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1. Welcome Please sign in! 3rd Grade FCAT 2.0 2012-2013

2. What is the FCAT 2.0 FCAT=Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test The FCAT is a test given to Florida 3rd grade students to determine what they know and can do in reading and math The FCAT was developed by the state of Florida and first administered in 1998.

3. FCAT 2.0 Scores are used to: • Identify students’ strengths and weaknesses • Guide classroom instruction • Determine a school’s status under No Child Left Behind and Florida’s accountability system

4. Reading: Format and Time • Question Format: Multiple Choice • Reading 50-55 questions • Duration of test: 60 minutes per session • Average Words Per Passage:500 (previously 300) • Range 100 – 700 • Read at home • A minimum of 20 minutes each night at home builds stamina • FLUENCY is so important! (Math) • A little bit of reading = a little bit of growth.

5. FCAT 2.0 - Types of Text • Literary Text – 60% • Fiction: narrative stories, fables, poetry, excerpts from longer works • Non-Fiction: biographies, letters, essays • Informational Text - 40% • Non-fiction: historical documents, letters & journals, editorials, magazine & newspaper articles • Functional Materials: manuals, how-to articles, brochures, schedules, information embedded in text (e.g., tables, charts, maps, graphs, illustrations, photographs, captions, text boxes) • Read a variety of text. • Read everything! Top to bottom! Left to right!

6. Three Types of Questions • Low-complexity: rely heavily on recall and recognition, solve one-step problems (identify correct meanings, locate details, recognize order of events) • Moderate-complexity: informal reasoning or problem solving, require multiple steps (interpret information in text features e.g., graphs, charts; identify cause/effect, similarities/differences, make inferences, understand plot development) • High-complexity: analyze and synthesize information (analyze the use of figurative language (similes, metaphors) in a text, evaluate strong vs. weak arguments in a text)

7. Reading - 4 Tested Categories • Vocabulary: 15-25% • Reading Application: 25-35% • Literary Analysis: 25-35% • Informational Text and Research Process: 15 – 25%

8. Vocabulary • use context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar words Sample Item: Read these sentences from the story. With one more powerful swish of her tail and a snap of her jaws, the wet blackbird would be hers—feet, feathers, and all! But just as the bass was about to lunge for the bird, an otter came streaking through the water. • What is the meaning of the word lunge as used in the sentences above? A. to dive down and swim under him B. to move quickly forward and grab him ** C. to jump out of the pond and splash him D. to turn around and swim away from him

9. Vocabulary • determine the meanings of complex words by using the meaning of familiar base words and affixes (prefixes & suffixes) to determine meanings of unfamiliar words (Prefixes: re-,un-, pre-, dis-, mis-, in, non-) (suffixes: -er, -est, -ful, -less, -able, -ly, -or, -ness) Sample Item: Read this sentence from the article. You can make a collection box of stuff to leave for birds so they can help themselves. Which word has the SAME base word as collection? A. collar B. collector ** C. conclusion D. condition

10. Vocabulary • use knowledge of antonym or synonyms to determine meanings of words Sample Item: Read this sentence from the story. Now his parents circled wildly above him, squawking and shrieking. Which word has the OPPOSITE meaning of the word wildly? A. bravely B. calmly ** C. faithfully d. merrily

11. Vocabulary • use knowledge of antonym or synonyms to determine meanings of words Sample Item: Which pair of words from the story have almost the SAME meaning? A. noticed, saw ** B. dropped, hung C. grabbed, spilled D. screamed, struggled

12. Vocabulary • analyze the context surrounding a word with multiple meanings to determine the correct meaning of the word Sample Item: Read this sentence from the article. Scientists think that the white stuff reminds birds of cotton fluff they find in the wild. Which sentence uses the word wild the SAME as it is used in the sentence above? A. The wild kitten would not let us pet it. B. My uncle makes us laugh with his wild stories. C. The swimmer enjoyed playing in the wild waves. D. We saw the most beautiful flowers growing in the wild. *

13. Vocabulary • For shades of meaning, the student will analyze the word or phrase to determine small, subtle differences in meaning between related words (e.g., glance, glare, and peek all refer to the concept of looking, but each word has a different meaning or connotation). Sample Item: Read this sentence from the story. One summer morning, a young blackbird clung to a cattail stem near his nest. Why does the author use the word clung instead of “held on” in the sentence above? A. to show that the blackbird grips the stem tightly ** B. to show that the blackbird causes the stem to sag C. to show that the blackbird is ready to fly from the stem D. to show that the blackbird hugs the stem in a playful way

