REGENTS READING EXAM

1
REGENTS READING EXAM

• Practical Tips to Help You
• Prepare for the Exam

2
Facts about the Regents Exam

• Mandated by the Board of Regents of the
  University System of Georgia
• Passing score REQUIRED for graduation
• Tests proficiency in reading
• Offered once each semester at GPC
• One hour testing time, except in special
  circumstances

3
Things to Consider When Taking the Regents
Reading Exam

• Average recommended reading speed is 200-250
  words per minute
• Test includes nine passages with related
  questions plan approximately six minutes per
  passage
• Read the passage then answer the questions.
• Do not leave any answers blank

4
Overview of Skills Requirements

• Critical thinking skills, not passive reading
• Ability to comprehend text material using

• Your prior knowledge
• Your vocabulary base
• Your ability to interpret, evaluate and
  meaningfully synthesize reading material
• Your understanding of key reading skills and
  basic test-taking strategies

5
What Good Readers do

• Read ACTIVELY, making predictions from the title
  and/or the introductory sentences.
• Develop mental images (pictures) as they read
• Connect prior knowledge with new knowledge in the
  text
• Monitor their understanding as they read and
  attempt to correct gaps in their understanding

6
Evaluate Your Reading Skills Before the Test2
2For every item you check, develop an improvement
plan BEFORE the test.

• I read too slow
• I do not keep track of the time
• I skip around
• I dont allow time to go back
• I spend too much time on one passage
• I add information to the passage that is not
• there
• I have a limited vocabulary

7
Modes of Discourse Understanding How and Why a
Passage is Written

• Reading passages fall into three types, based on
  the mode of discourse (method of organizing a
  piece of writing based on its purpose)
• Writing to Explain
• Expository - informational (such as textbooks)
• Writing to Entertain
• Literary - story, poem
• Writing to Persuade
• Argument - position, stance, or opinion

8
Writing to Explain

• Type informational, descriptive, researched
• Main Idea stated or unstated
• Purpose inform, instruct, educate
• Point of view objective, non-biased
• Tone informal, formal, unemotional, objective
• Literary devices statistics, facts, dates
• Example Textbook

9
Writing to Entertain

• Type narrative, appeals to imagination
• Main Idea usually inferred
• Purpose elicit emotion, enlighten
• Point of View narrator, first or third person
• Tone humorous, ironic, moral, emotional
• Literary devices irony, allusion, metaphor,
  simile, sarcasm, hyperbole, etc.
• Example Story

10
Writing to Persuade

• Type argument
• Main idea the argument itself
• Purpose to convince the reader
• Point of view the writers
• Tone emotional, authoritative, opinionated,
  defensive, ironic, humorous
• Literary devices statistics, facts, opinion,
  appeals to emotion or intellect
• Example Newspaper Editorial

11
Four Basic Reading Skills to Master for the
Regents Reading Exam3

• Vocabulary
• Literal Comprehension
• Inferential Comprehension
• Analysis

3 Know the four basic reading skills and remember
the question stems (the sentence or phrase
preceding the answer choices) that are typical of
each of the four skills.
12
Vocabulary 18 24

• Context clues - clues which help you determine
  meaning consider words and/or punctuation marks
  that
• Directly define a word
• Directly equate two things using and or a list
• Indicate an example
• Show a cause/effect situation
• Contrast with what you already know
• Provide a hint through a long explanation

ALWAYS consider the context of the actual
passage
13
Vocabulary (contd)

• Word parts prefixes, suffixes and roots which
  help you identify meaning
• Prefixes
• in-, un-, pre-, pro-, sub-, uni-
• Suffixes
• -able, -ful, -ment, -ly
• Roots , memor, loc, tempor, terr

14
Question stems for Vocabulary

• The underlined word _____ (most nearly) means
• As used in the passage, _____ (most nearly)
  means
• As used in the passage, _____ refers to
• _____ underlined in the passage

15
Literal Comprehension 18 24

• Ability to recognize specific details
• Look for key words in question stem
• who, what , when, where, how much
• Scan down the middle of the passage
• Look for numbers, dates, capital letters
• The answer and the question may be worded
  differently but have the same meaning

