FCIM Charts

Week 3

Smart Test Takers• Skim the passage and have expectations based on the genre• Thoughtfully read by previewing the questions first• Read by chunking the passage into parts, envisioning, and asking,

“Who?” and “What?”• Grasp the main idea by scanning the features, making predictions,

and reading to confirm• Take a stab at unknown or scary words• Make predictions BEFORE reading the answer choices• Know how to answer vocabulary questions• Understand the difference between DETAIL questions and

GENERAL questions• Find the answer that fits the question BEST

Smart Test Takers• Pay attention to bold words, italicized words, or words

in capital letters• OPPOSITE/SAME = figure out vocabulary• SAME/DIFFERENT/SIMILAR =

compare/contrast/character change• MOST LIKELY = inference – figure out (read between

the lines)• BEFORE/AFTER = sequence of events• Italicized words = figure out meaning (often vocabulary

or figurative language)

Smart Test Takers• Flex reading muscles after each

passage and set of questions• Read one passage and answer the

questions• Close your eyes, take a deep breath• Flex your reading muscles and push on:

refocus and reset

Smart Test Takers• Work at out best speed–Read, answer the questions at your best

pace–If you notice others around you

finishing early, don’t worry!–Stick with it, work at your best pace