Less than $5 8th Grade ELA Test Prep Resources (by date, latest first)

Are you looking for new and fun ways to review for STAAR? Have you considered introducing STAAR/Standardized test prep with music? This 10 question assessment uses Encanto's song "Surface Pressure" as the text, and exposes students to question stems they will see on STAAR in May. The question stems are STAAR/CCSS aligned from previous years' assessments and focus on a variety of skills such as inferencing, summarizing, context clues, figurative language, plot, determining the meaning of words, synthesizing information, and theme in three formats. The zip file includes:

1. Set of 10 task cards and answer key
2. Self-grading Google Form with feedback to stamp the concept; easily integrates with Google Classroom!
3. Google Doc classic assessment and answer key

Other Lessons you might enjoy 

• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 1 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 2 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 3 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 4 (TeachShare.com)
• Google Slides and Figurative Language Worksheet Disney's Encanto (TeachShare.com)

Are you looking for new and fun ways to review for STAAR? Have you considered introducing STAAR/Standardized test prep with music? This 10 question assessment uses Encanto's song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" as the text, and exposes students to question stems they will see on STAAR in May. The question stems are STAAR/CCSS aligned from previous years' assessments and focus on a variety of skills such as inferencing, summarizing, context clues, figurative language, plot, determining the meaning of words, synthesizing information, and theme in three formats. The zip file includes:

1. Set of 10 task cards and answer key
2. Self-grading Google Form with feedback to stamp the concept; easily integrates with Google Classroom!
3. Google Doc classic assessment and answer key

Other Lessons you might enjoy 

• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 1 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 2 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 3 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 4 (TeachShare.com)
• Google Slides and Figurative Language Worksheet Disney's Encanto (TeachShare.com)

Are you trying to make theme sticky for your students? This resource includes practice worksheets for three short films under 5 minutes long: Piper, The Present, Pip available on Youtube for free. Students will love the beautiful graphics of the films, and the heart warming lessons to learn from each. I love using these films as mini lessons of about 10 minutes each or you can combine all three into a 30 minute practice session. This can be used virtually or in person, as extension activities or as direct instruction!

Piper: https://youtu.be/WIPV1iwzrzg

The Present: https://youtu.be/WjqiU5FgsYc

Pip: https://youtu.be/07d2dXHYb94

Free Bonus: Using Pixar to teach Somebody wanted, but, so then (Summary!) with answer keys.

Are you looking for new and fun ways to review for STAAR? Have you considered introducing STAAR/Standardized test prep with music? This 10 question assessment uses Encanto's song "What Else Can I do?" as the text, and exposes students to question stems they will see on STAAR in May. The question stems are STAAR/CCSS aligned from previous years' assessments and focus on a variety of skills such as inferencing, summarizing, context clues, figurative language, plot, determining the meaning of words, synthesizing information, and theme in three formats. The zip file includes:

1. Set of 10 task cards and answer key
2. Self-grading Google Form with feedback to stamp the concept; easily integrates with Google Classroom!
3. Google Doc classic assessment and answer key

Other Lessons you might enjoy 

• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 1 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 2 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 3 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 4 (TeachShare.com)
• Google Slides and Figurative Language Worksheet Disney's Encanto (TeachShare.com)

Are you looking for new and fun ways to review for STAAR? Have you considered introducing STAAR/Standardized test prep with music? This 10 question assessment uses Encanto's song "Family Madrigal" as the text, and exposes students to question stems they will see on STAAR in May. The question stems are STAAR/CCSS aligned from previous years' assessments and focus on a variety of skills such as inferencing, summarizing, context clues, figurative language, plot, determining the meaning of words, synthesizing information, and theme in three formats. The zip file includes:

1. Set of 10 task cards and answer key
2. Self-grading Google Form with feedback to stamp the concept; easily integrates with Google Classroom!
3. Google Doc classic assessment and answer key

Other Lessons you might enjoy 

• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 1 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 2 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 3 (TeachShare.com)
• STAAR Comprehension | PDF Google Forms & Task Cards | New TEKS Encanto Set 4 (TeachShare.com)
• Google Slides and Figurative Language Worksheet Disney's Encanto (TeachShare.com)

Did you know that one young girl's courage was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement? Introduce your students to the inspiring story of Claudette Colvin with our engaging and educational resource, perfect for Black History Month and STAAR test preparation. Suitable for grades 6-8, this free, print-and-go resource combines historical significance with critical thinking.

Our resource includes a short, informative text about Claudette Colvin, followed by four carefully crafted multiple-choice questions. These questions are aligned with STAAR standards, focusing on skills such as inference, summary, and author's purpose. It's an ideal tool for deepening students' understanding of important historical figures while honing their test-taking abilities.

This versatile resource is perfect for various classroom needs:

☑️ Center in stations

☑️ Homework assignment

☑️ Warm-up activity

☑️ Part of a larger unit on informational text

As a free resource, it’s designed to be easy for teachers – just print and you're ready to go. It's a valuable addition to any lesson plan during Black History Month and beyond.

