PSSA ReadingWriting Strategies

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PSSA Reading/Writing Strategies

• Parent-Teacher Conferences
• February 21, 2008
• Krista M. Wagner

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PSSA - Reading

• Reading with Writing Prompt

March 31st April 11th
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Reading Questionnaire

• _____always _____almost always _____almost
  never _____never
• Does it help you understand a text selection (or
  a story) if you
• Think about something else while you are reading?
• Write it down in your own words?
• Underline important parts of the selection?
• Ask yourself questions about the ideas in the
  selection?
• Write down every single word in the selection?
• Check through the selection to see if you
  remember all of it?
• Skip the parts you dont understand in the
  selection?
• Read the selection as fast as you can?
• Say every word over and over?
• Ask questions about parts of the selection that
  you dont understand?
• Positive Reading Strategies (always)
• s 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10
• Negative Reading Strategies (never)
• s 1, 5, 7, 8, and 9

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Reading Comprehension Strategies

• Focus on the main idea. The main idea of a
  reading selection is the overall point that the
  author wishes to communicate. A test question
  may ask you to select a title for the passage.
  The best answer choice is the one that expresses
  the main idea. Alternatively, a test question
  may ask you to determine the authors purpose in
  writing the passage. To answer the question, you
  must determine how the author presented the main
  idea to the reader.
• Note sentences that support the main idea.
  Writers support their main ideas with sentences
  that give reasons and examples. You should note
  these sentences and mentally arrange them under
  the main idea that they support. Reading
  comprehension questions often require you to
  identify supporting data given in the passage.
• Distinguish conclusions from support sentences.
  Conclusions are general statements that sum up
  the ideas presented in prior sentences.
  Conclusions are signaled by such words and
  phrases as thus, therefore, and in summary.
  Tests frequently ask you to identify a conclusion
  that has been stated in the reading passage.

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Reading Comprehension Strategies (contd.)

• Be prepared to make inferences about what you
  have read. An inference is an unstated
  conclusion that can be drawn on the basis of what
  has been stated. Supposed, for example, that you
  read the following sentence McGee was just
  getting back to normal after two weeks in the
  hospital. From the sentence you can draw the
  inference that McGee recently was ill or
  suffering from an injury. Test questions
  frequently require you to draw inferences based
  on statements in the reading passage.
• Read as fast as you can and still retain the
  meaning. Read the passage before you answer the
  questions. Verify each answer by quickly
  checking the relevant part of the passage.
  Answer the questions in terms of the passage, not
  in terms of what you may already know about the
  subject.

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What to focus on

• Step 1 Read the questions
• Step 2 Read the text
• Step 3 Reread the questions
• Step 4 Find the questions answer in the text
• Step 5 Read the answer choices
• Step 6 Reread the section of text that applies
  to the question and then read the lines before
  and after where the question is addressed in the
  reading
• Step 7 Confirm and choose answer

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Reading Writing Prompt - Explained

• After reading a selection, the students are asked
  to rename the selection they have just read and
  to give two examples from the selection on what
  made them rename the selection.
• Example
• Write another title for the passage. Explain
  your choice, using at least two examples from the
  passage to support your response.

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What to focus on

• Fictional Prompts Ask for inferences from the
  reading
• Non-Fictional Prompts Ask for direct quotes
  from the reading
• Avoid restating the same title that the passage
  was originally given
• Be sure to give at least two concrete examples
  directly from the text to support the new title

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3-point scale

• Score of 3 Demonstrates complete knowledge of
  the main idea by providing another title for the
  passage and by supporting this choice with two
  examples from the passage.
• Score of 2 Demonstrates partial understanding
  of the main idea. Student may use only one
  example from the passage to support the title.
• Score of 1 Demonstrates incomplete
  understanding of the main idea. Student may
  write a related title without giving any examples
  from the passage to support the title.
• Score of 0 Response provides insufficient
  material for scoring or is inaccurate in all
  respects. Categories within zero blank, off
  task/topic, response in a language other than
  English, illegible.

