7th Grade Maze Screener
Assessor Directions
Standard Administration Directions
1. Write/Type the following sentence on the board:
When it is hot in the (summer, winter, can), I like to go swimming.
2. Say to students: “You will need a pencil. I will pass out the Maze assessment face
down. Please do not turn the paper face up until I ask you to turn it over. Please put
your first and last name and teacher’s name on the back of the paper.”
3. Say to students: “You will be doing some reading today. You will be asked to read a
passage silently to yourself. When you come to three words that are bold and in
parenthesis, you will circle the word that makes sense. Make sure that you CIRCLE the
word that best fits.”
4. Using the example sentence on the board, Say: “Look at the example sentence on the
board. This is one sentence that would be in an entire reading passage. It says,
When it is hot in the BLANK, I like to go swimming. The three words that are bold
and in parenthesis are: (summer, winter, can). What word would you circle? Yes, the
word that makes the most sense is SUMMER.” Read the entire sentence correctly.
“When it is hot in the summer, I like to go swimming.” Model and emphasize that you
CIRCLE the correct word, summer.
5. Say: “You will have three minutes to read the passage and CIRCLE the correct word
for each set inside the parenthesis. Please start at the beginning of the passage and
circle the words that make sense. If you finish the first page, turn your paper to page
2 and continue working. Say: “Are there any questions?”
6. Set a timer for 3 minutes.
7. Say: “Please turn your paper over. The title of the passage is The Solar Storm.”
8. Say: “You may BEGIN.” Start the timer.
9. When the timer rings, say: “Stop working please. Hold your paper in the air to be
collected.” Collect all the papers and thank the students for being wonderful test takers.
10. Use the Assessor Copy for scoring:
Maze Comprehension Scoring Guidelines – For Assessor Use
Count each word that is circled correctly as 1 point. If a child misses 3 words in a row,
DO NOT count any correct responses after the 3 consecutive incorrect answers. Add
score to the GRASP database.
©West Georgia RESA
7th Grade Maze Screener
Assessor Copy
Total Answers = 48
The Solar Storm
Sammy loved the cold winter weather but especially the pristine white snow. He
cherished snow because he was (mass, an, given) avid, intense snowboarder. He had
already (hand, won, discussion) first prize in many competitions and (he, honestly, him)
was only a teen. Sammy’s goal (was, poison, writing) to be an expert snowboarder and
(leaf, even, sea) compete in the Olympics games one (earth, politely, day). This year’s
snowboarding season had been (always, dampened, her) due to the very mild winter
(beyond, weather, rejoice). The weather channel on his cell (at, phone, merrily) had
reported that the solar storms (were, anybody, honestly) to blame for the warm winter.
(Truthfully, The, Leaf) coldest it had been was thirty-five (music, degrees, elated) and
it had to reach thirty-two (bone, hair, degrees) to snow.
Sadly, Sammy’s parents did (precede, not, melodic) have the money to send him
(tame, to, ugly) a place where it snowed in (wax, order, pump) to practice. Since it was
warm, (bravely, lighten, it) looked like he would not see (any, thunder, art) snow this
winter which would mean (attempt, forget, a) whole year without practicing. Sammy was
(upset, breezy, terrible) that his dreams of participating in (the, cork, amused)
Olympics might be finished. For the (average, next, poison) several months Sammy was
not his (nervously, rapid, normal), lighthearted, teenage self. He was getting
©West Georgia RESA
Page 2
(allow, weather, into) trouble at school, at home, and (not, paste, stealthily) playing any
of his video games. (Carriage, Sammy, Until) would play these snowboarding games
throughout (uneven, the, drove) year to keep his skills sharp (during, grown, ourselves)
the times when there was a (lack, sun, cause) of snow. He was not interested
(ask, forgot, in) using his video games.
His parents (were, near, let) at a loss because they had (pleasure, grounded, flat)
him and taken away his cell (music, dark, phone), but nothing had worked. Sammy’s
parents (politely, were, stealthily) glad to see that school was (shrill, smash, almost)
out so he would not get (body, marry, into) trouble there anymore. His parents made
(thought, thumb, him) a counseling session appointment to see (if, happily, on) he was
depressed. But before he (unusual, kneel, could) go to the session, the weather
(channel, barring, sea) reported a cold front was coming (scary, through, develop). The
cold front was coming through (fat, flat, overnight) and they predicted snow tomorrow.
Due (to, weakly, promptly) the news of a possible foot (of, sat, excuse) snow, Sammy
instantly returned to his (parcel, apple, happy) normal self. When Sammy awoke early
(the, side, grease) next morning there was over a (foot, chilly, calm) of the pristine
white snow on (blunt, the, cool) ground in June!
©West Georgia RESA
7 Maze Screener
Student Copy
Name ____________
Score _____ / 48
The Solar Storm
Sammy loved the cold winter weather but especially the pristine white snow. He
cherished snow because he was (mass, an, given) avid, intense snowboarder. He had
already (hand, won, discussion) first prize in many competitions and (he, honestly, him)
was only a teen. Sammy’s goal (was, poison, writing) to be an expert snowboarder and
(leaf, even, sea) compete in the Olympics games one (earth, politely, day). This year’s
snowboarding season had been (always, dampened, her) due to the very mild winter
(beyond, weather, rejoice). The weather channel on his cell (at, phone, merrily) had
reported that the solar storms (were, anybody, honestly) to blame for the warm winter.
(Truthfully, The, Leaf) coldest it had been was thirty-five (music, degrees, elated) and
it had to reach thirty-two (bone, hair, degrees) to snow.
Sadly, Sammy’s parents did (precede, not, melodic) have the money to send him
(tame, to, ugly) a place where it snowed in (wax, order, pump) to practice. Since it was
warm, (bravely, lighten, it) looked like he would not see (any, thunder, art) snow this
winter which would mean (attempt, forget, a) whole year without practicing. Sammy was
(upset, breezy, terrible) that his dreams of participating in (the, cork, amused)
Olympics might be finished. For the (average, next, poison) several months Sammy was
not his (nervously, rapid, normal), lighthearted, teenage self. He was getting
©West Georgia RESA
Page 2
(allow, weather, into) trouble at school, at home, and (not, paste, stealthily) playing any
of his video games. (Carriage, Sammy, Until) would play these snowboarding games
throughout (uneven, the, drove) year to keep his skills sharp (during, grown, ourselves)
the times when there was a (lack, sun, cause) of snow. He was not interested
(ask, forgot, in) using his video games.
His parents (were, near, let) at a loss because they had (pleasure, grounded, flat)
him and taken away his cell (music, dark, phone), but nothing had worked. Sammy’s
parents (politely, were, stealthily) glad to see that school was (shrill, smash, almost)
out so he would not get (body, marry, into) trouble there anymore. His parents made
(thought, thumb, him) a counseling session appointment to see (if, happily, on) he was
depressed. But before he (unusual, kneel, could) go to the session, the weather
(channel, barring, sea) reported a cold front was coming (scary, through, develop). The
cold front was coming through (fat, flat, overnight) and they predicted snow tomorrow.
Due (to, weakly, promptly) the news of a possible foot (of, sat, excuse) snow, Sammy
instantly returned to his (parcel, apple, happy) normal self. When Sammy awoke early
(the, side, grease) next morning there was over a (foot, chilly, calm) of the pristine
white snow on (blunt, the, cool) ground in June!
©West Georgia RESA