Book excerpt: Practice and preparation for the M-STEP English Language Arts tests! This book will develop the reading skills that students need, while preparing students for the M-STEP English Language Arts assessments. It offers a simple and convenient system for ongoing practice, while being focused on building strong reading skills. Skill Development Made Simple - Provides 40 passages with questions divided into convenient sets - Includes sets for literary texts, informational texts, and paired passages - Short passages and question sets allow for easy 20-minute practice sessions - Develops and builds on all the reading skills needed - Easily integrates with student learning throughout the year Helps Students Prepare for the M-STEP ELA Tests - Covers the reading skills that are tested on the M-STEP assessments - Includes a wide range of passage types - Students gain extensive experience understanding, analyzing, and responding to passages - Provides practice completing multiple-choice, constructed-response, and technology-enhanced questions - Also offers practice writing text-based essays Full Coverage of the Michigan Academic Standards - Covers all the reading skills listed in the Michigan Academic Standards - Includes sets for literature, sets for informational texts, and mixed sets - Additional exercises introduce and develop essential skills - Full answer key lists the specific skill covered by each question Key Benefits of this Book - Short passages and question sets build confidence - Ongoing practice develops strong reading skills - More rigorous tasks encourage deeper understanding and more advanced thinking - Students gain experience writing in response to passages - Allows for convenient revision and practice as the student learns - Reduces test anxiety by allowing low-stress practice - Develops the skills students need to perform well on assessments