STAAR Question Stems - Reading
Bringing meaning to words in context
• In paragraph 5, the word portray means –
• Read the dictionary entry below for the word discipline:
Discipline \’di-se-plen\n 1. punishment to correct or train 2. area of study or
learning 3. control of oneself 4. order based on authority
Which definition represents the meaning of discipline as used in paragraph 5?
• In paragraph 1, the author writes that the island pearls “gleamed like the early morning
sun” to show that the pearls are –
• In paragraph 2, which words help the reader know what originally means?
• In paragraph 3, the description of the AAU as “deaf to Thorpe’s plea” means that –
Determining meanings of derivatives by applying knowledge of root words and affixes:
• In paragraph 1, the word plentiful means –
Distinguishing denotative and connotative meanings
• In paragraph 6, the word shadow is used to communicate a feeling of –
• In the newspaper article, the word tarnish helps the reader understand the authors –
Determining a text’s main idea(s) and how those ideas are supported with details:
• Paragraph 7 is mostly about –
• The article is mainly about –
• According to the Pueblo legend, people came to Earth because –
• Hudson and his crew did not continue sailing up the river in America because –
Paraphrasing and summarizing text to recall, inform, or organize ideas
• Which of the following is the best summary of the article?
• What are paragraphs 4 through 6 of this story mainly about?
• Which of these best summarizes the letter to the editor?
Analyze characters , including their traits, motivations, conflicts, points of view,
relationships, and changes they undergo
• In paragraph 2, why does Lekini’s mother’s smile seem somewhat sad?
• Which of these statements reflects Lekeni’s attitude in this story?
• By telling this story from Lekeni’s point of view, the author helps the reader better
understand –
Recognize and analyze story plot, setting, and problem resolution
• Paragraph 3 is important to the story because –
• Paragraphs 4, 5, and 5 are important because they show that –
Recognize and interpret literary devices such as flashback, foreshadowing, and symbolism
• In paragraph 6, what does the narrator mean when he says that he “felt a strange
mixture of longing and dread?”
Use the text’s structure or progression of ideas such as cause and effect or chronology to
locate and recall information
• Why does the author include the introduction to “Sailing for Home?”
Find similarities and differences between across texts such as in treatment, scope, or
organization
• Why does Lekeni find it difficult to concentrate on the heard?
Represent text information in different ways such as in outline, timeline, or graphic
organizer.
• Read this outline of information from the article
Which information belongs in the blank?
• Look at this diagram of information from the article.
Which information belongs in the empty box?
Identify the purposes of different types of texts such as to inform, influence, express, or
entertain
• The most likely reason the author wrote this article was to –
• Why did _____________ write this letter to the editor?
Describe how the author’s perspective or point of view affects the text.
• The advantage of telling this story from the narrator’s point of view is that it helps the
reader understand why –
Draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text
evidence.
• Which statement is true of most of the animals at Popcorn Zoo?
• What will Ricardo’s class probably do in the future?
• From the information about _____________ provided in this section, the reader can
conclude that –
Distinguish fact and opinion
• Which statement in the article represents an opinion?
Support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text
• Which sentence in the story shows that the customs associated with crossing over into
adult hood have been passed down from generation to generation?
Connect, compare, and contrast ideas, themes, and issues across texts
• How is the first woman who is questioned in “The Sultan’s Pearls” like the first man
who is questioned in “The King’s Gold”?
Recognize that authors organize information in specific ways.
• The author organizes paragraphs 5 through 8 of the article by –
• Which of the following best describes the organization of the last two paragraphs of the
newspaper article?
Recognize how style, tone, and mood contribute to the effect of the text
• The tone of paragraph 5 can best be described as –
• The author’s choice of words in paragraph 1 of this story creates a mood of -