Your Guide to the 6 th Grade Reading and Language Arts CRCT

1. Your Guide to the 6th Grade Reading and Language Arts CRCT By: Mrs. Beth Greene , Mrs. Amanda Knopp, and Mrs. Jennifer Corbett

2. Your Guide to the 6th Grade Reading CRCT The Reading portion of the GA CRCT covers 3 domains: Reading Skills and Vocabulary Acquisition 15% Literary Comprehension 40% Information and Media Literacy 45% What skills and knowledge are expected for mastery in each domain? The Reading Skills and Vocabulary Acquisition Domainaddresses what students need to know when they encounter unfamiliar words or words that have multiple meanings. Under this domain, students learn to… recognize and use context clues to figure out the meaning of unknown words by looking at how they are used in the sentence and paragraph. recognize and use word parts (Greek and Latin roots; prefixes; suffixes) recognize and use reference materials (dictionary/thesaurus) to obtain information to aid in the understanding of materials read. recognize and use words within different contexts or subject areas. recognize and understand a variety of figurative language. recognize and understand the connotation (positive/negative associations) of words within a text.

3. What skills and knowledge are expected for mastery in each domain? • The Literary Comprehension Domain addresses students’ ability to read closelyfor the purpose of understanding and interpreting (putting personal meaning to) what they have read. • Under this domain, students learn to… • recognize and and analyze literary elements such as plot, setting, characterization, tone, conflict, and theme (and many more!) • identify and explain/interpret many different types of figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, imagery, and sound elements like onomatopoeia, alliteration, and rhyme scheme. • utilize specific reading strategies to aid in the comprehension of material read, both informational and fiction. Some of these strategies include finding the main idea and supporting details, making inferences, and drawing conclusions.

4. What skills and knowledge are expected for mastery in each domain? • TheInformation and Media Literacy refers to the skills required to comprehend and analyze a wide range of informational texts, such as essays, newspaper articles, textbooks, reference materials, and different types of media. • Under this domain, students learn to… • recognize and analyze various features of text (headings, sub-headings, bold and italicized words of importance, charts, captions, data tables, illustrations, etc.) • determine main ideas and to explain relationships between individuals, events, and ideas. • summarize texts and distinguish between fact and opinion. • integrate (pull together) and draw from information across multiple texts to increase their depth of understanding of a topic. • trace and evaluate (judge) how an author presents and develops an argument, as well as analyze how different authors present information in different ways.

5. Your Guide to the 6th Grade English Language Arts CRCT • The English Language Arts portion of the GA CRCT covers 2 domains: • Grammar and Sentence Construction 40% • Research and Writing Process 60% What skills and knowledge are expected for mastery in each domain? • The Grammar and Sentence Construction Domainaddresses students knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. • Under this domain, students learn to… • Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive). • Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). • Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.* • Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).* • Recognize variations from standard English in their own and others' writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language.* • Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.* • Spell correctly. • Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.

6. What skills and knowledge are expected for mastery in each domain? • The Research and Writing Process Domainaddresses students produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. • Under this domain, students learn to… • Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly. • Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. • Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. • Establish and maintain a formal style. • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented • Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. • Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or character. • Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

7. Ways to help your child succeed on the CRCT in April • Make sure your child has at least 2 sharpened #2 pencils with good erasers each day. • Know that your child can write in the test booklet, marking out answers and doing scratch work as needed. • Go to bed at a reasonable time to feel well-rested each morning. • Eat a balanced breakfast each morning. • Encourage your child to read EACH question carefully and to read ALL of the possible answers before making a choice.

8. Next you will see some questions that are similar to what your child will see on the Reading and Language Arts portions of the CRCT. At the end, there will be an answer key.

9. 1) Mr. Lester ordered coffee and muffins for himself and his wife. Mrs. Lester used to work at a coffeehouse just like this one. The children had cinnamon buns and hot chocolate. After enjoying their treats, the Lesters decided it was time to go home and left. Which is the BEST topic sentence for the paragraph above? A. Coffee is not always the best thing to bring a family together. B. The Lesters would some day like to own their own coffeehouse. C. The Lesters' neighborhood is getting larger every day with new businesses opening all the time. D. Early Saturday morning, the Lesters went to the new coffeehouse in their neighborhood. 6.W.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 

10. 2) She chose tomatoes, beans, and apples. The frozen food section made Peter shiver. Peter enjoyed going through the automatic doors. A computer totaled their groceries. Peter had fun going to the grocery store. In the paragraph above, which would make a good topic sentence? A) Peter went to the grocery store with his mother. B) There is a lot of advanced technology in grocery stores. C) It is not easy to have an enjoyable time at the grocery store. D) Fruits and vegetables need to be a part of everyone's grocery list. 6.W.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

11. 3) The purpose of a topic sentence in a paragraph is to A) restate the topic. B) support the topic. C) introduce the topic. D) summarize the topic. 6.W.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 

