Author: karen.foster

STAAR Reading—Literary
How do a character’s relationships with other characters or motivations to take certain actions affect the plot/conflict/ outcome of a story?
How does the author use dialogue to develop a particular character or the relationship between characters?
How does the point of view from which the story is told affect the reader’s understanding of characters and events?
What is the effect of setting on events/character/outcome of a story?
How does a poet/playwright/author use simile, metaphor, personification, time disruptions (flashback/foreshadowing) to create meaning?
Which sentence best indicates, suggests, establishes, illustrates, describes, explains, expresses, supports, reflects, reveals, shows XX? (Shows at lower grades only)

Literary Includes:
Fiction
Traditional Fiction
Literary Nonfiction
Poetry
Drama

Informational Includes:
Persuasive
Expository
Procedural
Media

STAAR Reading—Informational Text
What is significant (important) about XX?
How does the author organize the selection? Why does the author organize the information in a particular way?
Why does the author include a particular section (under a subheading) of an expository piece?
What is the author’s attitude toward his/her subject? (attitude/ tone)

STAAR Reading—Author’s Craft/Cross-genres
Why does the author use a particular genre (e.g., literary nonfiction vs. expository, expository vs. persuasive)?
Why does the author include a particular paragraph or paragraphs?
Why does the author begin or end a piece in a particular way?
Why does the author include a description of XX?
How does the author’s use of particular words or phrases create a particular tone? How does the use of particular words affect meaning?
Why does the author include quotations from particular people/entities/publications?
Why does the author use particular rhetorical strategies—e.g., italics, ellipses, questions, comparisons/analogies, repetition, exaggeration?

STAAR Reading—Persuasive
How does the author support each of his/her arguments?
What is the author’s most convincing reason (and why)?
Does the author make a convincing case for his position/opinion?

Media/Procedural
What is the tone of the photograph?
What can the reader infer from the photograph and its caption? (At lower grades: The photograph helps the reader know XX.)
Why does the author include the boxed information?
Why does the author include a map? What can the reader conclude from the map?
How does the embedded media or procedural element add to the reader’s understanding of the piece (or a section of the piece)?