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2008 TARGET PASSAGE TYPES FOR THE READING PSSA
1 autobiography/biography OR 1 practical/how-to/ a
dvertisement (will alternate between these types
of passages)
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1
1
1
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PSSA Writing

• Multiple-Choice Section with Personal Narrative,
  Informative, and/or Persuasive Prompts

February 11th February 22nd
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Writing Guidelines

• PLAN Before you write
• Read the prompt carefully so you understand
  exactly what you are being asked to do.
• Consider topic, task, and audience.
• Think about what you want to write.
• Use scratch paper to organize your thoughts. Use
  strategies like mapping or outlining.
• WRITE As you write
• Maintain a clear and consistent position or
  claim.
• Include specific details use examples and
  reasons to support your ideas.
• Use a variety of well-constructed, complete
  sentences.
• Use a logical organization with an obvious
  introduction, body, and conclusion.
• PROOFREAD After you write
• Did you support your ideas with specific
  details?
• Do the point of view and tone of the essay remain
  consistent?
• Check for capitalization, spelling, sentence
  structure, punctuation, and usage errors.

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Mapping
Supporting Details
3 Examples
Supporting Details
3 Examples
Main Idea
Supporting Details
3 Examples
Supporting Details
3 Examples
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Writing Prompts - Examples

• Personal Narrative
• Story like
• Informative
• Explain a process
• Persuasive
• Plead a side

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Personal Narrative - Strategies

• Make the topic your own Take time to search
  your memory for events that can be used to write
  your narrative, which is based on your own life
  experiences.
• Elaborate by using specific words Stop
  generalizing thoughts by saying great,
  wonderful, worst, best, and so forth.
• Show, dont tell Every time you write a
  narrative, try to imagine how it would look on a
  movie screen. You know where your story will
  take youyouve lived it. Your reader, on the
  other hand, needs to know the details. Showing
  scenes in detail, instead of telling about them
  in vague, general terms, helps your reader go
  along with you.
• Keep your focus Adding comments or extra
  details to an idea can help you develop your
  narrative however, it also makes it very easy to
  get off track.
• Edit as you go Revise and edit what you have
  written by looking out for correct spelling,
  punctuation, capitalization, and usage.

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Personal Narrative Helpful Hints

• Opening
• The opening of a narrative can be more than one
  paragraph, particularly if you can begin with a
  grabber to catch the readers interest.
• Make sure that you focus the readers attention
  by providing a general idea of the story that
  follows.
• Make statements that cause your reader to ask
  questions.
• Realize that the rest of your narrative must
  fulfill the readers expectations.
• Body
• Organize your narrative sequentially, especially
  when your time is limited.
• Write dramatically. Show your reader what is
  happening.
• Use suspense to keep your reader wondering what
  will happen next.
• Write sentences that comment on something you
  have just written to develop or elaborate your
  writing.
• Use sentences of different lengths to change the
  pace of your writing.
• Closing
• Complete the questions you have raised in the
  opening.
• Explain the significance of the event.
• Use words that add something new or interesting
  to the story you have told.
• Review your writing for spelling, punctuation,
  and capitalization.

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Personal Narrative - Prompt

• Decisions we make can affect our lives
  dramatically. They can change our goals. They
  can change the way we behave. They can also
  change the way we think about ourselves.
• Have you ever made a decision that changed you?
  What was the decision? How did it change you?
  Did you change your goals, your behavior or the
  way you thought about yourself? Write an essay
  describing what you did and how it affected you.
• As you write and rewrite your narrative, remember
  to
• Describe the decision you made.
• Describe how it changed you.
• Give details that are specific to this event.
• Present your ideas logically and clearly.
• Use words and well-constructed sentences
  effectively.
• Correct any errors in spelling, punctuation, and
  capitalization.

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Informative- Strategies

• Write a Good Opening A strong opening is an
  important element of a successful piece of
  writing. Make sure you hook your readers at the
  beginning of the paper. Tell them something that
  will make them want to go on reading. Then tell
  them what your main idea or topic is. Think of
  your opening as an advertisement for the rest of
  the paper.
• Use Examples Even in an informational paper,
  you want to make your writing as lively and
  convincing as possible. One of the best ways is
  to use examples bits of stories that illustrate
  your point and make it come alive for your
  readers. A good example draws readers into your
  paper. It gives them an action or event they can
  visualize and relate to. Instead of just reading
  about something, they can see it happening. With
  an example, you can show the readers what you
  mean instead of telling them.
• Make a Generalization Details in a paper are
  good, but they cannot stand aloneyou need to
  provide a generalization that explains what the
  details mean or shows why the details are
  important. Without a statement of this sort, the
  details you give can be confusing. The
  generalization provides clarity. It tells the
  readers what the main idea is what point the
  details are supporting. A generalization often
  functions as the topic sentence of the paragraph.
  It can be the first sentence of the paragraph or
  the last an sometimes you may wish to put it in
  the middle.
• Propose Solutions That Work Show an
  understanding of the problem. Make sense solve
  the problem in a sensible way. Be workable
  practical ideas are best because there are no
  major obstacles standing in the way.

