Preparing Students for PSSA 2010

1. Preparing Students for PSSA 2010

2. Before…During…After Reading Strategies • http://www.bayvieweduc.ednet.ns.ca/Smoran/Reader%27sworkshop/before_during_after_reading.htm • http://www.mandygregory.com/reading_strategies.htm • jc-schools.net/read6-12/ReadingCompStrategies.pdf Twenty Thinking Strategies Readers Use to Comprehend Nonfiction Texts • http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/ReadStrats_20Best.html

3. Reading Stances • PSSA focuses on the understanding of the Reading Stances. Some sample generic questions:.. • http://www.intercom.net/local/school/sdms/mspap/stances.html

4. PSSA Reading Passage Stems for Embedded Instruction: • Passage Stems for Discussion or Writing Response: • (Frequently Used PSSA Language in Bold) • Give at least two ways the (texts, poems) are alike and one way they are different. Use specific examples from the poems to support your answer. • Using examples from the story, identify three ways… • In your own words summarize the passage. Be sure to include one important event from the beginning, middle and the end of the passage. • Using details from both passages, describe two similarities and one difference between the two. • Explain how _____________ tries to convince _______________ about ______________________. Use at least three examples from the passage to support your answer. • Using three examples from the text, identify ways that the ad makes people want to…. • What is the importance of … in the story. Use at least three examples from the story to support your reasons. • In your own words, summarize what happened….be sure to use events from the selection…  • Which sentence from the passage contains an opinion… • Based on the passage, what would ____________ most likely do if…..

5. Embedded Instruction Stems • The author writes…..what supports this thought from the passage. • The prefix pre in the word prehaikumost likely refers to…. • Read the following statement. The word “appeal” most likely means … • Which of these statements from the passage is a fact/ an opinion… • The main reason the author wrote this passage was probably to… • Read the following passage….which is probably the meaning of the word_______.... • The first line of the poem, is an example of…simile, alliteration, metaphor,personification…. • The sentence……..meant that….. • After …, then what happened…

6. Embedded Instruction Stems • Why should ____________ not ____________________.... • Based on the information from the selection, what is the best action to take if……. • Which detail from the passage best describes the conflict…. • Where do most of the events in the story take place…. • Read the sentence from the passage. Which word is theopposite of… • Which phrase is an example of alliteration…. • Which lines from the poem contain a simile… • Which word best describes how the character, …., feels when…..

7. Embedded Instruction • Read these sentences from the passage. What doe the word ….. most likely mean…. • The purpose of the passage most likely means….. • Which is the best summary of the passage… • The selection takes place mostly at…. • This passage reminds me of….use specific examples from the text to compare… • What does the passage or article tell you about… • How did the story change from the beginning to the end…cite specific examples…

8. Embedded Instruction Stems • Did the author present a logical argument; supportyouranswerwithevidence from the text… • Did the character changeyourideasabout ….explain how… • Compare and contrast the two poems, characters, selections, etc. • Do you agree or disagree…why or why not •  How usefulwouldtheinformation from the article be…explain why or why not…

9. Keep in Mind… • Teachers should read the Eligible Content carefully and become familiar with it. • Fiction and nonfiction passages may be paired; poems may be paired with a passage or with another poem. • Open-ended items should take about 10 minutes to respond to and are written for both fiction and nonfiction passages.

10. Students should look at all parts of an item and be sure to answer each part of an item. • Students may look back to the passage when answering questions, particularly for context clue items. Students should know and understand why some words are underlined in the passage. • Students need to read all answer choices carefully before selecting one as the correct answer.

11. Students need to know character traits/characteristics/personality traits. • Students may be asked to “compare AND contrast.” • Explain, compare and evaluate are part of the meaning of the broader term “analyze.” • Students need to know to include a beginning, middle and end for summaries of passages, both fiction and non-fiction.

12. Students need to know how to use and how to include examples found in the passage as support and as an explanation for an answer to open-ended items. • Students need to know how to explain, describe and analyze parts of a passage, not just identify certain parts. • Students across all grades need to be able to identify and interpret examples of exaggeration in non-fiction texts.