General Information
Test Item Specifications
- incorrect meanings of the assessed word;
- meanings of the assessed word that are correct but are not appropriate for the context surrounding the assessed word;
- contextual meanings drawn from the text but unrelated to the assessed word; and
- plausible but incorrect distractors based on the text.
The student, using context clues, will identify the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Grade-level appropriate texts should be used to assess a word unfamiliar to most students.
Excerpted text should contain clear and sufficient context for determining the meaning of the assessed word.
If an item stem directs the student back to the text to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word, the text should contain clear and sufficient context for determining the meaning of the assessed word.
The assessed word should be no more than two grade levels above the tested grade.
Context Clues
Texts should be literary or informational.
Other stimuli may include, but are not limited to, illustrations with captions, graphics, and charts.
Texts must contain a word unfamiliar to most students, and clear and sufficient context must be present for students to determine the meaning of the word.
Distractors may include, but are not limited to
Sample Test Items (2)
Test Item # | Question | Difficulty | Type |
Sample Item 1 | The sample item below is based on “A Day in the Stream” on page H–2. Read this sentence from the passage.
What does the word erratic mean as used in the sentence above? |
N/A | MC: Multiple Choice |
Sample Item 2 | The sample item below is based on “Walking” on page H–9. Read this sentence from “Walking.”
What does the word communal mean as used in the sentence above? |
N/A | MC: Multiple Choice |