Are you looking for a STAAR reading strategy to help your students break down reading passages and questions on their STAAR reading test?
Look no further. I have a simple yet effective strategy to help your students tackle STAAR reading passage questions with confidence.
This STAR reading test strategy comprises four straightforward steps that can make a significant difference in your students’ test performance.
I recommend you watch me walk through the process step by step in my YouTube video so you can see the strategy in action.
To make it even easier for your students to remember and implement this strategy, I’ve designed three FREE posters—one for elementary, one for middle school (which we’ll use as an example in this post), and one for high school.
Step 1: Scan the Questions
The first step in the STAR reading test strategy, which is prefect to help students pass the STAAR reading test, is to scan the questions.
Have your students determine whether each question is a “whole” question, requiring information from the entire passage, or a “part” question, where they only need to focus on a specific section of the text.
For instance, let’s take a look at Question 1: “The reader can conclude from the information in the article that people…”. This is a “whole” question, as students will need to draw a conclusion based on the entire passage.
Now, Question 2 presents a part question: “Part A: Why is the health industry thriving? Part B: Select the detail from the text that best supports your answer in Part A.” Students need to focus on a specific section to answer Part A, and then they will refer to the passage for Part B.
Step 2: Target the Text
Step two involves targeting the text. In this step, students need to carefully read the text and identify whether it’s a fiction or informational text. In the middle school example we’re using, the passage is non-fiction and discusses healthy eating.
Step 3: Actively Read
In step three, actively read the passage. For fiction, students would focus on the setting, characters, problem, and solution. However, since this is a non-fiction article, we encourage students to think about the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. This approach will help them grasp the main ideas and details of the passage.
Step 4: Respond to Questions
The final step in the STAR reading strategy is to respond to the questions by answering them using text evidence. Let’s revisit the sample questions:
Question 1:
a) Will now only eat at a table – Incorrect, as it’s not mentioned in the passage.
b) Will stop eating fast food – Incorrect, as it’s not stated in the passage.
c) Are losing weight – Incorrect, as weight loss is not discussed.
d) Are making better food choices – Correct, as the article does talk about making better food decisions.
Question 2 (Part A):
a) People care about their health – Correct, as it aligns with the passage discussing increased attention to food and health.
b) People only eat healthy food – Incorrect, as the passage doesn’t mention eating only healthy food.
c) People like to follow new trends – Incorrect, as the passage doesn’t address trends.
d) People now like to cook – Incorrect, as the passage only discusses how meals are cooked, not people’s cooking preferences.
Question 3 (Part B):
Students should select the detail from the text that best supports their answer in Part A. In this case, answer choice (a) supports the claim that people care about their health.
Help students Pass their STAAR Test!
By following the STAR reading test strategy, your students can approach reading passage questions with a clear and systematic method. This will not only help them better comprehend the text but also improve their STAAR reading test-taking skills.
Download the free posters for your elementary, middle school, and high school students and use them to reinforce this strategy.
Best of luck with your STAAR test preparations!
Looking for more STAAR tips for students? Check out the best 5 tips to help students pass STAAR!
