NJ Ask Language Arts Literacy Grade 3

by Research & Education Association

• ISBN13: 9780738607979
• ISBN10: 0738607975
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-18
• Publisher: Research & Education Assn

Summary

Is Your Third Grader Ready for the NJ ASK? REA's Ready, Set, Go! ® NJ ASK Grade 3 Language Arts Literacy Test Prep Gets New Jersey Students Ready for the Language Arts Literacy Exam! REA's new Ready, Set, Go! ®NJ ASK 3 Language Arts Literacy test preptakes the confusion out of Language Arts Literacy and helps third graders succeed on the NJ ASK! All third grade students in New Jersey are required to pass the NJ ASK (Assessment of Skills and Knowledge) Grade 3 Language Arts Literacy assessment test. This revised edition of our popular test prep is fully aligned with the core curriculum standards of the New Jersey Department of Education and gives third graders all the information they need to succeed on this important high-stakes exam. What makes REA's test preps different? For starters, students will actually like using them. Here's why: Language Arts concepts are explained in simple language, in an easy-to-follow style The test prep allows students to learn at their own pace and master the subject Student-friendly lessons break down the material into the basics Each lesson is fully devoted to a key reading or writing concept and includes many fun examples Paced instruction with drills and quizzes reinforces learning Color icons throughout the book highlight important questions and study tips The book includes two full-length practice tests with detailed explanations of answers that allow students to test their knowledge and focus on areas in need of improvement Test-taking tips and strategies give students added confidence and ease anxiety before the exam When students apply the skills they've mastered in this test prep, they can do better in class, raise their grades, and score higher on the NJ ASK. Language Arts Literacy topics covered include: Understanding Main Ideas and Supporting Details Understanding New Words Following Directions Understanding Author's Purpose Conclusions and Opinions Writing Revising and more! Whether used in a classroom, for home or self study, or with a tutor, this test prep gets students ready for the important NJ ASK 3 Language Arts Literacy exam, set to take on new challenges, and helps them go forward in their studies!

Table of Contents

About REA

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Welcome to an Educational Adventure

Understanding the NJ ASK and This Book

Tips for Test Taking

Format of the NJ ASK Language Arts Literacy Test

Scoring the Test

NJ ASK Language Arts Literacy Standards

Reading

Main Idea and Supporting Details

Clusters

Main Idea

Supporting Details

Theme

Practice Passage: "One Happy Kid"

"Little Kittens"

"The Man with a Bright Idea: Thomas Edison"

"The Lion and the Mouse"

Understanding New Words

Clusters

New Words

Words with More Than One Meaning

Practice Poem: "At the Seaside"

"My Shadow"

Excerpt from Black Beauty

"Nature Newsletter"

Following Directions

Clusters

Introduction

Practice Passage: "The World's Best Banana Milk Shake"

"How to Fly a Kite"

"How to Make a Sock Puppet"

"How to Have Your Own Treasure Hunt"

Author's Purpose and Prediction

Clusters

Introduction

Author's Purpose

Prediction

Practice Passage: "The Old House"

"Sweet Treat"

Excerpt from The Jungle Book

"Rooms of Water"

Conclusions and Opinions

Clusters

Introduction

Practice Passage: "Time with Dad"

"Autumn's Amazing Leaves"

"The Best Game in the World"

"Beatrix Potter"

Made-Up Stories

Clusters

Introduction

Setting

Characters

Plot

Special Language and Type

"Ali's Kitten"

"When I Grow Up"

"The Emperor and the Nightingale"

Writing

Prewriting

What Is Prewriting?

Writing on the NJ ASK

Expository Prompts

Poem Prompts

Parts of a Writing Prompt

Ways to Prewrite

How to Prewrite for a Expository Prompt

Sample Writing Task

How to Prewrite for an Expository Prompt that Includes a Poem Prompt

Sample Writing Task

Drafting and Revising

Drafting

Revising

Practice Test 1

Practice Test 2

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Welcome to an Educational Adventure

The New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, or NJ ASK, is a special milestone, as it represents the first time that New Jersey’s public school students are presented with a state-mandated standardized test. Indeed, the ASK is the Garden State’s answer to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which requires that states use standards-based testing to ensure that students are picking up the skills and knowledge necessary for academic success.

We at REA believe that a friendly, hands-on introduction and preparation for the test are keys to creating a successful testing experience. REA’s NJ ASK books offer these key features:

 

Clearly identified book activities
Contextual illustrations
Easy-to-follow lessons

Step-by-step examples
Tips for solving problems tailored for the proper grade level
Exercises to sharpen skills
Real practice

Below is helpful information for students, parents, and teachers concerning the NJ ASK and test taking in general. Organized practice is itself a prime skill for young students to master, because it will help set the tone for success long into the future as their educational adventure continues. It is REA’s sincere hope that this book—by providing relevant, standards-based practice—can become an integral part of that adventure. 

What is the NJ ASK? 
The New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge is a standards-based assessment used in New Jersey’s public schools. Performance on the NJ ASK test equates not with the grades students receive for teacher-assigned work but rather with proficiency measures pegged to how well students are acquiring the knowledge and skills outlined in the state’s Core Curriculum Content Standards. Those proficiency measures fall into three broad categories, or bands: “partially proficient,” “proficient,” and “advanced proficient.” 

When is the NJ ASK given? 
The test is administered in early spring. Grade 3 students take the NJ ASK Language Arts Literacy on two days and the Mathematics test on the next two days, the final morning in Mathematics. Grade 4 students take the test on five mornings, the first two in Language Arts Literacy, the next two days in Mathematics, and the last in Science. Each day’s test spans 54 to 90 minutes, not including time to distribute materials, read directions, and take breaks. 

What is the format of the NJ ASK? 
The NJ ASK has two types of questions: multiple choice and open ended. With multiple choice, students are asked to choose the one correct answer out of the four choices provided. With open-ended questions, children answer with written responses in their own words. Each test section is timed, and students may not proceed to the next section until time for the current section has expired. If students have not finished a section when time runs out, they must stop and put down their pencils. There are clear directions throughout the test. 

Understanding the NJ ASK and This Book 

Students: 
This book was specially written and designed to make test practice easy and fruitful for you. Our practice tests are very much like the actual NJ ASK tests, and our review is filled with illustrations, drills, exercises, and practice questions to help you become familiar with the testing environment and to retain information about key topics. 

Parents: 
The NJ ASK and other state assessment tests are designed to give the school information about how well children are achieving in the areas required by New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards, which describe what students should know at the end of certain grades. This book will help your child review and prepare effectively and positively for the NJ ASK in Language Arts Literacy.  

Teachers: 
As their teacher, you introduce your students to the test-taking environment and the demands of the NJ ASK tests. You can use our authoritative book in your classroom for planned, guided instruction and practice testing. Effective preparation means better test scores! 

Updates to the NJASK: 
The test information in this book is taken directly from the 2009 Score Interpretation Manual Grades 3–8 of October 2009. 

Where can I obtain more information about the NJ ASK? 
For more information about the NJ ASK, contact the state Department of Education or Measurement, Inc,: 
www.state.nj.us/education/assessement
www.measinc.com/njask

Office of Evaluation and Assessment
Telephone: [phone]
Mailing address:
New Jersey Department of Education
PO Box 500
Trenton, NJ 08625-05000

For more information on the National Assessment of Educational Process:
(NAEP) Writing Frameworks:http://nagb.org/publications/frameworks.htm