Don't forget to check out our other free February resources, including the Valentine's Day Text Structure Color Sorts and the Valentine's Day Author's Purpose Coloring Quest! Grade 5-8 FREEBIE! (TeachShare.com)!

Be sure to follow our store for more free resources that bring ease and effectiveness to your teaching. Download now and bring Claudette Colvin's remarkable story into your classroom!

Challenge your students with a deep exploration of figurative language with this complete, standards-aligned lesson plan centered on Langston Hughes’ classic poems Dreams and Harlem. Perfect for grades 6-8, this 60-minute lesson introduces and reinforces figurative language skills with a variety of Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels, from identification to detailed analysis. Through engaging activities, guided notes, fill-in-the-blank practice, and insightful discussions, students will strengthen their understanding of metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, repetition, and more!

What's Included:

• Do Now Prompt: Connect students personally to the theme of dreams and aspirations.
• Guided Notes & Slides: Fill-in-the-blank notes and a comprehensive slide deck introduce and review key figurative language concepts.
• Figurative Language Practice Handout: Allows students to identify and categorize figurative language independently or in pairs.
• Detailed Analysis of Dreams and Harlem: Thought-provoking questions and guided analysis help students apply figurative language skills in context, from interpreting similes and metaphors to discussing theme.
• Reflection and Discussion: Encourages students to connect poetic themes to real life and deepen their understanding of how figurative language enhances literature.

Why Teachers Love It: This resource provides a complete and flexible plan that fits seamlessly into any poetry or figurative language unit, with resources to support all stages of learning—from foundational identification to advanced interpretation. It’s ideal for introducing figurative language or deepening students’ analysis skills, making it a versatile addition to any ELA classroom.

Key Features:

• Differentiated Levels of Analysis: Activities move from DOK Level 1 (identifying figurative language) to DOK Levels 3-4 (interpreting meaning and thematic connections).
• Engagement-Boosting Content: Uses two of Hughes’ most powerful poems to explore big ideas about dreams, aspirations, and consequences, making learning relevant and impactful.
• Aligned with Language Standards: Perfect for reinforcing figurative language standards through high-interest texts.

Boost your students' confidence with figurative language and inspire thoughtful conversations with this enriching lesson plan! Download today to elevate your poetry and figurative language instruction with this ready-to-use, engaging resource!

Do your students need help categorizing and defining their research sources? Are you asking them to meet a minimum number of research sources for their essays? If so, then these worksheets are just what you need! Included are: 2 formatted sets of worksheets: Table format & Listing format for Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Research Sources Easy to understand definitions Examples of all sources Blank space for recording students' own research sources Number of Sources Used line for each source Students can easily understand Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary research sources, their examples, and can easily define and chart their research sources. Perfect for developing upper level critical thinking skills and research skills! Great for homeschooling, AP, dual credit, college composition, and elementary GT students. Excellent for non-fiction based CCSS and state standardized research writing.

For Middle Grade Students, all writers have it, but do you know what style is and how to recognize it? This 15 page presentation for will help students understand and analyze their own writing styles, as well as other authors' styles. Easy to follow format will have students analyzing style in no time! Includes: Checklist for Authors Handout Definitions for Author's Style . Examples of Classic Literature and Fairy Tale to Analyze How to Find Author's Style in Writing Extra Style Analysis Activities Author's Style Workshopping Handout How and Why to Improve Student's author's style Terminologies and definitions include: Audience—listeners, readers, viewers of work Author’s voice—sets writing apart from others; uniqueness of writing Genre—category/organization pattern of writing Purpose—intent of writing Mood—reader’s emotion to the writing Tone—author’s attitude about subject matter Sentence fluency—cadence, flow, transitions used Sentence variety—lengths/mixture of sentences Word choices—descriptions, figurative language, repetitions, synonyms… Excellent for introducing style, writing concepts, standardized testing reviews, class assessments, college readiness, CCSS, literacy centers, and grammar/editing revisions, Students will be able to identify their authors' styles after working through this presentation.

Do students need help understanding cause and effect? These cause and effect activities offer reinforcement and practice to produce great student essays.Step-by-step and easy-to-follow cause and effect activities include: Relationship Word Chart Fill-in-the-Blank Pearl Harbor Essay Activity 2 Fill-in-the Blank Organizers for Pearl Harbor 2 Cause and Effect Graphic Organizers for Generic History Writing 1 Pearl Harbor Cause & Effect Essay Assignments with Pre-writing 1 Generic History Cause & Effect Essay Assignment/Pre-writing Meets state and federal guidelines for ELA; meets state history guidelines. Help students easily understand cause and effect with this Pearl Harbor/generic history packet with visual graphic organizers. Use for test preparation and standardized test practice.

Make end mark punctuation easy to use for students! 13 slide pdf has student examples, peer workshopping activities, tips for writer as reader, reading with emotion, clarity, and meaning, as well as dangling and misplaced modifiers.Includes "Dear Jack" letter as a fun punctuation piece and "That Is" to get students to think about how punctuation affects meaning.Also, comes with Peer Workshopping End Punctuation Mark Check List handout.Great for introducing basic skills for emergent writers or for reviewing basic skills for test prep. Meets CCSS ELA.

