Reading STAAR
Question Stem
Cards
Grades 6-8
Created by :
Christi Cecil
Thank you so much for purchasing my product!
Practice for the Reading STAAR test with these question stems. This is a good way to
get your students used to answering STAAR questions without killing them with
worksheets. There are 47 question cards.
I have used these question cards many ways in my classroom. I print them onto card
stock and then laminate them. They are used frequently in my classroom.
I have a set on a key ring on my desk. When I am creating questions, a test, or just
randomly asking questions about a text, I used them. I have to create a new set
every year because I wear them out so much!
I also use them during our station time. Students select several and create
questions about a particular text we are working on. Sometimes I just have them
answer their own questions, or create multiple choice responses for them.
I have enough sets so that each partnership in my classroom can have a set. I have
students work together to create one or tow questions about the text. I then have
students rotate their questions to another partnership, where they need to answer
the questions. This has turned into a stump your neighbor type game. This ensures
that the students’ questions are difficult enough. Students must also provide text
evidence to support their answers.
These questions were taken from the released STAAR passages from 2011,
2013 and the recently released 2014.********
There are a total of 156 questions cards and 4 cover cards. 59 fiction, 47
nonfiction, 32 poetry and 18 drama.
Please check out my blog at:
http://talesfromroom801.blogspot.com/
© Christi Cecil 2014
The reader can
conclude that when
(character name)
(action) -
Read the sentences
from paragraph _____.
Insert sentence from the text
Which statement best
expresses the main
theme of the excerpt?
The author included
paragraph ______ in
order to -
These sentences show
that _________-
What effect does
(character's) behavior
have on the resolution
of the excerpt?
What effect does
(action or event) have
on the resolution of the
excerpt?
Which sentence best
explains why
(character) is
(emotion)?
Which sentence best
explains why
(character) is surprised
by (character’s
action)?
The author included
paragraph ______ to -
Which event triggers
the main problem in
the excerpt?
Which of these best
expresses (character’s)
(feelings or emotions)?
Which of these best
expresses (character’s)
admiration for
(character)?
Which statement best
expresses the main
conflict in the excerpt?
What do paragraphs
____ through ____
suggest about
(character)?
What is the best
summary of the
excerpt?
In paragraph ____,
which words does the
author use to create a
_______ mood?
(Character’s actions)
contribute to the plot
by-
Which of these best
describes (character’s)
internal conflict in the
story?
The point of view from
which the story is told
gives the reader insight
into-
In paragraph _____,
the word (vocabulary
word) means
something that is-
What does the word
(vocabulary word)
mean in paragraph
____?
How does the setting
influence the plot of
the story?
A theme expressed in
the story centers on-
In paragraph ____, the
word(vocabulary
word) emphasizes -
The reader can
conclude that when
(character name)
(action) -
The language in
paragraph ____ is used
to emphasize -
Because the story is
written in 1st person
point of view, the
reader is better able to
understand -
In paragraph ____, the
reader can tell that
something that (phrase
or idiom) is -
Paragraph ____
through ____ help build
tension in the story by-
Based on the story,
what can the reader
conclude about
_______?
Paragraph ____ is
important to the story
because it-
In paragraph _____,
which words does the
author use to create a
_____ mood?
The story reaches the
climax when -
Which of these best
demonstrates the
moment when
(character) realizes
__________?
(Character’s) thoughts
in paragraph _____
show that she/he -
Which sentence from
the story provides the
best evidence that
(character) feels
(feeling word)?
The author uses
paragraph ___ to
convey to the reader -
What can the reader
conclude about
(character’s)
relationship with
(character)?
The author includes
paragraph ____ and
_____ in the selection
most likely to illustrate
that -
The figurative
language in
paragraph ____ helps
the reader imagine -
The author includes
the questions in
paragraph ____ most
likely to -
The author organizes
the selection by -
Which statement is an
example of
stereotyping?
In paragraph ____, the
author included
examples in her
argument most likely
because she-
The details in
paragraph ____ help
the reader infer that -
Both (character) and
(character) agree
that-
Read the sentence
below
Insert metaphor or simile
The author uses the
comparison to help
the reader understand
Which sentence
foreshadows that
(character) will be
_______?
The author uses short
sentences in
paragraph ____ to help
create a feeling of -
In paragraph _____,
the descriptions of
(something in the text)
suggest that-
Read the sentence.
What is the
significance of _____?
How does the author
reveal (character’s)
reason for _________?
Insert figurative language
The author uses
figurative language in
this sentence most
likely to -
What lesson does the
narrator learn?
Read the sentence.
The author’s use of
similes in
paragraph ___ creates
a feeling of -
Insert sentence with an idiom
The author includes this
sentence most likely to
show -
Read the sentence
Insert a description of
the character
Why does the author
include this description
of (character)?
What idea is
suggested by the
information in each
section of the table?
The reader can best
identify this selection
as a (text genre)
because it -
Reading STAAR
Stem Questions
Fiction
The author included
paragraph ___ most
likely to -
By presenting the ideas
included in paragraph
___ through ____, the
author is able to -
Which sentence from
the selection is a
commonplace
assertion?
In paragraph ____, the
word ____ means the -
The author chose the
title of this selection to
highlight the idea
that -
Reading STAAR
Stem Questions
Nonfiction
Which sentence from
the selection is an
opinion?
Which of these
supports the idea that
(insert inference from
the selection)?
What are paragraphs
____ and ____ mainly
about?
What is the best
summary of the
selection?
What is the best
summary of the section
titled (insert heading
title)?
With which statement
would the author most
likely agree?