14. Reading Application • identify the author's purpose (to entertain, inform, or explain) in text and how an author’s perspective influences text. Sample Item: What is the MOST LIKELY reason the author wrote the story “Swim, Baby, Swim!”? A. to show how pond animals live B. to tell about a bird learning to fly** C. to explain why fish hunt young birds D. to describe how animals raise their babies

15. Reading Application • identify the author's purpose (to entertain, inform, or explain) in text and how an author’s perspective influences text. Sample Item: With which statement would the author of this article MOST LIKELY agree? A. Birds show us how to recycle. ** B. Birds create trash for us to recycle. C. Birds need our help to build their nests. D. Birds prefer natural materials in their nests.

16. Reading Application • identify relevant details Sample Question At the end of the story, where does the young bird finally feel safe? • draw logical conclusions, make inferences (not stated), and determine chronological order Sample Item • What happens AFTER the baby bird falls into the pond but BEFORE he is noticed by the bass? • A. He learns to swim. ** • B. He reaches the shore. • C. He is saved by an otter. • D. He is fed by his parents.

17. Reading Application • determine a stated or strongly implied main idea (main reason the story was written) Sample Item: What is the MOST important lesson the young bird learns in this story? A. Stay close to your nest. B. Be careful where you land. ** C. Swimming is easier than flying. D. The marsh is safer than the pond.

18. Reading Application • identify cause-and-effect relationships Sample Item Why does the little bird fall in the pond? • A. He slips off a thin branch. ** • B. He is learning how to swim. • C. His wings get tired from flying. • D. His wing tips dip too low in the water.

19. Reading Application • identify text structures/organizational patterns and determine their impact on meaning (e.g., comparison/contrast, cause/effect, sequence of events, definition/explanation, listing/description, question/answer) Sample Item: How does the author organize “Birds Do It! RECYCLE”? A. by listing the steps birds use to build nests B. by comparing the different nests birds build C. by explaining how birds recycle materials to build nests** D. by contrasting the different materials birds use to build nests

20. Reading Application • Identify themes or topics Sample question What is the theme of the story? • theme – e.g., save our Earth, never give up, learn from your experiences Sample question What topic is covered in this article? • topics – e.g., recycling, citizenship, freedom

21. Literary Analysis: Fiction & Non-fiction • identify and interpret character development, character point of view, setting, plot development, and problem/resolution (what is MAIN problem in the story)and how they contribute to and affect meaning Sample Item How do the parents change from BEFORE the baby bird falls into the pond to AFTER he lands on the shore? A. First they are calm; then they are anxious. B. First they are peaceful; then they are restless. C. First they are protective; then they are relaxed. D. First they are nervous; then they are frightened.*

22. Literary Analysis: Fiction & Non-fiction • identify and interpret the author's use of descriptive language and how it impacts meaning (e.g., mood, imagery) or figurative (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification) Sample Item: Read these sentences from the story. Meanwhile, the bird’s frantic parents were watching from the willow tree. They shrieked and screamed and darted about in the branches while the young bird swam on. • What mood does the author create by writing that the bird’s parents shrieked and screamed? • A. gloomy • B. joyful • C. proud • D. scary **

23. Literary Analysis: Fiction & Non-fiction • Identify and explain the purpose of text features (e.g., titles, subtitles, headings, subheadings, italicized text, sections, tables, charts, graphs, diagrams, illustrations, captions, maps, text boxes) Sample Item: What is the purpose of the illustration on the second page of the story? • A. to show why the baby bird slips • B. to show who helps the baby bird • C. to show how the baby bird escapes the bass • D. To show how the baby bird reaches the shore **

24. Informational Text & Indentify Research Process • Read informational text - locate, interpret, and organize information for a variety of purposes (e.g., graphs, charts, manuals, diagrams, illustrations, captions, maps, text boxes) • Read everything – TOP to BOTTOM! LEFT to RIGHT!