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Informative- Strategies (contd.)

• Provide Appropriate Explanations There are many
  ways to approach the same topic, but the choice
  you make will determine both what you say and how
  you say it.
• Develop a Thesis Statement To develop the
  thesis statement, first look at the details and
  examples youve gathered and at the conclusions
  youve drawn or the generalizations youve made.
  Then decide exactly what you are going to explain
  or demonstrate in your paper. The thesis
  statement simply sums up what you are going to
  do it provides a roadmap for your readers.
  Although thesis statement sounds like on
  sentence, to state your thesis you often need to
  write more than one sentence. The thesis
  statement usually appears in the first paragraph
  of your paper, after you have described the
  background or explained the problem. It lets
  your reader know
• what the general topic is the problem, issue,
  question, situation, or event you will be
  discussion
• the main point you will be making about this
  topic for example, proposing a solution,
  examining two points of view, or explaining
  causes or effects.
• Edit as You Go Edit your work as you write it.

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Informative Helpful Hints

• Opening
• Focus the paper by stating the topic clearly.
  Add details to help develop the topic, but dont
  get off the track. Stay on topic.
• Use one or more of the following strategies to
  make your opening as powerful as possible and get
  your readers attention
• Choose strong words.
• Give specific details.
• Provide a dramatic image.
• Body
• Explain the problem in a paragraph of its own.
  Then describe each solution in a separate
  paragraph.
• Make connections between sentences and paragraphs
  by using transition words or by building in
  references to earlier ideas.
• Use believable details and examples to develop
  your ideas.
• Vary your sentence structure choose vivid words
  to express your ideas.
• Check your paper for usage, spelling,
  capitalization, and punctuation.
• Closing
• Make your closing as strong as your opening.
• Connect your closing to the ideas in your
  opening, but avoid repeating what youve already
  said.
• Use a strategy that will make the reader continue
  to think about the problem.
• Reflect on the problem or the solution.
• Ask a question about the problem or the solution.
• Create an image that will remind the reader of
  the seriousness of the problem.

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Informative - Prompt

• High school students frequently form cliques.
  Whether the students in them are drawn together
  by common interests or by a desire to feel
  accepted, cliques tend to exclude other people.
• Write a report for your school newspaper on
  cliques in your high school. Explain how cliques
  are formed and how they affect both students who
  are members of these groups and students who are
  excluded.
• As you write and rewrite your informative paper,
  remember to
• Describe the kinds of cliques that exist in your
  school.
• Explain what you think causes students to form
  cliques and the effects they seem to have.
• Provide enough details and example that your
  readers can understand your explanations.
• Organize your ideas in a clear and logical way.
• Choose effective vocabulary and construct
  interesting sentences.
• Correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and
  capitalization.

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Persuasive - Strategies

• Support Your Position with Good Reasons To
  persuade or convince people, you cant just tell
  them what you want them to think or do. They
  wont agree with you just because you tell them
  to. You need to give them good reasons.
  Furthermore, the reasons have to be relevant
  they have to relate tot he point you are making.
  Here are some questions to ask yourself that will
  help you provide convincing reasons to support
  your position
• -Is the step youre suggesting necessary? Does
  it need to be done? Is it something you need?
• -Does the step youre suggesting benefit anyone?
  Is it good for you or for someone else?
• -Is the cost of taking this step reasonable? Is
  it worth it, not only in dollars but also in time
  and effort?
• -Is this step important to your personal values?
  Does it fit your own idea of what is right or
  good?
• -Is it important for society? Is it right or
  good for most people?
• Give Examples Each example gives you the
  chance to
• Add some facts.
• Tell a story that will interest your reader.
• Distinguish Between Fact and Opinion Facts can
  be checked with opinions cannot be checked.

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Persuasive Strategies (contd.)