16
Question stems for Literal Comprehension

• As stated in the passage
• According to the passage
• What does the author state
• The passage or author states
• The author (or passage) mentions
• The passage, the author discusses the following
  topics
• The following topics are not discussed in the
  passage

17
Inferential Comprehension 33 41

• Focus on the given details by looking for hints
  word choice, positive or negative connotation
• Think about the authors meaning and intent
• Draw conclusions based on stated facts in the
  passage
• Prove your answer by recalling the stated facts

18
Inferential Comprehension Finding the Main
Idea

• Who or what is this about? Topic
• What is the author trying to convey about the
  topic? Main Idea
• What are the significant details that logically
  point to the main idea? Major Details
• Details can be reasons, explanations, or
  descriptions support for the main idea

19
Question Stems for Inferential Comprehension
Main Idea

• The primary purpose of this passage is
• The main idea (or central idea) of this passage
  is
• As implied by the passage, the following best
  describes the main idea
• A good title for this passage would be
• The author is primarily concerned with
• The author wishes to emphasize that

20
Question Stems for Inferential Comprehension
Conclusion and Generalization

• The passage (or author) suggests
• The author (or passage) implies
• It can be inferred from the passage that
• The following conclusions are supported by the
  passage
• The author would probably agree that
• According to the passage, the reader can conclude
  that

21
Analysis18 24

• Focus on technique and organizational patterns.
• Technique means how the passage is written - tone
  style, patterns of organization, and authors
  purpose.
• The tone, mood or attitude, is suggested
  primarily by the authors word choice
• Organizational patterns reveal relationships
  between ideas - such as comparison, contrast,
  cause, effect, definition, description, narration
  and persuasion.
• Become familiar with transitional words or
  phrases reflect indicate these organizational
  patterns.

22
Question Stems for Analysis

• The authors tone is
• The author develops the thesis by
• The author organizes his/her discussion in the
  following method
• The author mentions _____ in order to
• The authors attitude toward _____ is one of
  _____.
• The word most logically joining paragraphs ____
  and _____...
• The following could be classified as a fact
  rather than an opinion

23
Reading Tips

• Find the mode of discourse
• Find the topic - what is mentioned several times?
  where are the details leading you?
• Read the first sentence of each paragraph
• Connect ideas between paragraphs
• Find the pattern of organization - look for words
  or phrases indicating a transition
• Sum up the passage in your own words

24
Test-taking Tips

• CONCENTRATE! Use your pen as a pacer you will
  read faster. Read the passage through
  thoroughly.
• Figure out the organization of the passage.
• Identify literal questions they take less time
  because information is stated in the passage.
• Scan for the answers to these questions DO NOT
  re-read the passage.
• Scan for key words in the question stem, such as
  names, dates, places, numbers and question words
  (who, what, where, how many, when, etc.)

25
More Tips for testing

• Answering easier questions first may help you
  with the main idea question.
• Verify your answers read carefully to be sure
  you have found the correct answer.
• If you skip questions, take care when bubbling in
  answer choices mark your answers in the right
  spot.

26
Practice Before the Test

• Practice reading passages with questions.
• Use the Readers Edge software in the LTC to
  improve your reading speed.
• Review modes of discourse, patterns of
  organization, transitions, and literary terms.
• Use LTC practice software for reading skills and
  vocabulary development.

27
Continue to Practice

• This powerpoint was designed to jumpstart your
  preparations for the Regents test. A 30 minute
  Regents reading practice is available online at
  http//www2.gsu.edu/wwwrtp/indstu.htm.
• Online resources are also available at the
  Decatur Learning and Tutoring Center (LTC)
  website http//www.gpc.edu/deciss/.
• Visit the LTC to use practice software and work
  with a tutor.
• We wish you much success!

28
For additional Information

• Visit the Decatur LTCYour one stop study spot
• Location Room SB-1110
• Phone [phone]
• Web address http//www.gpc.edu/deciss

29
This presentation was made possible with the
assistance of

• Instructor Brenda Sudan Workshop Content and
  Presentation
• Frances Burke PowerPoint Design
• Jerrie Brooks Project Coordination
• Alesia Johnson Video Liaison
• John Chip Howard Videography
• Valora Richardson Educational Technologist