1

S m a i e Te
Ide if T ic , M ai Idea , a d S i g de ail
F ll a Gi e Se f Di ec i
U de a d M em , A c em e , a d I f m al
P i ed C m m ic a i
U de a d L ab el , Bill , Tec h ic al F m

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U de a d G a hic I f m a i
Rec g i e E e Se e ce

2 Fac , O i i , Bia , a d S e e e
Rec g i e he S c e f Te
U de a d he M ea i g f W d Ph a e
T T e f W d M ea i g
E al a e he A h P e i he Te
Ide if he A h P i f V ie i a Te
U de a d Fea e f he Te

3 Ide if T e
M ake P edic i
C m a e a d C
f S ce
, I fe e ce , a d C cl i
a Them e F m V a i S
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A E DI
 Reading

Understand Ideas and Details

Summarize text

• Identify the topic

o Overall subject of the text

o Ask yourself what is the text about?

• Identify the overall focus about the topic

o Important points about the topic

• Look for the main idea and key points the writer makes about the topic

• Tip: sometimes a summary of the text, including the topic and focus, can be found in the first sentence

or two.

You will be asked to identify

• The Problem in the passage

• A Summary of the passage

• An Inference from the passage

o This will require you to “read between the lines” and identify what the text means

o Ex. If the text states “when Sally saw Tom she waved” would infer that Sally knows Tom

• A Conclusion from the passage

o Overall judgement based on details, personal knowledge, and inferences

Identify Topics, Main Ideas, and Supporting details

• Topic

o Overall subject that the passage discusses and describes

o Usually found in the topic sentence

o Can also be the second sentence or last sentence

• Main idea

o Key point that writer wants to emphasize about the topic

• Supporting details

o Sentences that develop the main idea

o Explain, clarify, compare, and elaborate on the main point

Main Idea

Entire text Paragraph

Topic
Theme Topic
sentence

Supporting
details
Follow a Given Set of Directions

Directions or Procedural documents

• Can include instructions for assembly, repair manuals, recipes, workout routines, cell phone procedures,

and rules for games.

• Look for visual aids such as heading, subheadings, numerical steps, alphabetical steps, flow charts,

diagrams, or photographs.

• Look for words that indicate sequence or other procedural details.

o Ex. First, second, next, following, before, after, then, last, finally,

o Specific terms such as right, left, above, below, top, bottom

Understand Memos, Announcements, and Informal Printed Communication

• Identify the intended audience or recipient

• Identify the source or author of the information

• Fine the date

• Identify the subject

Understand Labels, Bills, or Technical Forms

• Browse the label, bill, or form. Scan for specific information. Do not spend much time on the details. The

questions will ask for something written on the form like “type of payment used.” These questions do not

ask for a summary.

Understand Graphic Information

• A visual summary of statistical or complex information

• Can be in the form of percentages, graph trends, or tracing a route

Graphic

Identify Visualize

Map Chart Graph Scale Units Increases Decreases

Graphics include:

• A bar graph compares data using vertical or horizontal bars to represent numerical values.
• A line graph plots data points on a graph and connects them with a line to show trends.

• A pie chart shows values by dividing a circle into parts that represent percentages.
• A flow chart shows a sequence in order by connecting boxes with arrows.

• A table compares two or more sets of data in columns or rows.

• A map depicts an area, you may be asked for the best route somewhere. Or the location of a place
 • A diagram is a drawing that shows the structure or inner workings of something

Recognize Event Sequences

• Identify words in the text that signal sequential order, such as first, next, and finally.

• Note the order of the events or ideas

• Ask yourself: How does this sequence include the topic or main point of the text?

• Sequential order words:

o First, second, third, before initial, next, prior to, after, start, after, final, last, then, end, finally

• Chronological order words

o Now, tomorrow, until, while, then, earlier, when, soon, today, later, since, previously, yesterday,

during, preceding
Craft and Structure

Facts, Options, Bias, and Stereotypes

• Fact: Supported by evidence

o Verifiably true statement

• Opinion: May or may not be supported by evidence

o Includes personal beliefs or biases.

o Not a verified fact

• Bias: Prejudice and not based on fact

• Stereotype: Bias against people specifically. Usually based on gender, race, etc.

Recognize the Structure of Texts

Three types of writing

• Persuasive

o Tried to convince the reader to believe something or presents an argument

• Expository

o Describes something or presents personal reactions or feelings, as in articles and personal

essays.

• Narrative

o Tells a story, as in myths, legends, fables, short stories, novels, and plays

Text Structure to Look For

• Sequence

o A list, numbered steps, or information organized in outline

 o Sequence may also be used to show how something has changed over time or how events

unfolded in history.

• Problem/Solution

o This introduces a problem in the first paragraph or section and then provides a solution to the

problem in the rest of the text.

