Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA)
Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.006(c-1) requires that students who do not meet the passing standard on the Grade 6 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading test must be administered a reading assessment at the beginning of grade 7. The Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA) was developed with Texas students to be a valid and reliable instrument for determining students’ areas of instructional need.
The TMSFA is based on valid and reliable scientific research, thoroughly measures each domain of development, and is user-friendly. The following three domains of development are assessed using the TMSFA.
- Text Comprehension (Reading)
- Word Analysis
- Fluency
Explain the Influence of the Setting on Plot Development in Literary Text/Fiction (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how the setting in a story can influence the development of the plot.
Analyze Point of View in Literary Texts/Fiction (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to analyze different points of view, including first person, third-person omniscient, and third-person limited.
Understanding Drama (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to explain a playwright’s use of dialogue and stage directions.
Understanding Poetry (English 7 Reading)
You will learn the importance of graphical elements (e.g., capital letters, line length, word position) in the meaning of a poem.
Imagery and Figurative Language (English 7 Reading)
You will be able to identify figurative language and understand how it creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.
Make Connections Between and Across Literary Texts (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to make connections between and across texts, including other media (e.g., film, play), and provide textual evidence.
Target 2% Lessons to Support Phonics for Grades K through 5
Phonics is the relationship between the letters (graphemes) of written language and the sounds (phonemes) of spoken language. These phonics activities are designed to enhance the instruction of all teachers of reading and to meet the learning needs of all students, as indicated by data.
Target 2% Lessons to Support Fluency for Grades K through 5
Fluency is the ability to read text effortlessly, allowing the reader to concentrate on meaning. Fluency includes reading accurately, quickly, and with prosody (appropriate phrasing, expression, and attention to punctuation).
Target 2% Lessons to Support Vocabulary for Grades K through 5
Vocabulary knowledge is an essential component of comprehension, language proficiency, and reading growth for all students.These vocabulary activities are designed to enhance the instruction of all teachers of reading and to meet the learning needs of all students, as indicated by data.
Target 2% Lessons to Support Comprehension for Grades K through 5
These comprehension activities are designed to enhance the instruction of all teachers of reading and to meet the learning needs of all students, as indicated by data.
Action Verbs
In this 3rd through 5th grade video, students connect exercise and literacy. The teacher reads a sentence aloud and students must identify the action verb that was read and then act it out accordingly. This is a great lesson to combine focus on cognitive and psychomotor skills.
Waddle
Get your students up and moving in this Kindergarten through 5th grade activity that connects literacy, creativity and movement! Students act out different animals in the book “Waddle” as the teacher reads aloud.
Minute to Win It
This Kindergarten through 5th grade activity is based on the popular game show, Minute to Win It! Students form into groups of 4-5 and perform various exercises for one minute in order to gain points.
Fitness Bingo
This activity is similar to traditional bingo. Each student gets a fitness bingo card. Creating space between them and their peers, students will act out the exercise if they have it on their bingo card.
Chinese Folktale: The Little Rabbits
This video features the Chinese story "The Little Rabbits" in both English and Chinese. The story has elements of the Western stories “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs.”
Season Fitness
Students have fun in fitness as they follow along with their teacher to perform various exercises and stretches found in the different seasons. Doing activities like playing baseball and cross-country skiing, students learn about the varying seasons
Unforgettable Elephants
In this video segment from Nature, witness the joy an elephant family experiences when a new baby elephant is born. This birth was a celebration within elephant society.
Wheel of Fitness
This Kindergarten through 5th grade video is similar to Wheel of Fortune. Students are chosen to spin the Wheel of Fitness and perform the exercise shown.
Language Arts Resources
LAR utilizes many techniques to help students learn the content. This is done by breaking the concepts down into smaller/targeted concepts, utilizing color coding, charts, mnemonics, graphics, audio clips, easy-to-grasp written and/or auditory explanations that students can internalize with ease; font size for emphasis; practice quizzes for students to self-check for understanding; level quizzes that progress from surface knowledge --> to connecting several concepts --> to applying the content to practical examples.
These learning techniques are especially beneficial for students who are English Language Learners (ELL), Limited English Proficient (LEP), English As Second Language (ESL), Special Education (SPED), and/or Sect. 504 students.
Visit the Language Arts Resources site to access student lessons, quizzes, and more!