Common Core approach to Persuasive writing using step-by-step instructions for students. Includes 20 pages of: Definition Persuasive vs. Argumentative Whole/small group and individual activities Ethical Writers Examples of Thesis/Topic Sentences/Details/Facts... Using Figurative Language Outlines Peer Workshopping Persuasive Scoring Rubric (Revision friendly to master skills) Extra Resources: video presentations, handouts, and ESL links Easy to follow and use with students in grades 4 and up. Meets CCSS Opinion and Argument Writing requirements.

What is multigenre writing, and how can you use it in your classroom? This Common Core, across-curriculum, interactive presentation includes: Fact-based/non-fiction or fictional Defining: "Multi" and "Genre" Student examples of multigenre projects Interactive small group activity for introducing multigenre Research and extra resources on multigenres 2 levels of assignments: lower and upper Brainstorming Topics chart Find Your Topic graphic organizer Multigenre list for choosing types of writings Peer Workshopping guide Supplemental Resources Works Cited Ready to use with students, and a great way to re-visit an old topic or to revive research essays, whether using non-fiction or fiction. Can be used to introduce topics or as assessment for unit or research for any discipline.. Multigenre activities are engaging, educational, meaningful, and fun.

Based on Ray Salazaar's Article, "If You Teach the 5-Paragraph Essay--Stop It", uses College Board and Common Core Standards to guide students through building a well-written persuasive essay. Whether 5-paragraphs or 50-pages,the format works for fact or research based papers. Includes Chart Checklist Definitions Writing Guides Examples Peer workshopping component Extra Resources: Links to Sample Essays... 16 interactive slides to guide students through the research writing process: thesis writing, working with and using background information, evidence supported facts/research, writing an effective conclusion. Helps build critical thinking and writing skills. Can be used with G/T, Pre-AP, AP, developmental/entry college level courses. Everything needed to produce a well-written, researched essay.

A quick, two page review of Grammar Tips (sentence variety with examples and reader as writer instructions) along with a five-step format for structuring standardized essays. Easy to follow with color-coded examples.

Do your students need help with analysis? Use these ten graphic organizers with images for analysis practice and writing a thesis. These exercises and graphic organizers help students springboard to analyzing more complex illustrations and essays for future coursework.

This easy to implement, step-by-step analysis guide for individual, small/whole group practice includes:

Full picture slides for whole group discussion and preview

10 Analysis Graphic Organizers with images

One Blank Analysis Graphic Organizer

Analysis categories include: Assumptions/Inferences, Year, Time, Season, Setting, Stereotypes, Characterization, Genre, Emotions, and Others

Writing a Thesis Statement

This step-by-step guide is simple to follow, great for test prep, and helps students uncover the process of analysis.

What are readability levels, how do you turn on the function in MS Word, and how can knowing the information help student writers? These questions are answered in this interactive presentation that uses screenshots and step-by-step directions to turn on readability and check sentences and passages. Benefits of knowing and using readability levels include: Understanding Audience Understanding Computerized Testing Scoring Understanding and Using Types of Sentences Understanding and Using Syllable Counts Building and Using Higher Level Vocabulary Objectives are: Build vocabulary through synonyms Identify and use sentence clarity Identify and use sentence variety in writing Understand audience and their reading levels Understand computerized essay tests grading Understand syllable counts within words Easy to follow and assessment included! Excellent for anyone about to take a computerized standardized graded essay or who will be focused on addressing and writing to specific target audience grade levels. Great for AP students, flipped classes, GT, homeschool, Pre-Ap, and college level students.

15 Commonly Confused Words J-W with engaging CCSS activities for students to learn. Includes: J-W game with fill-in-the-blank, definitions, make your own sentences/slides (individual/groups & competitive play) 2 Crossword puzzles with Commonly Confused Words 2 Word Searches with Commonly Confused Words All answer sheets included Directions and Suggestions with Extensions Words used are: 1. jewel joule 2. knew new 3. know no4. lay lie 5. loose lose6. moral morale 7. morning mourning 8. nose knows 9. none no one 10. passed past 11. pole poll 12. principal principle 13. rain reign 14. road rode15. sight site cite 16. stationary stationery 17. their there they’re 18. to too two 19. warn worn 20. weather whether Students will have fun learning these Commonly Confused Words.

Free checklist of parts of an introductory literary analysis for AP, Pre-AP, G/T, college level writers. Students are asked to locate: Hook--different kinds list Author's name Title of text Summary Area of literary analysis list Thesis, and write down your thesis Makes writing an introduction for a literary analysis easier to understand. Great for ELA test prep! Meets CCSS.

Every April, students can celebrate Tell-a-Story Day, which occurs at the end of the month. This 16 page handout will help students with organizing and telling fact-based stories. Great for building oral communication, evidence/proof, and re-telling memories. Includes: Finding storytelling topics Graphic Organizers for planning stories in chronological order Setting up a storytelling event Designing advertisements/invitations Peer workshopping stories Links to multicultural, professional, international/national storytelling centers, storytelling videos and websites Can be used any time of the year! Students will enjoy sharing stories while learning how to use fact-based information. Fun and educational!