• Cause/Effect

o This describes an event or action in one paragraph and goes on to show the effects or

consequences of that event

• Compare/Contrast

o This presents similarities and differences between two things

Understand the Meaning of Words or Phrases

You need to be able to find the meaning of unfamiliar words. This means you most likely will not know

what the word means. Use these tools below to figure out the answer. Look for

• Definition

o Sometimes the definition of the word can be found in the sentence

• Synonym

o Sometimes a synonym will be included in the sentence. Often times this is liked with the

word “or”

• Compare or Contrast

o Use surrounding words in the sentence to compare and contrast

• Context or Situation
 o See how the word is used in the context of the sentence, look for clues in the sentence as

to what the word could mean.

• Replace

o Replace the unfamiliar word with your guess and see if it fits

• Root and Affixes

o See list of Root and Affixes in Appendix A

• Figurative language

o Simile compares two things using like or as. The emerald is compared to a chunk of green

ice.)

o Metaphor compares two things without using like or as

o Hyperbole: s the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech.

Two Types of Word Meanings

• Denotative

o meaning is the standard meaning found in a dictionary.

• Connotative

o meaning includes this definition plus associations or emotions suggested by the tone or context

of the passage.

Evaluate the Authors Purpose in the Text

What is the writer’s purpose?

• Inform the reader

o An informational text focuses on facts that can be verified. It may include numbered or bulleted

lists, and graphics such as charts, maps, and diagrams.

• Persuade the reader

 o A persuasive text includes emotional language along with factual material. It may use bias or

propaganda.

• Entertain the reader

o A text that entertains may be a suspenseful novel or a scary short story.

• Express personal feelings

o An expressive text uses descriptive or poetic language to create pictures and create strong

emotions.

• Author may have more than one purpose

Identify the Authors Point of View in a Text

• Look at the context and purpose of the text

• Look at the information given about the author

• Is the information accurate or reliable? Look for signs of bias or assumptions the author has made

Understand Features of the Text

• Identify headings and subheadings

o Usually shown in capital letters, bold letters, or larger text

• Look at items placed outside the text

o Sidebars located to the side of main text or in boxes

o Footnotes are located at the bottom of the page and tell the source for the quoted text

• Look for special formatting or highlighted words in the text

o Italic or boldface to create emphasis

• Title page, copyright page, table of contents, photos, illustrations maps, captions, glossary, and index
Use Your Knowledge to Understand Ideas

Identify Types of Sources

• Primary: Look for sources that have not been changed, adapted, or interpreted by someone

o Artifacts

o Photographs and Videos

o Artistic works, such as paintings, films, or recordings

o Diaries and journals

o Letters

o Speeches

o Memoirs or autobiographies

o Interviews

o Legal documents

o Records of legislative proceedings

• Secondary

o Magazine Articles

o Biographies

o History Books

o Textbooks

o Encyclopedia and reference books

Make Predictions, Inferences, and Conclusions About Text

• Predictions

o Use clues and evidence in the writing to predict what will happen in the future.

o The author does this by foreshadowing

 • Inference

o Subtle form of prediction where you “read between the lines” and make an assumption about the

story

• Conclusion

o Use details from the text to decide what the end of the writing means and the overall theme

Compare and Contrast Themes From Various Sources

• The theme is the concern or wider message that an author is exploring

• To find the theme look for the major idea the author is discussing

• To compare themes

o Look at the authors approach and delivery

o Two of the same themes can be delivered in two different ways

o Common themes

§ Betrayal
§ Disillusionment with life
§ Family
§ Friendship
§ Heroism
§ Homecoming
§ Individual versus society
§ Injustice
§ Love
§ Motherhood
§ Nature and beauty
§ Power and corruption
§ Rebirth
§ Self-reliance
§ Temptation
§ Tragedy of war
§ Vanity
Evaluate an Argument

• Found in persuasive text

• May include “I believe” or “in my opinion”

• How to evaluate an Argument?

o Identify the authors argument or claim

o Identify the evidence the author presents or supports

§ Facts or claims

• Check if these are poorly source, beside the point, or exaggerated.

• Type of supporting evidence

o Good

o Poor
 Appendix A: Prefix-Suffix-Root List
(Generally, prefixes and suffixes change the meanings of roots, but it is usually the suffix that denotes
the part of speech.)

