How to beat Mrs SATs Marker in your Reading Test!

This is Mrs Sats Marker. We don’t like her very much!! (Boo Hiss!!)

In your Reading Test, you must be able to:

DEDUCE
this is when you draw conclusions from your reading

draw out extra information from your reading – these are facts that are there but not actually told to you
make deductions about characters, their emotions and motives – they may change as a narrative develops

INFER
this is when you go beyond what is in the text to draw conclusions based on your own experiences
recognise how the author uses techniques to influence the reader
make predictions about how characters may respond, their emotions ands motives

EVALUATE
decide how effective the writing is and give a personal response
analyse how successfully the writer evokes feelings such as sympathy or suspense, through vocabulary choices and sentence types

JUSTIFY
use parts of the text to back up what you are saying
you must be able to explain and justify your ideas with evidence from the text

Handy Hints:

ALWAYS READ CAREFULLY – refer back to the text to answer the question
ALWAYS look at the number of marks available and if there is more than one mark make sure you have a separate point for each mark available
Answer in your words and don’t just use quotes from the text unless specifically asked for
If asked to explain fully then use full sentences and not bullet points
If asked to find a particular word or phrase, copy this out exactly from the text and put in speech marks
When answering a question about the author’s intention, then write about the vocabulary and style the author uses
When asked for your opinion or impression use the word BECAUSE and examples from the text which have led you to think this
When asked why a particular word has been used – explain the effect do not say it is more exciting or dramatic unless you also explain how
Sometimes you have to go beyond what is written and have to predict how a character feels from the way the character has been built up