Communication Arts/Literature (Grades 5–12)
What the test targets
Communication Arts/Literature (Grades 5–12) tests reading comprehension, literary and informational analysis, writing process, language conventions, speaking/listening, and media literacy. Items emphasize text evidence, argument, and diverse perspectives.
Core rules
- Close reading moves from literal meaning to craft and structure to interpretation; every claim needs textual evidence.
- Theme is a statement about the text, not a one-word topic.
- Writing process is recursive: plan, draft, revise, edit, publish; revision changes ideas and structure, editing fixes conventions.
- Argument uses claim, evidence, reasoning, and counterclaim; persuasion alone is not argument.
- Language conventions are taught in context and applied in editing.
- Media literacy asks about source, purpose, audience, bias, and production choices.
Worked example
A student analyzes tone in a short poem. The poem describes a 'gray, grinding' city and a 'thin' light. The student writes: 'The diction of grinding and thin creates a weary, diminished tone; the speaker is not angry but worn down.' Reasoning: the student names diction, links connotation to tone, and avoids plot summary. A response that says 'the poem is sad' without evidence or that retells the plot would lose analysis marks.
Traps
- Retelling plot instead of analyzing craft.
- Stating theme as 'friendship' rather than a claim about friendship.
- Using quotes without explaining how they support the claim.
- Teaching grammar only as isolated worksheets.