Mr. Meador’s Guide to Passing the STAAR, Life, Love, and Stuffs

Reading Section Strategy

Reading Section Strategy

Utilize the AVID strategy!

Reading Section Strategy

Utilize the AVID strategy!

- Read the question- Identify and define the important

academic vocabulary- Identify the wrong answers- Identify the right answer

Reading Section Tips

Read the story and question(s) slowly and deliberately. Do not be afraid to use a dictionary if you stumble on a

word.

Reading Section Tips

Use process of elimination. Choosing between two answer choices is much

easier than just between four.

Reading Section Tips

Stay calm and relaxed. If you are uncomfortable with a question, move

on and revisit it later.

Open Ended Response

Open Ended Response

Do not to forget to ACE(E) the STAAR test!

Open Ended Response

Answer the question!

Open Ended Response

Answer the questionCite (Provide evidence!)

Open Ended Response

Answer the questionCite (Provide evidence!)Explain how your evidence supports your answer!

Open Ended Response

Answer the questionCite (Provide evidence!)Explain how your evidence supports your answer!

Expand – find the deeper meaning!

Open Ended Tips

If reading a poem, read it several times to fully comprehend the

meaning or theme

Open Ended Tips

Use strong sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation

Open Ended Tips

If given a picture to analyze, focus on the minute details. Why did the

tester choose it?

Open Ended Tips

Identify what the question is asking. Make sure you understand exactly.

Use a dictionary!

Open Ended Tips

For paired passages, create a list of similarities or differences. If you

cannot back it up with evidence, it’s not legitimate.

Essay Section

Essay Section

INTRODUCTION

Create a hook! Catch the reader’s attention!

Rhetorical Questions Quotes

Pathos Creativity

Essay Section

BODY

Provide personal and/or universal examples to support your thesis statement.

Use transitions and strong grammar to make the essay “flow”

Essay Section

CONCLUSION

Restate the thesis statement in DIFFERENT words!

Wrap up your essay. Make sure you do not leave any ideas “open” . Make the reader remember you .

Essay Tips

Even if you don’t do the essay first, make sure you look at the prompt

the moment you open the test.

Essay Tips

Use a thesaurus to vary your diction

Essay Tips

Use sentence variety – simple, compound, complex, and compound-

complex!

Essay Tips

Use paragraphs to help organize your development

STAAR Strategies

Get as much rest as possible this weekend and Sunday night

STAAR Strategies

Get on campus as soon as possible and find your testing room, get

comfortable, get focused.

STAAR Strategies

Do not be afraid to use a dictionary.Even if you think you know the

meaning of a word, look it up and be sure.

STAAR Strategies

Stay positive.

Dare to be great.