2 Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment: Administering and Interpreting Results

This binder details how to score and interpret the results of the Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA). This course is Unit 4 of the Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy (TALA). These materials are available for view only; no credit or certificate is provided.
Types of Science Investigations

Students will distinguish between descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations.
Experimental Design

Given investigation scenarios and lab procedures, students will identify independent variables, dependent variables, constants, and control groups.
Tips from the Playground: ER/EST

Reggie explains the uses and abilities of the suffixes "er" and "est." This resource verbally and visually demonstrates to students how these two suffixes function.
Irregular Plural Nouns | No Nonsense Grammar

While plural nouns often indicate more than one of something with a simple "s" or "es," irregular plural nouns do not. They change the word entirely. Elf becomes elves, tooth becomes teeth!
Prefixes & Suffixes

This resource group teaches students about some of the most common prefixes and suffixes and about the effects they have on the tenses and meanings of verbs.
Skits and Martha Bake a Cake—Martha Speaks

Help children build vocabulary and understand STEM education concepts. Skits and Martha bake a cake for Helen.
Engagement | Reading Rockets: Topics A to Z

Families play an important role in how well students do in school. Find information about the importance of teachers and parents working together on behalf of kids, as well as examples of programs that specifically make the link between home and school.
Read a Good Book: Communicating by Drawing | IPTV KIDS Clubhouse

IPTV KIDS Clubhouse kids read and discover more about communication! In this segment, kids go to the library and try to get their friends to guess their favorite book titles without using any words, only drawings and actions.
Activity: Awesome Alliteration | WordGirl

This WordGirl lesson focuses on alliteration. Students will generate a list of alliterative words, then write an original poem using those words
Pressure—Martha Speaks | PBS KIDS Lab

Help children build vocabulary using this Martha Speaks video! Martha explains the meaning of the word "pressure."
Professor Monkey Follows the Directions—Martha Speaks

Help children build vocabulary and understand STEM education concepts with this Martha Speaks video! Professor Monkey follows instructions to make a paper airplane but accidentally uses paper that has the directions for where he needs to be!
Education | Reading Rockets: Topics A to Z

Teaching reading is a complex process that draws upon an extensive knowledge base and repertoire of strategies. Find out more about best practices in reading instruction and why so many are concerned that our teachers aren't prepared to teach in today's classrooms.
T.D.'s Report on Inventor Tom Adams—Martha Speaks

Help children build vocabulary and understand STEM education concepts with this Martha Speaks video! T.D. gives a report in class about the inventor of chewing gum, Tom Adams.
Getting to the Game (PDF) | Martha Speaks

The PDF of the interactive, informational story "Getting to the Game" designed for in-classroom use.
Using the Present Progressive Tense | No Nonsense Grammar

Present progressives describe an action in progress, or something that started in the past and is still happening. It is formed with the helping "to be" verb in the present tense and the present participle of the verb.
Simple and Compound Sentences | No Nonsense Grammar

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb and by itself contains a complete thought. A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
How to Use Commas with Conjunctions | No Nonsense Grammar

Conjunctions can join two separate clauses, but sometimes they need commas. Learn how to do so correctly.
Using Proper Punctuation for Titles | No Nonsense Grammar

Small works (short stories, essays, magazine and newspaper articles, etc.) are indicated with the use of quotation marks. Larger works, such as books or movies, are indicated either through italics (in typing) or underlining (handwriting).
Shock & Friends Phonics Rap: OE

Shock and his friend rap and beatbox using words that contain the "oe" vowel combination. This resource teaches reading, pronunciation, and decoding.