Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA)
Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.006(c-1) requires that students who do not meet the passing standard on the Grade 6 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading test must be administered a reading assessment at the beginning of grade 7. The Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA) was developed with Texas students to be a valid and reliable instrument for determining students’ areas of instructional need.
The TMSFA is based on valid and reliable scientific research, thoroughly measures each domain of development, and is user-friendly. The following three domains of development are assessed using the TMSFA.
- Text Comprehension (Reading)
- Word Analysis
- Fluency
Understand New Vocabulary Using Roots and Affixes (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes.
Explain the Influence of the Setting on Plot Development in Literary Text/Fiction (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how the setting in a story can influence the development of the plot.
Analyze Point of View in Literary Texts/Fiction (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to analyze different points of view, including first person, third-person omniscient, and third-person limited.
Understanding Drama (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to explain a playwright’s use of dialogue and stage directions.
Understand New Vocabulary Within Context (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to determine or clarify the meaning of words using context within a sentence and in larger sections of text.
Understanding Poetry (English 7 Reading)
You will learn the importance of graphical elements (e.g., capital letters, line length, word position) in the meaning of a poem.
Imagery and Figurative Language (English 7 Reading)
You will be able to identify figurative language and understand how it creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.
Make Connections Between and Across Literary Texts (English 7 Reading)
You will learn how to make connections between and across texts, including other media (e.g., film, play), and provide textual evidence.
Relative Adverbs | No Nonsense Grammar
A relative adverb is a word that talks about a place, time, or reason for something. Remember the three "w's": where, when, and why.
Screen reader support enabled.
Using the Correct Verb Tense | No Nonsense Grammar
Verb tense is used to show when an action occurs, whether it is in the past, the present, or the future.
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.
Edison: Boyhood and Teen Years
Find out how young Thomas Edison’s curiosity got him into trouble, and how, during his teen years, he lost his hearing but gained confidence as an aspiring inventor, in this video adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: Edison.
Unforgettable Elephants
In this video segment from Nature, witness the joy an elephant family experiences when a new baby elephant is born. This birth was a celebration within elephant society.
7 OnTRACK English II Reading: Reading and Vocabulary Development Across Genres
OnTRACK English II Reading, Module 1 Lessons 1–6 and practice lesson. Students will understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing.
10 OnTRACK English I Reading: Understanding and Analysis of Informational Text
OnTRACK English I Reading, Module 5, Lessons 1–8, Practice 1 and 2. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
3 OnTRACK English I Reading: Analysis of Media Literacy
OnTRACK English I Reading, Module 4, Lessons 1 and 2, and Practice Lesson. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts.
19 OnTRACK English I Reading: Understanding and Analysis of Literary Text
OnTRACK English I Reading, Module 3, Lessons 1–13 and Practice Lessons. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
5 OnTRACK English I Reading: Reading Comprehension Across Genres
OnTRACK English I Reading, Module 2, Lessons 1–3 and Practice 1 and 2. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
2 OnTRACK English I Writing: The Writing Process
OnTRACK English I Writing, Module 1, Lessons 1 and 2. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text.