Paulette Cefalu-Walkwitz, Supervisor
Tangipahoa Parish School System
WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS SECTION OF
LEAP ?




THE FOLLOWING STATE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE INCLUDES LINKS TO THE ASSESSMENT GUIDES.  THESE GUIDES GIVE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE TESTS.
http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/saa/1341.html
READING AND RESPONDING
1)  One part deals with reading and responding.  The best way to prepare your child for this section is to have your child read daily.  You can use recreational reading books or selections that have been used in class.  After he/she finishes reading, ask questions to make him/her think about what he/she read.  Following are suggestions.
 
A.  Have him/her identify vocabulary words in the story.  Discuss the meaning, synonyms, antonyms.
B.  Discuss the setting, plot, characters, theme, mood.
C.  Have your child relate the story to a real-life situation.
D.  Compare and contrast the ethnic groups in the story.
E.  Identify the genre.  (modern fiction, poem, fantasy, folk tale, etc.)
F.  What are the characteristics of this genre?
G.  Have him/her determine the main idea.
H.  Have child tell you about the author's purpose and/or point of view.
I.   Have child skim and scan for facts.
J.   List some events in the story.  Have your child put them in the correct order.

It would be impossible to list everything that could be asked.  These questions will give you a good starting point.

WRITING
2) One part of the assessment deals with writing.
A few writing activities are included.  You may click on one of the following:
 
 
 
ACTIVITY - GRADE 8
 
ACTIVITY #1 (FOURTH GRADE)
ACTIVITY #2 (FOURTH GRADE)
Have your child use the writing process to complete the writing activity. Following are steps which would assist your child in completing the writing activities:
 
WRITING
1.  Read the writing prompt. 
2.  Circle clues in the prompt. 
3.  What are you supposed to write? 
4.  What will the writing be about? 
5.  Who is going to read the story? (Who will be the audience?) 
6.  Circle specific details in the prompt. 
7.  Begin the writing process: 
       A.  Pre-writing 
             1) Thinking 
             2) Planning 
             3) Brainstorming 
       B.  Writing - first draft 
       C.  Revising 
       D.  Proofreading 
       E.  Writing - final 
       F.  Proofreading final copy 
 
 

It is very important that your child learn to use this process.  It is also very important that the children learn to proofread their own work since they will have to do so on the test.  The CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS can be used.  Encourage your child to write legibly!  You may use the WRITING RUBRIC to score the writing together.

PROOFREADING
3)  One part of the assessment deals with proofreading.  Students are given passages (paragraphs, letters, etc.).  They are asked to find the correct form of the underlined part of the passage.  See sample activity. (This sample activity is shorter than those that might appear on the LEAP 21.)
This is another reason why students should learn to proof their own work.

USING INFORMATION RESOURCES
4)  One part of the assessment deals with using information resources.  Students are asked where they would find specific information (word meanings, pronunciations, articles, etc.).  Among the resources that they should know how to use are dictionaries, encyclopedias, card catalogs, indexes, glossaries, copyright pages, atlases, newspapers, magazines, etc.  Students should also know how to find a webpage.  Having students research a topic is a good way to practice for this section of the test.

FOR LEAP TUTORING LESSONS PROVIDED BY THE STATE DEPARMENT, CLICK HERE!