Warm-Up for Reading and Writing Literature Assessments

Reading lets you experience great stories, and writing helps you tell your own great stories. That's why some major assessments test your ability to read literature, write about it, and maybe even write your own stories.

What Is Literature Assessment?

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Literature assessments test how well you read stories and poems and whether you can write clearly about them. On some literature assessments, you will create your own stories. This unit will help you prepare for these kinds of assessments.

In the following activities, you’ll learn about close reading—reading to understand how a story or poem works. You’ll discover how writers use character, setting, plot, conflict, and theme to develop stories. You’ll also learn how poets use rhythm, rhyme, imagery, and figures of speech. Then you’ll discover strategies for on-demand writing—strategies for developing your own ideas during an assessment.

Thinking About Close Reading

To read closely, you need to think about the parts of a story: character, setting, conflict, and theme. Even flash fiction has these elements.

Editing Special Parts of a Letter

When checking a business letter for punctuation, pay special attention to addresses, dates, the salutation, and the closing.

Use a comma . . .

• between a city and a state in an address: Phoenix, Arizona
• between the day of the month and the year in a date: May 7, 2016
• after the closing: Sincerely, Yours truly,

Use a colon . . .

• after the salutation: Dear Mr. Abrams: Dear Ms. Rodriguez:

When checking for capitalization, pay special attention to the salutation and closing.

Capitalize . . .

• the word “Dear” in the salutation: Dear Senator Ainsley:
• the first word in the closing: Yours truly, Sincerely,
• first and last names, titles, months, and addresses: Mrs. Daly

Writing the Opening Part

In the first part of your letter, you should do two things.

• Identify the position that you are applying for.

  I am interested in going to SeaScapes Scuba Camp this summer.

• Tell what you know about the organization, such as where you learned about it.

I read about your camp in the most recent issue of Scuba Kidz magazine. I understand that your camp is for kids aged 10 to 16 with all different levels of experience.

Opening Paragraph

Writing the Middle Part

Prewriting to Find the Right Opportunity

Reading an Application Letter

Before writing your application letter, you should read an effective sample. In this lesson, you'll first read a sample announcement. Then you'll read one applicant's response. As you read the sample application letter, consider how the writer put ideas together and how you might use some of the strategies in your own writing.

Reading an Announcement

Sample Announcement

Warm-Up for Application Letters

When applying for a job or other opportunity, you'll often be asked to write an application letter. In such a letter, you reveal your goals, qualifications, and skills. This unit will show you how to write a winning letter.

What Is an Application Letter?

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

What happens when you meet someone new? You probably tell the person your name and a few details about yourself. Next, you might talk about common interests. If the two of you become friends, you will learn more about each other over time.

Sometimes, it’s important to tell key details about yourself right away. For example, if you want to spend a week at soccer camp or volunteer at the local animal shelter, you may need to write a special letter to introduce yourself and make your request. This type of business letter is called a letter of application.

In an application letter, you give information about yourself and tell your reasons for applying for something. When writing your letter, be sure to state all of your ideas clearly and politely. If you do, you will make a good first impression, which is very important.

Thinking About Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Before you can write your letter of application, you should evaluate which skills and qualities you have and which ones you still need to work on. Here's how one student took stock of her skills.

Things I Do Well