Purpose and Description of Weekly Skills Tests
The Weekly Skills Tests assess children's understanding of discrete reading and language skills taught in each theme of Houghton Mifflin Reading. We use the results to customize future instruction.
The Weekly Skills Tests are made up of 5-item multiple choice subtests covering phonics, high-frequency words, comprehension, spelling, grammar, and writing skills.
Purpose and Description of Integrated Theme Tests
The Integrated Theme Tests evaluate children's progress as readers and writers. The tests indicate how well children have learned and are able to apply the skills and strategies developed in the theme. Written answers are expected to be in complete sentences. 1st graders are responsible for beginning sentences with uppercase letters and finishing them with end marks.
The Integrated Theme Tests include reading selections that relate to the corresponding themes in the Anthology. Children are asked to respond to the selections in four parts: Reading Strategy, Comprehension, Phonics, and Writing and Language.
Beginning in Theme 5, children respond to writing prompts that assess their writing fluency and ability to apply writing skills to a particular mode of writing.
Theme 5 ~ Personal Narrative
Theme 6 ~ Description
Theme 7 ~ Story
Theme 8 ~ Research Report
Theme 9 ~ Friendly Letter
Theme 10 ~ Instructions
Theme 7
High Frequency Words
Week 1
again both gone hard or turn want
Week 2
afraid any bear follow idea most tall water
Week 3
build old piece shoe start under very wear
Theme 7
Grammar Skills
Proper nouns are special names. Proper nouns always begin with uppercase letters.
Proper nouns
for people: Jake, Mom, Kate
for animals: Spot, Whisper
for Places: West Stafford School, Big Y Supermarket, Sun Valley
Pronouns take the place of naming words: he, it, they, she
Theme 7
Writing Skills ~ Story
What makes a great story? When you write a story, remember to do these things.
Ask, Who will my story be about? This will be your main character.
Include a lot of interesting details about the main character.
Think of a problem for your main character. Include many details about it.
Include a beginning, middle, and an end. Write the events in order.
Tell how the problem was solved and how the story ends.
Write a title that makes your readers curious.
Theme 7
Phonics Skills
Long o spelled oa
boast coat goat Joan moaned oak oats road toad croaked throat toast float loaf coal coach
Long o spelled ow
bow crow slow blow bowl know show snow grow own
Sounds for oo
book cook took good shook woods looks brook fishhooks stood
Compound Words
sidewalk sunrise springtime outdoors doghouse beside sometimes cookbook notebook scrapbook bookcase raindrops treetops playground campfire upstream flashlight wallpaper homesick mailbox pancake backyard suitcase
Vowel pairs oo, ew, ue, ou
boots clue Drew Sue threw you chew glue group knew loose moon new soup too tooth true broom scooped blue pool too food soon noon
Long i spelled ie, igh
cried goodnight high lie light tight pie right sighed tried might
Theme 8
Phonics Skills
Base Words and Endings -s, -ed, -ing
beg ~ begs ~ begged ~begging
flap ~ flaps ~ flapped ~ flapping
beam ~ beams ~ beamed ~ beaming
look ~ looks ~ looked ~ looking
learn ~ learns ~ learned ~ learning
play ~ plays ~ played ~ playing
smile ~ smiles ~ smiled ~ smiling
paint ~ paints ~ painted ~ painting
walk ~ walks ~ walked ~ walking
Vowel Pairs ou, ow
sound shouted out hound house couch cloud loud ouch round trout count grouch bounce pouted
owl crowd how down howls brown chow clown groled now town wow frowned
Theme 8
High Frequency Words
Week 1
about because draw happy part teacher tiny
Week 2
always arms body eight ready seven warm
Week 3
butter carry kind person put saw were work
Theme 8
Grammar Skills
Action Words ~ Verbs
An action word tells what someone or something does.
A sentence can have more than one action word.
runs, sleeps, sing, dig, plant, eat, swim, sit, fly, draw, read, bake, play, build, walk, get, give, speak, go, climb
Present Tense
An action word tells when an action takes place.
An action word in the present tense tells about something that is happening now.
Past Tense
An action word with -ed is made from a base word and the ending -ed.
An action word with -ed tells that an action happened in the past.
called, wanted, filled, walked, stopped, showed, liked, hopped, winked, passed, planted, started, learned, played, went, cooked, followed, smiled, stayed, painted, lived
Theme 9
High Frequency Words
Week 1
around dance else ever ocean open talk though
Week 2
after before buy done off pretty school wash
Week 3
baby edge enough garden only sharp together watched
Theme 9
Writing Skills ~ Friendly Letter
What makes a great friendly letter? When you write a friendly letter, remember to do these things.
Think about who will get your letter.
Think of something interesting to tell this person.
Include all five parts of a friendly letter: the date, the greeting, the body, the closing, and your name.
Include a lot of details in your letter. Tell them in order.
Theme 10 Phonics and HFW Lists