12. 4) SpringBy: Henry Wadsworth LongfellowIn all climates spring is beautiful. The birds begin to sing; they utter a few joyful notes, and then wait for an answer in the silent woods. Those green-coated musicians, the frogs, make holiday in the neighboring marshes. They, too, belong to the orchestra of nature, whose vast theater is opened, though the doors have been so long bolted with icicles, and the scenery hung with snow and frost like cobwebs. This is the prelude which announces the opening of the scene. Already the grass shoots forth, the waters leap with thrilling force through the veins of the earth, the sap through the veins of the plants and trees, the blood through the veins of man. What a thrill of delight in springtime! What a joy in being and moving. Men are at work in gardens, and in the air there is an odor of the fresh earth. The leaf buds begin to swell and blush. The white blossoms of the cherry hang upon the boughs like snowflakes; and ere long our next door neighbor will be completely hidden from us by the dense green foliage. The May flowers open their soft blue eyes. And at night so cloudless and so still! Overhead bends the blue sky, dewy and soft, and radiant with innumerable stars, like the inverted bell of some blue flower sprinkled with golden dust and breathing fragrance. Or, if the heavens are overcast, it is no wild storm of wind and rain, but clouds that melt and fall in showers. One does not wish to sleep, but lies awake to hear the pleasant sound of the dropping rain. • The May flowers open their soft blue eyes is an example of • A) hyperbole. B) metaphor. C) personification. D) simile. 6.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

13. 5) The Science FairBy: Marie EagletonMr. Chin's class was having a science fair. The students were all very excited about creating experiments and preparing projects. The class had learned about many science topics, and Mr. Chin told the class that their projects should represent something that they had learned this year. He also wanted the class to have a wide variety of activities, so he took a survey on which types of things each class member thought would be best for them. After the survey, the students went to the computer lab to get some ideas about their projects. Jaquain researched magnets to gather some ideas. Stephanie studied the Atlantic Ocean in order to create an ocean habitat. Carlos found information about pollution and how it effects the environment. Keyu researched fossils.After many weeks of working on their projects and experiments, it was time for the science fair. There were several different types of creations. All of the other third grade classes came into Mr. Chin's classroom to view the different activities. The first station at the fair was an experiment showing which types of objects were attracted to magnets. Another station had fossils for the students to observe, and then they could create their own fossil using clay. Next, the classes watched a film about pollution created by Carlos. Another station was under a table. The students went inside of an aqua blanket and learned about the Atlantic Ocean habitat.After the other classes completed their tours, the students were asked to go around and view the different projects. They were required to write down the name of the science topic that each station related to. Their next assignment was to write down positive comments for their classmates on index cards. When Jaquain returned to his station, he looked through his cards and read each statement. His favorite card said, 'Great project! You really stuck to the topic.'Which of these is an opinion about the Science Fair? A) The class did research. B) Mr. Chin teaches third grade. C) Carlos made an excellent film. D) Mr. Chin's class had a Science Fair.  6.RL.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

14. 6) Look at the graphic organizer. Which relationship is being described? A) cause and effect B) sequence and time C) question and answer D) compare and contrast   6.RI.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.

15. 7) Which of these is the purpose for the graphic organizer above? A) to organize a topic by smell B) to describe a topic by how it appears C) to show a topic through the use of the senses D) to show a topic through the use of descriptive words 6.RI.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.

16. 8) High Falls State Park by www.gastateparks.orgOn July 19, 1961, the Hiawassee Timber Company/Bowater's Southern Paper Corporation donated the lake and adjoining lands to the Georgia Fish and Game Commission. This property was turned over to the State Parks Department in 1966 for the purpose of creating High Falls State Park. Subsequent acreage was added in 1962, 1965, 1968, 1975, 1979 and 1980 through five property owners, bringing the current acreage to 1,050. All of these acquisitions provide protection for High Falls State Park. Which of these graphic organizers would support the information in this passage? A) a diagram B) an outline C) a timeline D) a stem and leaf plot  6.RI.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.

17. 9) What is the structure of the sentence below?   Sarah has a son named Mitch. A) It is a simple sentence.B) It is a compound sentence.C) It is a complex sentence.D) It is a compound/complex sentence.  6.L.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

18. 10) How should computers speed be written in the sentence below?  A computers speed is measured in billionths of a second. A) computer's speedB) computers' speedC) computer speedD) computers's speed 6.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

19. 11) Which interrogative pronoun correctly completes the sentence below?   With _______ did you attend the concert? A) whoB) whomC) whoseD) who's 6.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

20. 12) Everybody is what part of speech in the sentence below?   Everybody is going to try out for the school play. A) an adverb B) a preposition C) a conjunction D) a pronoun  6.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

21. Answer Key • A 7) C • A 8) C • D 9) A • C 10) A • C 11) B • B 12) D