WAYS TO PREPARE FOR THE CASA READING EXAM

Lori E. Saxby, Reading Specialist, Academic Skills

Lsaxby@usi.edu

Preparation – Know what to expect; gather information Review information regarding the CASA test provided by USI’s Teacher Education department and by going to:

• Indiana Core Assessments for educator licensure – http://www.in.nesinc.com/Home.aspx

• Core Academic Skills Assessment (CASA) Format: http://www.in.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/IN001_TestPage.html

• Preparation Materials: http://www.in.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_PreparationMaterials.html

• Study Guide/Reference Materials/Practice Tests: http://www.in.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/IN001_PrepMaterials.html

Independent Practice – Read critically and boost vocabulary Keep a log of your practice sessions by noting the date, time, and result of the following activities:

• Read every day for pleasure: books (fiction and non-fiction); newspapers (www.ceoexpress.com); internet & journal articles. This is the very best strategy for enhancing reading and vocabulary ability.

• Attend the Reading Lab (ED 2111) on Mondays (10am to 12pm) or Tuesdays (3-4 pm) to: o Diagnose reading skills o Improve vocabulary o Practice and review critical reading passages o Improve inference and prediction skills

• Boost vocabulary by subscribing to a word-of-the-day:

http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/ http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/

• Access the following websites for independent practice:

o Utilize the SRA Reading for Understanding 3 self-paced reading program to improve inference and prediction skills. You can access these cards online and the answer form at: http://homepage.smc.edu/reading_lab/RFU%20THREE%20INDEX.htm

o Go to the Townsend Press Reading and Vocabulary online learning sites (try for 80% mastery):

Advancing Vocabulary http://www.townsendpress.net/class/exercises/assignment/3/menu

10 Steps to Advanced Reading: http://www.townsendpress.net/class/exercises/assignment/19/menu

o Practice reading online by using the following passages:

http://www.act.org/compass/sample/human.html http://www.majortests.com/sat/reading-comprehension.php http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/readingtest2.htm http://www.studyguidezone.com/reading-comprehension-worksheet.htm http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/indstu.htm (2 tests: 30 min and 60 min)

Consultation – Review of progress after independent practice After you have completed 12+ hours of independent practice, make an appointment with Lori Saxby, Reading Specialist, in Academic Skills (ED 1111) at Lsaxby@usi.edu. Bring your log of hours (below) and be prepared to discuss what you have completed and your perception of what you may still need to work on

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DATE TIME ACTIVITY RESULT