As it is essential that the students in my classes prepare for the Connecticut Academic Performance Test in English, I would use the following questions taken from the actual test.
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- What are your thoughts and questions out the story? You might reflect upon the characters, their problems, the title, or other ideas in the story.
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- Copy what you think is the most important passage in the story. Write about what the quote means and why it is important.
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- With which character, event or events in the story can you most closely relate? When have you or someone you know needed to make similar decisions or been able to make a similar realization? Use examples of the specific actions, reactions, or feelings of one of the story's characters and connect them to your own experiences or other experiences you may have read about or seen.
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- Evaluate this story. What qualities make it effective or ineffective for you as a reader? Give specific examples from the story to support your reasons for your evaluation.
*These questions, along with the Olson and Probst prompts, provide daily examples for excellent probative inquiry.