How does the author
organize paragraphs
___ and ___?
The author wrote this
article most likely to -
Which words from
paragraph ____ help
the reader understand
what (vocabulary
word) means
What can the reader
conclude about the
author’s opinion of
(something in the
article)?
The author of this
selection thinks that -
The author uses the first
paragraph mostly to -
Why does the author
include paragraph
_____ and _____?
The author supports
each of his arguments
with-
Which idea from
paragraph ___ does
the author base on an
assumption?
Why is the (map,
photograph, chart,
etc.) included with the
selection?
What does the word
(vocabulary word)
mean in
paragraph ___?
In paragraph ___, the
word (vocabulary
word) emphasizes -
Why does the author
begin this selection
(with a question,
dialogue, a
description, etc.)?
What do the words
(idiom) mean in
paragraph ___ -
What is the most likely
reason the author
wrote this selection?
The author emphasizes
the idea that -
Which sentence shows
that the author
believes (inference
from the text)?
Because the Latin root
_____ means ____, the
reader can tell that the
word _____ in
paragraph ___ refers to
something that -
In paragraph ___ and
___, the author
presents the idea that -
The author of the
selection includes ___
and ___ most likely to -
The author begins and
ends the selection by
bringing together the
idea that -
Why does the text
begin with a question?
Which statement best
expresses an opinion
found in the selection?
The author includes
the description in
paragraph ___ most
likely to -
Which sentence from
the selection suggests
that the author thinks
____ is important?
Which of the following
belongs in the empty
box? (Sequence
Question)
Which emotion in the
photograph most
likely intended to
evoke in the reader?
The images included
with the article help
the reader
understand -
What is paragraph
____ mainly about?
Which of the following
is the best title for the
diagram?
In paragraph ____, the
author uses the
example of _____ to-
Based on the
information in the
selection, which of
these would most
likely be true?
How do paragraphs
____ through ____
support the author’s
position about (idea
from the text)?
Which sentence best
reflects the concerns
about (idea from the
text)?
The author supports
the article’s premise by
providing -
The author includes
the description of _____
most likely to -
Reading STAAR
Stem Questions
Poetry
How are the (item in the
poem) and speaker
similar?
Read these lines from the
poem
Read lines ___ from the
poem
Insert sentence from the text.
Insert sentence from the text.
These lines highlight the
speaker’s (feelings)
because they show that -
The poem uses
personification in these
lines to show that -
The metaphor in the
____ stanza is used to
emphasize -
The poet uses a simile
in line ___ to reveal
that the speaker -
Dividing the poem into
___ stanzas allows the
poet to -
The poet likely intends
for the ____ lines to
express the speaker’s
In the poem, the
speaker’s mood
changes from -
The (the thing in the
poem) is important to
the poem because it
represents -
Which lines from the
poem reflect a lesson
that the speaker
learns?
In stanza ___, the
poet’s use of a
metaphor suggests
that -
Based on the ____
stanza, the reader can
conclude that the
speaker -
The imagery in stanza
___ suggests that -
The dialogue in the
poem helps convey
the idea that the
characters are -
The poet helps the
reader understand
how it felt to -
The poet places the
words ____ on a line by
themselves most likely
because -
The repetition of the
line ____ suggests that
the speaker -
At the end of the
poem, the speaker
expresses a felling of -
Which line best
communicates the
speaker’s feelings of
______?
The repetition of the
words ___ & ___
emphasizes the
speaker’s desire to -
Because the poem is
written from the
speaker’s point of
view, the reader is
better able to
understand -
Which line from the
poem best expresses
the speakers sense of
(emotion)?
The poet chose an
irregular and
unpredictable rhyme
scheme most likely to -
The last two lines of the
poem suggest that
____ in the title is a
symbol for -
Insert a sentence from the
poem.
The poet includes
these lines most likely
to suggest that the
speaker -
The poet reveals the
speaker’s feelings
mainly by -
What is the most likely
reason that the poet
uses capitalization in
line ____?
The imagery in lines ___
through ___ help the
reader understand -
The poet organizes the
poem as she does in
order to -
Why does the poet
include stanzas ___ &
___?
Which line from the
poem suggests (a
feeling or idea)?
The poet includes the
(type of figurative
language) in stanza
___ in order to -
Reading STAAR
Stem Questions
Drama
The language used in
paragraph ____ helps
the reader infer that
the -
Read the following line
from scene ___.
Insert sentence from the text.
What is ironic about the
parents’ belief that ____?
Read these lines from
paragraph ____.
Read the line from the
excerpt.
Insert sentence from the text.
Insert sentence from the text.
The playwright includes
these lines to suggest
that -
The playwright includes
this line in order to -
What does the word
(vocabulary word)
mean in paragraph
___?
In scene ___, the
dialogue between
____ and _____ reveals
that -
The playwright uses
stage direction at the
end of scene ___ to
hint that -
In paragraph ___, the
word (vocabulary
word) means to -
What can the reader
conclude about
(character) from their
dialogue?
Paragraph ____ is
important to the lay
because it shows -
Which of the following
lines does the
playwright include to
show that (character)
is (adjective)?
What does paragraph
____ suggest about
(character)?
Based on the dialogue
in paragraph ___, how
does (character)
respond to (action in
the play)?
The details used to
describe _______ are
included to -
Read this line from the
play.
What is the best
summary of the
excerpt?
Insert sentence from the text.
(Something from the
play) in scene ____ is
important because it -
Why are the stage
directions at the end
of scene ____
important?
What is the most likely
purpose of this line?
A special THANK YOU for
the Graphics and Fonts
Lovin Lit
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Lovin-Lit