• Avoid Faulty Thinking Examples
• -Giving reasons that are too general
• -Giving reasons that are exaggerated
• -Using an opinion, not a fact, to support an
  opinion
• Bandwagon This kind of reasoning tries to
  persuade the audience to do something because
  everyone else is doing it.
• Inexpert Expert This is the use of someone who
  is famous (or expert) in one field as an
  authority in another field.
• Faulty Cause This suggests that if A comes
  before B, then A must be the cause of B.
• Jumping to Conclusions If you make a
  generalization too hastily, based on too few
  examples, you will usually draw a conclusion that
  has no support.
• False Assumption This kind of reasoning is
  related to the bandwagon error. Instead of
  justifying an action or decision on the grounds
  that everyone else is doing it, you make a false
  assumption when you believe that something is
  true just because everyone else seems to think
  that its true. Making a false assumption is
  also similar to jumping to conclusions because,
  in both cases, your reasoning is based on an
  unsupported statement.
• Attacking the Speaker This error occurs when
  you try to discredit an idea by attacking the
  character of the person (speaker or writer) who
  proposed the idea.
• Include the Opposite Point of View Every
  argument has two sides and you should recognize
  both.
• Edit as You Go Proofread and revise your paper
  while you write.

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Persuasive Helpful Hints

• Opening
• A persuasive essay is a good place to begin with
  an attention-getting story. Just make sure that
  it illustrates the issue you will be writing
  about.
• Focus the paper by stating both the general topic
  or issue and the specific plan or proposal that
  you will be taking a stand on.
• Dont forget to state your position somewhere in
  the opening.
• Body
• Organize your ideas by stating each reason for
  the position youve taken in a separate
  paragraph.
• Elaborate each reason with details and examples
  that will convince your readers to agree with
  you.
• Choose strong words that your readers will
  respond to emotionally.
• Show how your ideas are connected by combining
  them.
• Check your paper for usage, spelling,
  capitalization, and punctuation.
• Closing
• Give your readers a fresh way to think about the
  issue
• Make a comparison.
• Ask a question.
• Create a new image.
• End with a call to action. Ask your readers to
  show their support of you position in some way.

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Persuasive - Prompt

• Your 16-year-old cousin has just obtained her
  drivers license and now wants her own
  automobile. However, her parents feel she should
  wait until she graduates from high school.
• Write her a letter stating your position on
  whether high school students should own cars.
  Support your position with reasons, facts,
  examples, or other evidence. Convince your
  cousin to take your position seriously even if
  she does not agree with you.
• As you write and rewrite your persuasive letter,
  remember to
• Explain what the issue is.
• Clearly state your position on this issue.
• Provide good reasons supported by facts and
  examples.
• Organize your ideas in a clear and logical way.
• Choose effective vocabulary and construct
  interesting sentences.
• Correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and
  capitalization.

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Writing Rubric (4-point scale)

• Focus
• The single controlling point made with an
  awareness of task about a specific topic.
• Content
• The presence of ideas developed through facts,
  examples, anecdotes, details, opinions,
  statistics, lessons, and/or explanations.
• Organization
• The order developed and sustained within and
  across paragraphs using transitional devices
  including introduction and conclusion.
• Style
• The choice, use and arrangement of words and
  sentence structures that create tone and voice.
• Conventions
• The use of grammar, spelling, usage and sentence
  formation.

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Pennsylvania Writing Reporting Categories
Composition
Revising Editing
Writing Standards 1.4, 1.5
Prompt Mode Score 80 of Total Assessment
Prompt Conventions Score Multiple-choice 20
of Total Assessment
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Grade 11 February 11th-22nd

• Multiple-Choice Section given first
• 5 passages with embedded editing and revision
  errors
• 4 questions for each passage (20 pts. total)
• Writing prompts
• 2 prompts
• Informational Persuasive only (one of each
  mode)

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Test Format
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PSSA Resources 2007-2008 Reading and Writing
Samples

• Readinghttp//www.pde.state.pa.us/a_and_t/lib/a_a
  nd_t/2007-2008Gr11ReadingItemSampler.pdf
• Reading Passage 1 Pages 4-8
• Reading Passage 2 - Pages16-19
• Reading Passage 3 Pages 22-25
• Writinghttp//www.pde.state.pa.us/a_and_t/lib/a_a
  nd_t/2007-2008Gr11WritingItemSampler.pdf
• Writing Multiple-Choice Examples Pages 3-8
• Prompts Page 11 (Informative) and Page 22
  (Persuasive)