25. Why are there lines and numbers on the picture of the birdhouse? To tell what kinds of birds will use the birdhouse To label the most important parts of the birdhouse To mark some of the steps of building a birdhouse To count the materials needed to make a birdhouse Based on the flier, what is the purpose for the twigs, grass, and moss listed in the Materials you will need section? To make the birdhouse stronger To make the birdhouse look larger To make the birdhouse more beautiful To make the birdhouse look more natural How does the author MOSTLY explain how to build a birdhouse? By solving safety problems By identifying natural materials By providing detailed directions By comparing different types of birds With which statement would the author MOST LIKELY agree? Building a birdhouse can be very expensive. Bird watching should be done in a forest or park. If people would try bird watching, they would like it. If children want to build a birdhouse, they can do it alone. C I C H

26. Practical ways to help… • Talk about what you see and do. Talk about everyday activities to build your child’s background knowledge, which is crucial to listening and reading comprehension. Keep up a running patter, for example, while cooking together, visiting somewhere new, or after watching a TV show. • Crack open the dictionary. Let your child see you use a dictionary. Say, “Hmm, I’m not sure what that word means…I think I’ll look it up.” • Teach your child some “mind tricks”. Show your child how to summarize a story in a few sentences or how to make predictions about what might happen next. Both strategies help a child comprehend and remember. • Different strokes for different folks. Read different types of books to expose your child to different types of writing. Some kids, especially boys, prefer nonfiction books. • “Are we there yet?” Use the time spent in the car or bus for wordplay. Talk about how jam means something you put on toast as well as cars stuck in traffic. How many other homonyms can your child think of? When kids are highly familiar with the meaning of a word, they have less difficulty reading it. • Ask questions that require more than a yes/no response. • Read! Talk! Laugh! HAVE FUN!

27. How to Raise a Reader

28. FCAT 2.0 Math • Students will have Multiple Choice Questions • Questions are multi-step – problem solving, not just basic skills recall (Reading) • Areas Tested: • Number: Operations, Problems, and Statistics – 50% • Number: Fractions - 20% • Geometry and Measurement – 30 % • Duration 140 minutes • 50 -55 questions

29. Other Ways to Ask • Addition - Add, Sum, Plus, Increase, Total , How many more, Combined, In all, All together • Subtraction - Subtract, Minus, Less, Difference, Decrease, Take Away, Deduct, Less than, More than, Change • Multiplication - Multiply, Product, By, Times, Lots Of • Division - Divide, Quotient, Goes Into, How Many Times, Every, Each

30. Example Questions Isabella cannot remember the product of 9 x 8. Which of the following is another expression that Isabella could use to find the product of 9 x 8? • (9 x 5 ) + (9 x 3) • (9 x 4) + (9 x 2) • (9 x 1) + (4 x 2) • (9 x 2) + (8 x 6) Leia visited a horse ranch. She noticed that 6/8 of the horses were spotted, as shown below. Which fraction is equivalent to 6/8? ½ ¼ 2/3 ¾ A I

31. Chris gave 2 beach balls to each friend who came to his birthday party. He had 8 friends at his party. Which equation could be used to find the total number of beach balls Chris gave to his friends at the party? 8 x b = 2 b x 2 = 8 8 ÷ 2 = b b ÷ 8 = 2 Rosalyn drew three figures and shaded parts of each figure. Which mixed number is represented by the shading of the three figures above? 2 ¼ 2 ¾ 3 ¼ 3 ½ D F

32. Math • Practice basic skills at home – PROBLEM SOLVING is the focus within the classroom – Students should know their basic addition and subtraction facts with fluency – third graders are beginning to learn and apply multiplication facts • Elapsed Time – use this skill daily – calculating future time and working backward to a start time. • Read and interpret charts and graphs in the newspaper. • Find measuring opportunities with rulers • Make math fun! Read fun math books. Play cards, number games, and puzzles.

33. FCAT Explorer • Website that will help students work on skills tested • www.fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/ Content, specifications, example, and practice samples • www.fcatexplorer.com Students receive the password to access the program from their teacher http://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do For Reading and Math resources

34. Pupil Progression • Minimum Promotion Criteria (as adopted April 2011) • Pass all subjects on Report Card • Level 2 or higher on FCAT 2.0 Reading • If your child scores at Level 1 on FCAT 2.0 Reading – they must complete a Reading Portfolio and attend Summer Reading Camp

35. Thank you for coming!