MCAS Long Composition Tips

MCAS Tips

Tuesday March 20th will be the ELA Long Composition.  Here are a few tips to follow the night before the test and the morning before the test.

* Relax the night before the test.

* Go to bed early.

* Bring a dictionary to school if you have one at home you would like to use for the test.

* Eat a good breakfast. 

* Come to school on time.  Be here before 8:30.

* Have a good book ready to read if you complete the test before your classmates.

On the day of the test;

* Read the prompt carefully and make sure you understand what the prompt is asking you to write about.

* Take a deep breath and think about what you are going to write your story about.

* Complete your graphic organizer.  You can create any type of graphic organizer you like;

~ a hand

~ a web

~ boxes

~ a list 

~ your own idea

* Now you are ready to begin your rough draft.  Start off with a topic sentence that is going to grab your reader's attention!  Have some fun creating a story that your reader will enjoy.  Remember to use a variety of ways to enhance your writing.  Here are some of the techniques we have worked with;

~ Title that fits your story

~ Interesting Introduction

~ Well structured Paragraphs

~  Show VOICE! Include Enjoyable Details

~ Strong Conclusion

~ Varied Sentence Beginnings

~ Variety of Sentence Types, Lengths, and No Fragments

~ Correct use of Capitals and Endmarks

~ Variety of Transition Words

~ Details to Show, not Tell a story

~ A little use of Dialogue

~ Word Choice includes a variety of strong Vocabulary Words

* Revise and Edit your work

This is the fun part when you get to go back into your story and add all the details and elaborate your writing.  Don't forget to use your Dictionary!

~ Now you are ready to copy your revised and edited story onto your pages for your Final Draft!  You can still add to your story and make changes!

~ Finally, you read your completed story checking for anything you left out or spelling errors.

Remember: Work DILIGENTLY!

Don't OVERUSE any of your techniques!

~ Have Fun!  You have worked hard on your Writing and you are ready to SHOW OFF!

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