1. Strategies for Success
Integrating Test Preparation
Into Reading Workshop

2. Three Beliefs Successful test takers first have to be smart readers.
Successful test takers need to be able to translate the unique language of the test.
Learning how to be a successful test taker can be fun.

3. Hope is not a strategy
How can we help our students show what they know on standardized tests?
We can create a purposeful, integrated test-taking curriculum.
Students must learn the hyper-English that is part of test taking.

4. What is test talk?
Test talk is the specific language needed to decode the test.
We often ask our students to practice, practice, practice without ever teaching.
“We as educators know that practice is not preparation. Skills must be taught in a concrete, meaningful way before they can be practiced.” page 9, Test Talk

5. What skills are needed?
Translate the test writers’ formal English (test talk) into kid talk
Recognize and categorize questions into concepts taught in class
Understand and successfully manipulate the format of the test
Use test-taking strategies to be proactive test-takers
Stamina to sustain concentration

6. General Reading Strategy Lessons
Reading is thinking
Activating schema
Using the author’s clues to recognize important information
Identifying and following directions
Rereading saves the day
Reading and thinking stamina

7. Test-Specific Strategy Lessons
Navigating the structure of standardized tests
Eliminating answers that don’t match
Active listening
Smart test takers aren’t necessarily sure of every single answer, but they are sure to read each question carefully, use strategies, make the very best answer choice, and move on confidently.

8. Activating Schema Warming-up the brain Setting a purpose for reading
Alerting the brain to seek information
Turn the wondering brain on
Conversations in my head
Visualization

9. What’s It All About? Finding The Main Idea
Determining importance - finding the main idea can be tricky because it is not usually written right in the text. We must read, then use our schema with the text to infer the main ideas.
What is the text talk for main idea questions?

10. Anchor Chart - Main Idea
Synonyms
Passage
Text
Story
Main Idea Test Talk
Theme
Mostly about
Importance
Summarize

11. Motives in Messages: Identifying Author’s Intent
The author most likely wrote this passage to . . .
The author both entertains and informs the reader by . . .
What was the author’s main purpose for writing this article?
The author included this last paragraph because it . . .
In the last paragraph the author uses words that . .
The reason the author uses the phrase “cool as a cucumber” is to . . .

12. Test Talk - Author’s Intent
Explain
Teach
Amuse
Persuade
Entertain
Compare
Demonstrate
Be humorous
Frighten
Give information
Make you laugh
Describe
Prove
Warn

13. Studying Words
Students must learn how to construct and deconstruct words - essentially know how words work.
Questions like ~ In which word does -ly mean the same as it does in lovely?

14. QAR
Teach Author and Me
Almost all passage related questions on the SOL test require students to use clues from the author and make inferences.

15. Reading Between the Lines: Inferring to Build Meaning
Text + Schema = Inference
To infer is to build meaning
Inference is a sophisticated intellectual process that occurs at the junction of a reader’s background knowledge and what is stated in the text or pictured in the illustrations

16. Inferring - Implicit vs. Explicit
Defining unknown words
Finding main ideas
Themes
Morals
Making predictions
Identifying characters feelings & traits

17. “Crunch Time” with Strategic and Intensive Readers
Decoding is an issue, so accurate reading is an issue.
Words read per minute is often significantly below grade expectancy.
Comprehension is compromised when accuracy and fluency are areas of weakness.

18. Reading Research Helps . . .
If students feel successful and competent in their ability to read, they are more likely to persist in the face of challenges (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).

19. SO….
Decoding - daily practice reading and decoding text out loud. This must be supportive practice.
Reading must occur all day long - practice will lead to improvement.
Stamina is critical for the day of the test.

20. I have to read all these stories!
Fluency impacts stamina. The last passages may only be skimmed.
Students are reluctant to re-read because the task is so labor and time intensive.

21. Relax! School environments need to be positive.
Students need to believe in themselves. This happens when you believe in them.

22. Embracing the Testing Challenge
“I’m not scared because I know what it’s going to be like and I know what the words mean. I also know what to do if I get stuck. I feel excited instead of scared.”