions. Here is a hint: The STAAR test writers usually give you 4 options. YOU CAN ALMOST ALWAYS ELIMINATE ONE right off the bat--it’s off the wall or just sounds wrong. Now you’re down to three. There is usually one that is SORT OF right, but something about it is wrong. Now you’re down to 2.

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST TAKING STRATEGIES – READING SECTION: Once you’ve narrowed down to 2, go back to the reading section and try to “prove” both answers. • Look for textual evidence to support them to determine the MOST correct answer. DICTIONARIES – USE them if you need them. If you don’t understand what a question is asking, you can’t answer it correctly!

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST TAKING STRATEGIES – READING SECTION: There are NO PENALTIES For guessing---but you want to be able to GUESS SMART. • If you still don’t know after narrowing your answer to 2, make a mark by the question and come back to it. BE SURE TO CHECK over your answer sheet so that you don’t miss bubbling in a question. • It’s better to guess than to leave it blank!!!!

THE ESSAY – THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM • The essay is the key to passing and getting commended on the STAAR English End of Course Exam. • The vast majority of students who achieve masters or “commended” score a 4 (16) on the essay. • The majority of students who fail to meet the passing standard achieve a 2 (8) or lower on the essay. (they lost 12% points on the essay alone)

THE ESSAY – THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM • A word about Prewriting: • YOU HAD BETTER DO IT! Remember to list your pros/cons or for/against. This is a useful activity even if you KNOW what your position will be. WHY? • Counterarguments!!

THE ESSAY – THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM Remember the structure of the essay… Can you identify the parts of the essay?

THE ESSAY – THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM Remember the structure of the essay… Can you identify the parts of the body paragraph?

THE ESSAY – THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM Remember the structure of the essay… What types of evidence should you be using in your body paragraphs?

THE ESSAY – THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM • OTHER WRITING TIPS: • Remember your grader!! (the old lady who taught high school in 1985). • NO SLANG • Handwriting: Try to write as NEATLY AS POSSIBLE. Yes, I know it should not matter, but it sort of does. If they can’t read your essay, that’s going to be a problem! • PARAGRAPHS – this should go without saying, but it should be very clear when you are transitioning to another paragraph.

Let’s look at a few of the most common mistakes you’ve made this year in your writing, shall we?

COMMON MISTAKES • A lot is spelled with a space…there is no such word as “alot” and “allot” means something else! • It is COULD HAVE, not COULD OF. • Same with SHOULD HAVE – not SHOULD OF • No such word as “gonna” • It is too much if you are talking about an item that is a collective – like “too much food”; • It is too many if you are talking about more than one item – like “too many students” • DO NOT USE the word “stuff”!!!

COMMON MISTAKES • Lose – means you’ve lost something. You lose the game, you lose your shoes, you lose your mind. • Loose – Means something is NOT TIGHT. My pants are loose, the dog is loose, the rules are loose. • Cause – is the reason something happens. It is not interchangeable with BECAUSE. For example, I do not want to cause a panic by saying this test is hard because I want my students to do well. • It is their class; they’re going to take this test, and the testing room is over there.

THE EDITING SECTION: LAST BUT NOT LEAST! • GUESSING – Use the same strategy as for the reading section. Remember there are usually one or 2 that are OBVIOUSLY wrong. Eliminate these first. • If something sounds wrong, it probably is! Use your “gut” on this. • Remember your comma rules! • FRAGMENTS – how do you tell? Does it have a SUBJECT and a VERB/ACTION? If the sentence does not contain both, then it is incomplete. • RUN ONS – This is where your comma rules will come in handy. Read the sentence to yourself quietly. Are you gasping for breath? It’s probably a run on. • Affect/Effect: This will probably appear somewhere. • Affect = A verb that influences something

LET’S REFLECT… Take a moment and write down the following… § 2 important take aways § 2 things you will do to prepare for the test § 1 question

FINAL TIPS: THE NIGHT BEFORE/ MORNING OF THE TEST: • Get a good night’s sleep. You don’t have to go to bed at 9, but don’t go to bed at 2 am either. This is a 5 hour test, which requires focus and test taking stamina. • Wake up a little earlier than usual, but not TOO early. Let yourself ease into the day. • EAT BREAKFAST. Have some protein. Don’t eat a HUGE breakfast, but be sure you have something in your stomach so it isn’t growling by 10 am. A breakfast taco is perfect. Get one with some bacon. ; ) • Bring a sweater, a book, and a bottle of water for the test. Bring a highlighter.

THINGS YOU CAN DO… Read, read. For fun. Use STUDY ISLAND on CLEVER. It has great grammar and reading exercises. Use EDMENTUM on CLEVER. It has some great resources as well. Write a few practice essays. Time yourself and get close to the hour completion time. Think back at all you have done this year.

FINAL TIPS: DURING THE TEST • If you need to take a break or stand up, DO IT. Go to the bathroom. Get a drink. Then get your focus back. • You can close your book, stretch, and take a “brain break” without getting up as well. Do this if you need to. • Much of this test is just the ability to sustain focus for the time it takes to get through it. • Trust your gut – you’ve learned a lot this year! USE YOUR brain! It’s a good one!! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!

TAKE YOUR TIME – YOU HAVE A LOT OF IT! ***USE the dictionary! What separates pass/fail, and pass/commended is often ONE OR 2 questions. Don’t rush through the test. You have plenty of time to sit & be bored, trust me!

Good Luck! You are going to do GREAT!