ELA Family Night
What we need to know in
order to work together to help
your child master the
5th grade ELA Exam
Test date:
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 – Thursday, May 5, 2011
(Three day exam)
Last year’s 5th grade ELA exam
compared to last year’s 4th grade
exam…
4th Grade ELA
Day 1 (Reading)
4 to 5 passages (literary and
informational)
28 multiple-choice questions
Day 2 (Listening/Writing)
1 listening selection (literary)
2 short-response questions
1 extended response question
Day 3 (Reading/Writing)
2 paired passages (literary and
informational)
3 short-response questions
1 extended response question
5th Grade ELA
Day 1 (Reading)
3 to 4 passages (literary and
informational)
20 multiple-choice questions
1 short-response question
Day 2 (Listening/Writing)
1 listening selection (literary)
4 multiple-choice questions
2 short-response questions
1 editing paragraph
This year’s Grade 5 ELA Exam Format:
Book 1: (60 minutes)
6-7 passages (literary and informational)
35 multiple choice questions
Book 2: (30 minutes excluding reading listening section aloud)
1 listening section (informational)
5 multiple choice questions
3 short-response questions
3-5 multiple choice (writing mechanics) questions
Book 3: (60 minutes)
2 paired passages
4 short response questions
1 extended response question
Total time allotted: 150 minutes
This year’s Grade 5 ELA Exam:
Listening Section:
• The listening section for Grade 5 contains informational passages. Informational
passages may include articles, excerpts from biographies or autobiographies,
essays and other forms of informational writing.
• The listening passages that appear on the tests are similar to the kinds of
materials students read and hear in the classroom. Passages are carefully
selected for grade level appropriate vocabulary and content.
Reading Section:
Students read passages representing a variety of genres. The reading passages
consist of both literary and informational passages.
Writing Section:
The writing section of the test will be composed for four short response questions
and one extended response question. Students will be required to demonstrate
knowledge of three types of writing: narrative, persuasive and informative.
Students will be required to write from a variety of prompts and for many different
audiences. Student responses will be evaluated on how well the writing addresses
the task and demonstrates understanding of the passages.
Types of Questions on the ELA exam
Multiple Choice Questions:
 Test reading comprehension and
reasoning skills
 Count significantly in overall
score
 Require students to read for
meaning and refer back to the
passage
Types of Questions on the ELA exam
Constructed Response Questions:
 Ask a specific question about
part of the passage
 Sometimes are in the form of a
graphic organizer
 Sometimes are in the form of a
short paragraph
 Key is to use specific evidence
from the text
Types of Questions on the ELA exam
Extended Response Question:
 Students will be required to read
two paired passages (one literary
and one informational that is
usually on the same topic).
 Students will then use the
information from both passages
in order to answer an extended
response in essay format.
Types of Questions on the ELA exam
Extended Response Question:
 Students will be required to read
two paired passages (one literary
and one informational that is
usually on the same topic).
 Students will then use the
information from both passages
in order to answer an extended
response in essay format.
Types of Questions on the ELA exam
Multiple Choice Writing Mechanics Questions:
 These questions will assess students’ knowledge
of grammar, punctuation, and word usage.
Example: Choose the word or phrase that best
completes the sentence.
In the sunshine, the wings of a butterfly _____________ like
jewels.
a. glow
b. glows
c. is glowing
d. has glowed
Helpful reading test strategies:
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The answer is always in the text!!
Read the directions or introduction. (For example: If the directions,
captions say “Read the article below” you can infer that the passage
will be a Non-fiction piece.)
Read the passage carefully!
Read each question carefully and figure out what its asking you
(what kind of question is it?)
Read through all choices carefully.
Go back to the text and find the part that you need. (Underline the
proof for your answer in the text)
Read through answer choices and eliminate obvious wrong answers
(ones that have nothing to do with the text). Choose the best
answer, based on the text.
Always reread and double check if there’s time.
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For questions containing:
Unknown vocabulary- Read sentences before and after the word. The meaning must
fit in the text.
Sequence of events- Go to the text, and find the events. Number them clearly so that
you can see the order.
Ways to Help Your Child at Home
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Read aloud with your child, alternating paragraphs. This helps motivate your
child to complete assignments and helps you to monitor progress in reading.
Help your child get started on a writing assignment by asking relevant
questions. This helps the child internalize the questions writers ask themselves
when composing a piece.
Read with your child. Ask:
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What is the story/article about?
How would you describe the main character?
How did this character change your ideas?
What caused this event to happen?
What’s going to happen next?
Some Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking Activities:
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When watching a television commercial, ask your child to separate fact from
fiction.
Have your child explain information from a cartoon or a newspaper or
magazine article.
Leave messages around the house and have your child write back.
The ELA Suitcase:
Skills and types of questions that students
should be familiar with
Type of Question
What is it asking me?
Main Idea
What is this mostly about? What is the most important
idea?
Theme
What’s the lesson? What is the author trying to tell
me?
Specific Details
To find something directly in the text
Vocabulary
To use context clues (the story) to figure out a
meaning
Character Details
To find a detail right in the text about a character. To
determine what the character is like.
Author’s Point of View
What kind of writing is this? (Genre) What is the
author’s purpose or point? Who’s the audience?
Prediction/Conclusion
Based on what I’ve read SO FAR, what might
happen next?
Setting
Where and when does this take place? (place, time,
season, etc.)
Plot
What is the main problem? What is happening in the
story?
Sequence
What happened before? What happened after?
What order did events occur in?
Fiction
Genre Characteristics
FANTASY: contains elements that are not realistic
o talking animals
o magical powers
o often set in a medieval universe
o possibly involving mythical beings
FOLKTALES:
• feature common folks, such as peasants, and commonplace events.
• may have some "make-believe" elements, like talking animals, but the stories can sometimes sound realistic.
• usually explain things about life, nature, etc.
FAIRY TALES:
• Also called "magic stories,"
• filled with dreamlike possibility.
• feature magical and enchanted forces.
• usually have a "happily ever after" ending,
where good is rewarded and evil is punished.
FABLES:
• Short stories with a moral at the end
• usually teach lessons about life.
LEGENDS:
• based in history
• usually tell about the life of a real person.
MYTHS:
• contain common themes and characters, often "gods."
• usually explain the beginning of the world, natural phenomena, the relationships between the gods and humans, and the origins
of civilization.
• Myths, like legends, are stories told as though they were true.
HISTORICAL FICTION:
• stories centered around the basis of a partially historical situation
• a novel set in a historical period
Genre Characteristics
MYSTERY:
• a story involving:
o solving a puzzling event or situation
o something unknown
o solving a crime
o centered around a person who investigates wrongdoing
REALISTIC FICTION:
• stories that take place in modern times
• characters are involved in events that could happen.
SCIENCE FICTION:
• stories that often tell about science and technology of the future
• Settings:
o in the future
o in space
o on a different world
o in a different universe
POETRY:
• Introduce us to rhythm, rhyme, and literary devices such as:
o simile- comparing something using like or as
o metaphor- comparing something saying it IS it. Ex: Your eyes are shining stars.
o personification- giving a non living thing, human like qualities
o hyperbole- an exaggeration
Non Fiction
NON-FICTION texts are informational:
• Help readers learn about real- life things
• Provide readers with information
• “Articles” are Non fiction
BIOGRAPHIES: About the life of a person written by another person
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES: About the life of a person, written by that person