Prefix Suffix Definition Examples

-s,-es plural, more than one hats, pigs, boxes,

wishes
-ing action/ process helping, skipping,
running, seeing,
thinking
-ed past tense jumped, helped
un- not/ opposite unlock, unsafe
re- again/ back reread, rewrite,
return
dis- not/ opposite of dislike, distrust
-er person connected teacher, writer,
with/ comparative baker, bigger,
degree colder, taller
-est superlative degree biggest, coldest,
tallest
dis- not/ opposite of dislike, distrust
in- not inactive, insane,
inexpensive

-ful full of beautiful, painful

-less without careless, helpless
-y characterized by/ like cloudy, fishy
-ly characteristic of badly, friendly,
quickly
under- too little/ below underfed,
underground
over- too much/ above overdone, overhead
non- not nonfat, nonsense
pre- before preplan, pretest
bi- two bicycle, binocular
tri- three tricycle, triangle
quad- four quadrilateral,
quadrant
oct- eight octagon, octopus
-ion, –ation act of/ state of/ attention, vision,
–sion, -tion result of invitation

-ness condition/ state of darkness, fairness

-ly characteristic of badly, friendly,
quickly
-ment act/ process
 -er, -or one who/ that which baker, boxer,
conductor, survivor

semi- half semicircle, semicolon

super- above/ on top of/ superfine,

beyond superhuman,
supersonic
multi- many/ much multicolor,
multifamily
poly- many/ much polygon, polysyllable

tele- distant/far Television, telephone

mis- bad or badly/ wrong misbehave, misread,

or wrongly misspell

inter- between intercept, interview,

interstate

mid- middle midnight, midweek

sub- under, beneath, subway, subsoil,

below/ secondary substitute

deca- deci- ten decathlon, decade,

decimal, decimeter

kilo- 1,000 kilogram, kilowatt

milli- mille- 1,000 millennium,

millimeter

centi- 100 centimeter, centipede

-able, -ible can be done enjoyable, sensible,

likable

-ian, -an one having a electrician, magician,

certain skill/ relating American, suburban
to/ belonging to

-ship condition of/ skill championship,

friendship, hardship,
leadership
-ist one who does a artist, tourist
specific action
-logy, -ology science of/ study of biology, chronology

-ism act/ belief/ practice patriotism, idealism,

of absenteeism,

-ence, -ance act/ condition of persistence,

excellence,
assistance,
importance
-ess feminine actress, lioness

max(i) great maximum, maximize

meter, metr measure diameter, odometer,

metric, perimeter

photo light photograph,

telephoto, photocopy

port to carry portable, transport

phobia, phobic, irrational fear or aquaphobia,

phobe hatred/ one who claustrophobic
fears/ hates technophobe

rupt break/ burst bankrupt, rupture,

disruptive

scrib, script to write describe, manuscript

gram, graph written/ drawn autograph, paragraph,

telegram

dict to say/ tell diction, dictator

ject to throw inject, objection

spect, spec to see/ watch/ prospect, respect,

observe specimen
en-, em- to cause to be/ to put encounter, enable,
into or onto/ to go employ, embark,
into or onto encircle

fore- before/ earlier forearm, foreword

de- reduce down/ away defeat, deform,

from decrease
trans- across/ change/ transformation,
through transportation,
transfer
anti- opposite/ against antibiotic, antifreeze

di-, dia- two/ through/ across digraph, dialogue,

diagonal

ex- out of/ away from extract, exhale,

extend
auto- self autograph, automatic

in- (il-, im-, ir-) not inability, impatient,

irregular, illegal

in- (il-, im-, ir-) in/ on/ toward infer, illustrate,

improve, irrigate
bio- life biography,
biological
mini- small miniature,
minimum
micro- small/ minute microbiology,
microscope
uni- one/ single unicorn, unicycle,
uniform

-en made of/ to make wooden, dampen,

tighten
-dom condition of boredom, freedom,
kingdom

-ity state of/ quality of prosperity, equality

-al, -ial related to/ colonial, biennial,

characterized dental, betrayal
by
 -ion, -ation act of/ state of/ result tension, attention,
–sion, -tion of elevation, union

-ish relating to/ childish, foolish

characteristic of

-ent, -ant an action/ condition student, contestant,

immigrant

-ent, -ant causing a specific obedient, absorbent,

action abundant, elegant

-hood the state/ the boyhood, likelihood

condition/ the quality

aqua water aquarium,

aquamarine
act put in motion/ process action, react,
of doing transact

mit to send emit, transmit

anni, annu, enni year anniversary,
semiannual,
millennium
arch chief/ ruler archenemy,
matriarch
duct, duc lead induce, conduct
geo earth/ ground/ soil geography, geology

man hand manicure, manually

nym, onym name/ word antonym, synonym

phon voice/ sound telephone,

symphony
therm heat thermometer,
thermostat
tox poison toxic, toxicology

scope to watch/ see horoscope,

microscope,
telescope
ante- in front of/ before antecedent,
antebellum
ab- from/ away absent, absorb,
abnormal
a- on/ in/ to across, aboard, aside

a- without/ not atypical, amoral,

asocial
co-, con-, com- together/ with cooperate, concede,
combine

pro- forward/ before/ in proceed, pronoun,

support of prohibit

intra- within intranet, intramural

mega- great/ huge megabyte,

megaphone
post- after/ following postpone, postwar

-ous, full of/ characterized adventurous,

-ious, by nervous, mysterious,
-eous courteous

-ive, inclined/ tending festive, talkative,

-itive, toward an action active, sensitive
-ative
-ic relating to/ energetic, historic
characterized
by
-ize to make/ to cause to fertilize, criticize,
become apologize

