Strategies that Work By Latonya L. Leeks Professional Development Schools Coordinator

Agenda Offer alternatives for assistance with Praxis 1. Provide test taking strategies for different learning styles. Enrich your knowledge base in reference to reading and reading strategies. Participate in vocabulary exercises to evaluate context clues and word meanings.

Webinars The Educational Testing Service or ETS offers Free Webinars to help students prepare for tests in the Praxis series. These tests are usually offered on a monthly basis at no cost to the user. Participants will need a phone (with long distance service) and a computer to participate in Webinar. You can begin by going online to to register for the next webinar, which will be held Thursday, October 28 at 1:00 p.m.

Purpose of the Workshop… This workshop is designed to provide the learner with test taking strategies that will assist in evaluating knowledge of the two types of Praxis I comprehension questions: 1. Literal Comprehension— about 45% of the reading test, deals with main idea, vocabulary in context, organization, details, etc., about 21 questions. 2. Critical and Inferential Comprehension—about 55% of the reading test, deals with inferential reasoning, author’s tone, generalizations, about 25 questions.

Strategies for Taking the Reading Test The reading test consists of passages followed by multiple choice questions. Although reading seems to be a natural process, reading about reading and about steps to taking the reading test can seem tireless and confusing. In this workshop, we will look at six steps to taking a reading test.

Six Steps to Taking a Reading Test Skim to find the topic of each paragraph Read the questions and answers Eliminate incorrect answers Scan the details to find the answers Be aware of what may be implied Use context clues to define unfamiliar vocabulary words.

Skim to find the Topic of Each Paragraph Your first job is to find the topic of each paragraph. The topic is what the paragraph or passage is about. The topic is usually found in the first and last sentences. Remember that you can write the topic in the margin next to the passage on your paper based test. You may mark on the test to help you with answering the questions.

Skimming cont… If it is a factual passage, the author will present the fact and support it with details and examples. If the passage presents an opinion, the author will give the opinion and support it with arguments and examples A fact is a statement that can be proven to be true. An opinion is a personal belief.

Read the Questions and the Answers Read questions one at a time. Read the answers for the question that you are working on and be sure that you understand what each question and its answers mean. Be sure before answer a question if it is asking to identify a fact, detail or main idea (literal comprehension) or an inference, conclusion, author’s purpose, tone (inferential comprehensions). If it helps, read the questions before reading the passage. Sometimes it gives you an indication of what key words to look for.

Eliminate Incorrect Answers Read the answers and eliminate the ones that you absolutely know are incorrect. Read the answers literally. Look for words such as always, never, must, all. If you can find a single exception to this type of sweeping statement, then the answer can’t be correct. ELIMINATE IT!

Scan the Details to Find the Answer Once you have eliminated answers, compare the answers to the passage. When you find the answer that is confirmed by the passage---STOP! That is your answer choice. Scanning means skipping over information that doesn’t answer your question. Beware of VAGUE ANSWERS! A vague answer can be a correct answer. Vague answers may not be chock full or details and sometimes they are hard to prove wrong. Reading and comparing all answer choices may help you find the best answer for the question.

Be Aware of What May Be Implied Author’s Purpose— Describe: Present an image of physical reality or mental image. Entertain—Amuse or perform Inform—Clarify, explain, state Narrate—relate, tell as story Persuade—Argue, convince, prove

Implied cont… Bias— A statement or passage reveals bias if the the author has prejudice or has a predisposition to a doctrine, idea or practice. Bias means the author is trying to convince or influence the reader through some emotional appeal or slanted writing. Bias can be positive or negative.

Implied cont… Author’s Tone— The author’s tone is the author’s attitude as reflected in the passage. How do you think the author would sound if they were speaking? What impression would you form about the author’s feelings or attitude? Examples: amusing, comical, depressing, tragic, calming, sentimental, cruel, nostalgic, serious, pessimistic, malicious, arrogant, etc.

Vocabulary in Context Understanding vocabulary is essential in comprehending text. Gain a working knowledge of prefixes, root words and etymologies. Look for familiar words surrounding the vocabulary word to help you understand how it’s being used in the sentence.