RLA STAAR Study Guide - Reading & Writing Tips PDF

# RLA STAAR STUDY GUIDE - READING TIPS ## Fiction **Characters are:** * **S** - What they **SAY** * **A** - How they **ACT** * **L** - How they **LOOK** * **T** - What they **THINK** * **Y** - How they **YIELD** a **RESOLUTION** **Plot Diagram** * **Setting** - Where & when a story takes place...

# RLA STAAR STUDY GUIDE - READING TIPS ## Fiction **Characters are:** * **S** - What they **SAY** * **A** - How they **ACT** * **L** - How they **LOOK** * **T** - What they **THINK** * **Y** - How they **YIELD** a **RESOLUTION** **Plot Diagram** * **Setting** - Where & when a story takes place * **Plot** - Events that take place in a story * **Exposition** - Introduces background, setting, characters * **Rising action** - Conflict develops & tension builds * **Internal conflict** - Thoughts & feelings within a character that contribute to his/her struggle * **External conflict** - What happens to/around a character that contributes to his/her struggle * **Climax** - Point of highest tension in the story * **Resolution** - The finish; how the problem resolves * **Theme** - Life lesson/universal message/takeaway * **Archetype** - Common characters that represent human nature (hero, lover, explorer, creator, villain) * **Point of view** - 1st, 2nd, 3rd person; the perspective from which the story is told; speaker/narrator * **Flashback** - A scene from the past; memory * **Tone** - Author's attitude toward the topic * **Mood** - Reader's attitude toward the piece * **Protagonist** - Main/leading character (the good guy) * **Antagonist** - The opponent/instigator (the bad guy) ## Poetry **Remember to think about...** 1. **Title** - Initial thoughts/ideas about poem's topic 2. **P** - Paraphrase: put the poem in your own words 3. **C** - Connotation: "loaded" words/phrases/language 4. **A** - Attitude: author's feelings toward the poem's subject 5. **S** - Shift: changes in tone, attitude, structure, ideas, etc. 6. **T** - Tone: how the author/speaker feels toward the subject 7. **T** - Title 2.0- Look at the title again for deeper meaning **Think of the poem as a story!** * Highlight the end punctuation & read sentence by sentence. * There is usually a storyline to follow (think B-M-E). **Poetry Look-Fors** * **Figurative language** * **Metaphor**: comparison by renaming (Ex. The point guard is a bulldozer) * **Simile**: comparison using like or as (Ex. The point guard is like a bulldozer) * **Personification**: giving non-living things human characteristics (Ex. The wind whistled in the trees) * **Hyperbole**: extreme exaggeration (Ex. He lived a year in a minute) * **Sensory language/imagery**: words/phrases that appeal to sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound * **Rhyme**: same sounds at the end of multiple lines * **Meter**: syllable structure that contributes to poem's rhythm * **Rhythm**: patterns of sound in the poem ## Informational Text **Remember to...** * **D** - Determine structure * **I** - Interesting language * **V** - Vocabulary * **E** - Examine BIG Ideas **Author's craft:** * How the author puts the piece together. **Author's message (Think THEME)** * **Author's purpose**: Why did the author write this piece? Why might the reader need this information? **Text features to look for...** * Photos/Charts/Graphs/Images (and the CAPTIONS) * Footnotes (numbers relate to information at the bottom) * Title, headings, and subheadings ## Drama **Drama gives me...** * **P** - Playwright - the author of the dramatic piece * **D** - Dialogue - words spoken aloud by cast members/characters * **S.D.** - Stage directions - usually written in italics - these provide information about actions, expressions, movement, technical directions, costuming, etc. **Drama Look-Fors** * **Context** - Info in italics at the top of the page * **Acts/scenes** - How the play is divided * **Characters** - Who are the speakers? Hint, highlight each character's name in a different color ## Multiple Choice Strategies * **P.Q.** - Preview Questions: use scratch paper, jot notes about each question; refer to notes as you read passages. * **P.O.E.** - Process of Elimination: get rid of answers that seem obviously wrong or that are not supported by text evidence. * **Q/A Tone**: The tone (feeling) of answer choices will match the tone of the passage. It may help to eliminate answers with contrasting tones! * **Strike through**: any answers you have eliminated. * **Keywords**: correct answer choices may contain similar words (synonyms) or ideas from the question and/or the passage. * **Multi-part questions**: some questions have an "AND" or a "BUT" in the middle - make sure you pick the choice that answers both parts of the question! * **Multi-select questions**: for two-part questions, you will provide text evidence to support an answer. Use a combination of all strategies for this question type. * **Match table grids**: read question & options carefully; think about tone and keywords; find evidence to support your choices. # RLA STAAR STUDY GUIDE - WRITING TIPS ## Revision **For composing, use your ARMSI:** * **A** - What might you need to **ADD**? Details, descriptions, explanations, or images can add some clarity and variety to your writing. * **R** - What might you need to **REMOVE**? Eliminate words, phrases, or sentences that are unnecessary or repetitive. * **M** - What might you need to **MOVE**? Sometimes a word/phrase/sentence just needs to be in a different place! Combine sentences to add depth and variety. * **S** - What might you need to **SUBSTITUTE**? For repeated or boring/simplistic words, use a synonym instead! **Reread everything - does it make sense?!?** **For multiple choice questions, remember...** * When combining sentences, eliminate answer choices with comma splices or run-ons. * Never hook sentences together with commas - make sure independent clauses are joined with a semicolon or comma-conjunction (FANBOYS). * Look for sentences that repeat ideas - you will be asked to eliminate it! * Pay careful attention to transitional words and phrases. **For drop-down question types, use R&R:** * Replace each option. * Reread the sentence to find the best answer. ## Editing **To fix errors, remember C.U.P.S.!:** * **C** - Remember to **Capitalize**: * Sentence beginnings * Proper nouns (specific people or places) * Story/poem/article titles * **U** - Is the **Usage** correct? Check commonly misused words (there, their, and they're). Subjects and pronouns should agree (singular or plural). Subjects and verbs should agree (singular/plural or tenses). * **P** - **Punctuation** matters! * Sentences should end appropriately (.). * Use a semicolon to separate independent clauses. * Put citations in quotation marks ("). * **S** - **Spelling** * No text language! Write out every word (ie, be, or). * If you aren't sure about how a word is spelled, try to find it in the dictionary or thesaurus (or use a word you DO know how to spell). ## Short Constructed Response **Turn the prompt into a question you can answer.** * Write a thoughtful response that shows you understand what you read (DO NOT answer the question with text evidence!). * Support your answer with evidence from the lines, stanzas, or paragraphs indicated in the prompt. * Put your citations inside quotation marks. * Provide commentary to clarify your thoughts and support your reasoning (explanation!!!!). * All ideas must relate to the text (no outside info!). ## Extended Constructed Response - Essay * Must have clear introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. * Introduction paragraph must contain thesis statement. * Turn prompt into a question and ANSWER IT FULLY. * 2-3 Body Paragraphs (follow the format below!) * Topic Sentence (stems from thesis, includes a claim/reason) * 1-2 Sentences of Evidence - direct quotations are best! * 2-3 Sentences of Commentary - "Spill the T" Insight, not repetition * Concluding Sentence - thematic/lesson learned/author's message, etc. The evidence & commentary back to thesis. * Conclusion Paragraph revisits the thesis - don't repeat it, though! * Overall understanding/takeaway from passage(s). ## Writing Must-Dos * Put a space after every sentence. * Start sentences with a capital letter and end sentences with a period. * Cite your evidence - COPY IT EXACTLY. * Embed your quotations - use quotation marks!