-fy, -ify to make satisfy, magnify

-age result of an action/ manage, drainage,
collection acreage

-some characterized by a awesome, lonesome

specified quality,
condition, or action

chron time chronology,

synchronize

temp time temporary,

temperature
 aer, aero air aerial, aerospace
cede, ceed to go/ yield/ surrender proceed, secede,
precede, concede

cept, ceive to take/ catch/ seize/ accept, deceive

hold/ receive

fract, frag to break fracture, fraction,

fragment

gen race, kind, or species/ gender, genetics,

birth genesis
grat thanks/ pleasing congratulations,
gratify
liber free liberty, liberate
leg, lect, lig law/ to choose/ to legend, legal,
pick/ to read/ to speak intelligent, elect,
lecture

mater, matr, matri mother maternal,

matrimony,
matriarch
pater, patr father paternal, patriot
mot, mob to move motivate, mobilize

opt eye/ to make a choice optometry, optic,

optional
ped, pod foot pedal, pedestrian,
tripod

ped child pediatrician

urb city urban, suburban

pop people population, popular

tract to draw/ pull attract, distract,

retract
form to shape conform, reform,
transform

pend to hang/ weigh suspend, pendulum

hyper- over/ above/ excessive hyperactive,

hypercritical
hypo-, hyp- below/ less than hypothermia,
normal hypnosis
omni- all omnipresent,
omniscient
homo- same homogeneous,
homonym
hetero- different/ other heterochromatic,
heterogeneous

ultra- beyond in degree/ ultramarine,

extreme ultraviolet

-cide kill germicide, pesticide

-ery relating to/ quality/ imagery, pottery,

place where bakery

-ary relating to/ place dictionary, infirmary

where/ one who cautionary, dietary,
missionary

-ium chemical element/ helium, aquarium

group
-tude condition/ state/ altitude, gratitude
quality of
aud to hear/ listen audible, audition
cred to believe credit, incredible

archae, arche, primitive/ ancient archaeologist,

archi archives, achetype

belli war belligerent, bellicose

claim, clam to declare/ call out/ cry exclaim, clamorous

out
crat, cracy rule/ strength/ power democrat,
aristocracy
hemo, hema blood hematology,
hemophilia
luna moon lunar, lunatic
mar sea maritime, submarine

mort death mortuary, mortality

path feeling/ suffering/ apathetic,

disease pathology

pel to drive/ push expel, propeller

struc, struct to build construct, instructor

vis, vid to see vision, evidence

voc, voke to call advocate, revoke

cogn to know cognition,

recognize
loc, loqu to speak/ talk/ say colloquial,
ventriloquist,
loquacious
bene well/ good benediction,
beneficial
cardi heart cardiac, cardiology

ego self egocentric, egoism

don, donat give/ gift donate, donation

luc, lum light translucent,
illuminate
mania madness/ frenzy/ maniac,
abnormal desire/ kleptomania
obsession

nate, nat born native, innate

neg no/ deny negative, negate
neo new neonatal
nov new novice
phys nature physics, physical

psych mind/ soul psychic,

psychopath
reg guide/ rule regime, regent
sci to know/ learn science, conscience

sol alone solitary, soliloquy

tact, tang to touch contact, tangible

terr land terrain, territory
vac empty vacate, evacuate
ver, veri true/ genuine verdict, veritable
 Affix Matrix
re de con s
ed
ing
de
struct ive ly
in or s
ob s
ssub ion ism
super ist
infra ure s
ed
ing
al ly
Add one or more of the above affixes to the root struct. Example: destructively (Try to create at least 60 words.)
 .01

Exam Tips
Q e i B eakd U de a d he
Scie ce ec i
questions on Ke Ideas and Details

Questions in Minutes

This means minute and ten

questions on craft and structure seconds per question

Questions on Integration of
kno ledge and ideas

Pre test questions

Da f Ti Take ca e f
Arrive to the test e i a a d
center earl
e a e bei g
Bring earplugs ID E ams are a stressful and an
ke s and a pencil an ious time for ever one
Incorporate self care into our
Leave all other stud planning
belongings in car
 .02

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SCHEDULE
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