KAMICO’s STAAR Connection Diagnostic Series: Writing and STAAR Connection Diagnostic Series: Math are test preparation products designed to help students in grades K-12 prepare for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) writing and mathematics exams and high school end-of-course exams. Content is available in print format. Resources include practice tests that address specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Practice tests consist of multiple-choice questions that reflect what students will see on the STAAR exam, and the writing product includes writing prompts. Learning List recently reviewed writing resources for grades 1-4 and math resources for grades K-2 and 4.
Writing practice tests present short reading passages followed by 8-12 multiple-choice questions that address editing and revising skills. Reading passage sentences are numbered to facilitate ease of reference in students’ responses, and many passages include black and white illustrations. Some questions include charts and diagrams for students to consider. Students in grades 3 and 4 respond to multiple-choice questions using a bubble answer sheet. Each test has a writing prompt that generally asks students to respond to short quote (e.g., “Practice makes perfect.”). [Read more…]
Math practice tests present eight to ten questions that incorporate the TEKS Readiness and Supporting Standards as well as Mathematical Process Skills. At grade K, tests are made up primarily of images that students must count, recognize in terms of shapes, and estimate in terms of quantity (e.g., “Which car will hold the most people?”). At grades 1 and 2, practice tests still include many images, but increasingly rely on text-based questions, including word problems. At grade 4, questions continue to include visual supports and students are asked to use images of mathematical tools, such as number lines and rulers, to answer questions
About KAMICO*
KAMICO® Instructional Media, Inc. embarked on a mission in 1988 to develop the most effective instructional and test preparation materials possible and to distribute those materials at prices that made them accessible to all students. Founder and current president Kathy Michael was a classroom teacher when she created the initial instructional and test preparation books and games after finding no products available that met her students’ academic needs. Her knowledge of the classroom, children’s learning styles, curriculum design and development, and assessment requirements led to the creation of a results-oriented product line that is engaging, challenging, and effective.
Today, KAMICO®’s expansive product line provides educators with the tools to ensure student mastery of state curriculum standards and success on state assessments. These tools are used by educators across the country to assess the academic strengths and weaknesses of students, assist students in mastering curriculum standards determined by their state, build students’ test-taking endurance, develop students’ test-taking skills, and relieve students’ test-taking anxiety. educators who praised these materials shared their students’ academic progress and test results with other teachers, principals, and superintendents.
*Information in this section is provided by or adapted from KAMICO.