Warm-Up for Reading and Writing Assessments

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

Reading helps you learn any subject. Writing helps you share what you've learned. That's why these two skills are critical in all your classes. That's also why major assessments test your ability to read and write.

What Is Assessment?

Assessment is another word for test. Some assessments will test your ability to read and write. The reading and writing you do every day at school and home will help you get ready for these assessments. This unit will also help.

In the following activities, you’ll learn about close reading—reading to understand the focus statement, topic sentences, details, and vocabulary of the nonfiction texts you’re assigned. You’ll also learn about on-demand writing—writing to develop your own ideas during an assessment. Strong reading skills help you write and vice versa.

In this unit, you’ll learn the reading and writing skills that you need to succeed in nonfiction assessment. If you’d like to try out these skills, see the unit “Practice Test for Reading and Writing.”

Thinking About Close Reading

To read closely, you need to think about the ideas in a text. You can do this by asking and answering questions. For starters, use the 5 W’s and H.

Editing for the Future Tense

When you write about something that hasn’t happened yet, you should add will before the base form of the verb. This will change the sentence to the future tense, expressing action that will happen later. In a problem-solution essay, use the future tense to predict what will result if a solution goes into action.

In this example, the helping verb will shows that the verbs clean and beautify happen in the future.

1. I caught a butterfly.

   I will catch a butterfly.

2. I walk home from my neighbor’s house.
3. We clean the kitchen.
4. Workers painted the walls white.
5. My family goes to vacation in Florida.
6. My classmates and I perform in a play at the end of the year.
7. The rain cools down the pool water.
8. What happens next?

Revising Problem-Solution Essays

After you write a first draft, you'll be ready to start reviewing and revising. When you revise, you think about the "big picture," including the overall structure of your writing (beginning, middle, and ending) and the focus, main ideas, and supporting details you use. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Choose Strong Support

In your problem-solution essay, strong reasons and supporting details will help you convince readers to care about the problem and agree with your solution. The best reasons and details are specific and tell something important about your subject.

Strong

A service project will make the park safer for play.

Weak

Cleaning will make the park better.

1. ___ Canceling gym class will be bad for kids.
   ___ Canceling gym class will make it harder for kids to stay in shape.   X  Canceling gym class will make it harder for kids to stay in shape.
2. ___ Kids will lose a safe place to play if the rec center closes.
     X  Kids will lose a safe place to play if the rec center closes.
   ___ Kids will lose out if the rec center closes.
3. ___ Reading books introduces you to new people and ideas.
     X  Reading books introduces you to new people and ideas.
   ___ You should learn about new people and ideas.
4. ___ Swimming lessons make your life better and help you a lot.
   ___ Swimming lessons help you stay afloat if you fall into water.   X  Swimming lessons help you stay afloat if you fall into water.
5. ___ The playground equipment is no good.
   ___ The playground equipment is rusty and unsteady.   X  The playground equipment is rusty and unsteady.
6. ___ Learning a second language teaches you about another culture.
     X  Learning a second language teaches you about another culture.
   ___ Learning a second language helps you learn about another language.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The first sentence is called the lead. This sentence is meant to capture your reader’s attention. In a problem-solution essay, the lead introduces the topic or problem in an interesting way.

1. Ask a question about the topic.

   Have you noticed all the trash at Rosemont Park?

2. Start with a surprising fact or detail about the topic.

   Last week, my brother cut his hand on a piece of broken glass at Rosemont Park. There’s glass everywhere.

3. Tell a little story about the topic.

   My family used to go to Rosemont Park every Sunday. . . .

Prewriting for Problem-Solution Essays

Before you start writing your essay, you need to think about some problems in your community and ways you could help solve them. These prewriting activities will help you examine a problem, come up with a solution, and gather and organize details before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Explore Problems

Reading a Problem-Solution Paragraph and Essay

Now that you've warmed up your thinking about problems and solutions, you can read a sample paragraph and essay. Note how each writer explains a problem and argues for a specific solution.

Reading a Problem-Solution Paragraph

A problem-solution paragraph has three main parts. The topic sentence introduces the solution to a problem. The body sentences explain the problem and solution. The ending sentence calls readers to action.

Sample Paragraph

Warm-Up for Problem-Solution Essays

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

You might think of problem solving as something you do only in math class. In fact, problem solving is a part of all aspects of school and life.

What Is Problem Solving?

To solve a problem, you first need to understand it. Then you need to think creatively to figure out ways to fix it. In this unit, you will write an essay that explains a problem in your school or community and offers a solution to it. Your goal is to make your readers care about the problem and want to be a part of the solution.

Thinking by Brainstorming

When you face a problem, brainstorming can help you think of possible solutions. Brainstorming means opening your mind to all possibilities, even wild ones. There are no wrong answers. Record every idea that pops into your head.

Brainstorming

A group of students brainstormed the following list of solutions to a problem. Often one possible solution led to another. When they ran out of ideas, the group reviewed the list and starred their three favorite solutions.

Problem:

A local park is dirty, and people no longer visit.

Solutions:

Editing Commas with Intro Words

Place a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses in sentences. The comma after introductory material signals that the main part of the sentence will follow.

Here is an example where the comma comes after a word.

In this example, the comma comes after a phrase.

The comma comes after a clause in this last example.

Revising to Make Concessions

It is important that you remain fair in an opinion essay. This means that you must consider all the issues and other opinions related to your topic. If you concede some of the issues on “the other side,” you can actually strengthen your own opinion.

The second paragraph in “Car Problems” fairly concedes that cars are important in modern life. But the writer also says that they are still a problem. Sometimes, a concession will begin with a transition such as these: it is true that, admittedly, even though, or I agree that . . .

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The beginning paragraph of an opinion essay is very important. It should introduce the topic, get the reader’s attention, and state your opinion. To get the reader’s attention, you can ask questions, make a dramatic statement or two, or share important information.