A Slumber Party

1. A Slumber Party Alicia’s teacher asks the class to describe how they would get ready for a slumber party for seven people at their house. Alicia makes the following notes. Use the notes to answer questions 1 and 2. 1. I would make to do lists. 2. I would write thank-you notes. 3. I would clean my house. 4. I would organize all of the games, food and music for the party. 5. I would ask my mom and best friend to help. 1 Which idea does not belong in Alicia’s essay? A idea 1 B idea 2 C idea 3 D idea 4 2 Based on these notes which of these is the best title for Alicia’s essay? F Slumber Party Dos and Don’ts G Game Ideas For Your Slumber Party H Great Food For A Slumber Party J Preparing For Your Slumber Party provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

2. Answer – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: The writing subtest of the Grade 8 English test will have a series of brief scenarios, each of which defines a writing task for a specified audience. Items following the statement of the writing task will address planning or prewriting activities relevant to the specified task and will be coded to the Planning, Composing and Revising reporting category. A rough draft of a response to the specified writing task will follow the planning/prewriting test items. The rough draft will be divided into sections. One section will have errors which require revision such as the inclusion of a sentence that does not belong or two sentences that need to be combined. Questions with this part of the rough draft will require the student to correct these errors by choosing the correct revision from the answer choices provided. These items will also be coded to the Planning, Composing and Revising reporting category. Another section of the rough draft will contain embedded errors in usage or mechanics. Items following this section will require students to choose the answer which represents correct usage or mechanics. These items will be coded to the Editing reporting category. In some cases, there will be no error and the correct answer will be "as it is." provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

3. Read the first part of Alicia’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. • Whenever I decide to have a slumber party, I know I’ll have a lot of work do to. (2)Getting ready for a slumber party is a lot of work. (3)My mom and my best friend, Olivia, always offer to help. (4)I usually make a to-do list and a grocery list. (5)I divide the work between the three of us. (6)Together, we get everything accomplished before the first guest arrives. • Which of these sentences repeats information already in the paragraph? • A sentence 2 • B sentence 5 • C sentence 1 • D sentence 3 4 How are sentences 4 and 5 best combined? F I usually make a to-do list and a grocery list for us and divide the work on the lists between the three of us. G I usually make a to-do list and a grocery list, and then I divide the work between the three of us. H I usually make a to-do list, a grocery list, and divide the work. J Among us, I divide the work and I write a to-do list and a grocery list. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

4. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the revising stage of the writing process students will revise for focus, organization, and elaboration. To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including important details, deleting unnecessary information and varying sentences. Vocabulary words that illustrate tone will assist students in understanding the proper tone of a piece of writing. The Standards of Learning writing assessment asks students to use their revising skills to identify ways to improve a passage that is provided. To be successful on this section of the test, students must be able to suggest the best way to combine provided sentences, choose a more descriptive way to write provided sentences and locate unneeded information. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

5. Read the second part of Alicia’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. (7)After I ask my mom and Olivia to help me, I make two lists. (8)I make a to-do list and a grocery list. (9)The To Do list includes chores like cleaning the house and organizing the games, activities, and music we will use. (10)My grocery list always include frozen pizzas, popcorn, M & M’s, and pancake mix. (11)My dad makes pancakes for my friends and me whenever they stay over. 5 In sentence 9, how is games, activities, and musicbest written? A games, activities and music, B games, activities, and music, C games activities, and music D as it is • In sentence 10, how is includebest written? • F included • G includes • H do include • J as it is provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

6. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for correct grammar, punctuation and sentence construction. To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including prepositions, correct case and number, and comparative and superlative degrees in adverbs and adjectives. The Standards of Learning writing assessment asks students to edit a given passage for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

7. Read the third part of Alicia’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. (12)Olivia loves organizing therefore I always have her organize my CDs and games. (13)She also selects the best music for the party. (14)Usually, my mom will let us bake cookies or brownies, so I like to get all of the ingredients together for that activity. (15)My mom, Olivia, and I tackle the cleaning together. (16)We are the fastest cleaning crew in town. 7 In sentence 12, how is thereforebest written? A ,therefore, B :therefore, C ;therefore, D as it is 8 In sentence 16, how is fastestbest written? F most fast G faster H most fastest J as it is provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

8. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for correct grammar, punctuation and sentence construction. To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including prepositions, correct case and number, and comparative and superlative degrees in adverbs and adjectives. The Standards of Learning writing assessment asks students to edit a given passage for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing. provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

9. Read the fourth part of Alicia’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below. (17)After we complete all of the chores at home, we go to the grocery store together. (18)The three of us have so much fun choosing her favorite snacks. (19)When the groceries have been put away, and the chores are complete. (20)We just sit back, relax, and wait for the guests to arrive. 9 In sentence 18, how is herbest written? A my B their C our D as it is 10 Which is not a complete sentence? F sentence 17 G sentence 18 H sentence 19 J sentence 20 provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.

10. Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use Notes to Teacher: During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for use of language, capitalization, punctuation and spelling. Students can earn 14 multiple choice points and 8 possible score from the direct-writing component by accurately editing. On the Grade 8 Standards of Learning writing assessments students will edit for the use of: provided bySimply Achieve, Inc.