Teach students the literary elements. Literary elements include plot, characters, conflict, point of view and foreshadowing. Third-grade students need to learn what each element means and how to find it in a story.
Teach and assess student reading strategies on weekly reading tests. Reading strategies are what you teach students so they can break down and understand what they read. Using context clues, main ideas and supporting themes and visualization can help students understand what they read.
Teach and assess critical thinking skills in reading. Making predictions and drawing conclusions are two examples of critical thinking skills. These skills need to be assessed on weekly reading skills as well.
Teach students how to use reference materials such as dictionaries, glossaries and technology. TAKS will test students on their ability to use these references.
Give practice TAKS test throughout the school year to help students prepare for the test. When it's test time, your students will be prepared and feel less anxious.