Descriptions of the Tested Topics Reading

Below are descriptions of all the tested topics in Reading.

Word Analysis Skills and Strategies

Words are the building-blocks of everything students read. To truly understand a word, readers need to figure out both what it means and how it is used. Students should be able to use parts of a word to figure out its meaning. This will help them figure out the meanings of new words with similar parts. They should also be able to use clues from the word’s context to figure out its meaning.

Read to Comprehend, Interpret, and Evaluate Literature

By reading, watching, and listening to plays, poems, and stories, students connect their own lives to literature. Students should think about and discuss characters, settings, plots, conflicts, and resolutions. When reading poetry, students should pay attention to the musical and visual qualities of descriptive language. Students should also understand how an author’s background, environment, and history influence the author’s writing.

Read to Comprehend, Interpret, and Evaluate Informational Text

Informational texts present ideas and opinions that are based on real-life events. Students often use informational texts for research. When they read informational texts, students should think about and discuss the main ideas, important details, visual features, and organization. They should also make conclusions about the uses and purposes of information within different texts.

Forming an Initial Understanding

When readers form an initial understanding, they are able to understand the basic facts of what they read. Understanding the basic facts is an important first step for more complex understanding. Some people call questions that address this topic “find and point” questions, because the answers are right in the text.

Developing an Interpretation

When readers develop an interpretation, they have a more complete understanding of what they read. They can connect information across parts of a text, and they can also focus on details in a text. Questions that address this topic ask students to “read between the lines.”

Determining a Critical Stance

When readers determine a critical stance, they are able to ask questions, form opinions, and make decisions about what they read. Students might be asked to evaluate a text’s quality and appropriateness, the information the author includes, the way the text is organized, and how it compares to other texts. Questions that address this topic ask students to “read beyond the lines.”