Reading Comprehension

Students, during this presentation, you are to take 3-column notes on the information presented in each slide.

•  The first column will be the name of the specific strategy or practice •  The second column will need to be wide. You will write your notes from the slides in this column. •  The third column will be used for an activity which will be explained later.

An added benefit of learning these strategies? They will help you on the EOCT, your benchmarks, the PSAT, SAT, and any other test which requires you to respond

to reading comprehension questions!

* Reading the questions first gives you an idea of what you should look for in your reading. If the questions focus on identifying the main idea, topic sentences, and supporting details, you know to focus your attention (and possibly note-taking skills) on those elements in the passage.

* Make sure you understand exactly what each question is asking. Sometimes it helps to put the question in your own words or circle key words in the question, such as not, least, cause, effect, first, last, etc.

Reread, predict, and select

* Reread each question in order to determine the correct answer

* Before you look at the answer selections, PREDICT your own answer based on the information you read in the passage,

* Read the answer choices and select the response that most closely matches the answer you predicted.

What do I do if I cannot predict an answer? * First, be certain the you understand what the question is

asking. A simple rereading often clears up confusion and allows a student to come up with an answer.

* Next, read the answer choices and eliminate any which are obviously wrong. You have a better chance of selecting the correct answer if you eliminate one or more of the options. This is true even if you end up having to guess on the answer!

* Multiple Choice options that are almost always wrong include: * Answers that seem humorous or ridiculous

* Answers that contain extreme or absolute statements (all, always, never, no one, everyone, impossible, must, absolutely, etc.)

* Answer choices that are almost exactly alike or say the same thing in different words

* Answer choices that contain even one small piece of incorrect information.

* * Remember that the EOCT asks

you to choose the best answer for each question. None of the answer choices may seem perfect at times, but your task is to choose the best answer of the options you are given.

* If the answer you choose is in the reading passage, make sure that it answers what the question asks. This could be a trick – a choice that has information from the passage but does not answer the question.

* Let’s take a break from the notes for a few minutes so that you can go back and look over the strategies you just learned.

In the third column of your 3-column notes, you need to identify the three strategies that you feel will best benefit you.

Number the strategies 1 – 3, with 1 being the strategy you think will help you the most. Then, explain your selections in a sentence or two. You might also want to comment on how you plan to put these strategies into practice.

We will discuss these as a class when you are finished.

These are tried-and-true methods for improving your scores on all reading comprehension assessments!

Skimming * Skimming means to glance quickly at a reading passage to locate certain important information. It should never be used a substitute for careful reading of the passage, however, it can be an important strategy when used after an initial reading in an effort to locate information and/or details.

Read the passage more than once

* Don’t expect to always know the answers to the questions after only one reading.

* Good test takers learn how to go back into the passage again and again to find specific information.

Stick to the information presented

* The answer you need will most likely be either found in the text, or inferred from the information in the text.

* If the question says According to the

passage… or Presented in the passage…make sure that the answer you choose is based on information you read in the passage.

I said it before, and I will say it again…

* Eliminate obviously wrong options before choosing your answers: Never choose an answer that contains any wrong information. If any part of an answer choice is wrong, the entire choice is wrong.

Ask questions, and take notes * If you are allowed to write in your test booklet, underline key words and use the margins to take notes on important information from the text. * Ask questions as you read: * Why is this important? * What is the author’s purpose for writing this? * What is the main idea of this passage? * Etc.

Pay attention to your answer document

* Yes…it seems silly to mention it here – but, really, who hasn’t messed up a scantron by accidentally skipping forward a line or two?

* About every 10 answers or so, check your answer sheet with your test booklet to make sure that you have been bubbling on the correct lines. If you wait until the end of the test to check over your answer sheet, you could have a problem.

And finally…

CHECK YOUR

ANSWERS! Do not underestimate the power of checking your answers.

If you have time after you fish the test, go back and recheck all of your answers.

Be sure to check the ones you guessed at first.

* Alright…you now have notes covering test-taking strategies AND best practices of test-takers.

THINK: Pretend you are in a testing situation right now. Which ONE of the best practices given in the previous 7 slides can you imagine using the most (and the most effectively) in an effort to earn a high score on the reading comprehension section of the test?

In the third column, place a star next to the practice you identified above, and then write a 2 – 3 sentence explanation.

PAIR: Discuss your response this with a partner when encouraged to do so by your teacher.

SHARE: Join with another group. This time, instead of discussing your own choice, tell the other group about your partner’s selection and explanation.

Almost done; just a few more slides to go!

* You have taken a LOT of notes today, but they are important notes. You can use these strategies and practices on ANY benchmark or standardized test which requires you to read for information – even tests in classes other than Language Arts!

Your last task of the day is to write one example of each of the types of questions described on the previous five slides. You may pick two of the four on the final slide to discuss. Write the questions and at least 4 answer choices in the 3rd column of your 3 column notes.

This is challenging, but I know you can do it!

Ticket out of the door: Show your completed questions to your teacher.