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Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension Syllabus

The English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension syllabus for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) in full: 4 chapters, 14 topics and 36 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension flashcards with answers.

4Chapters

14Topics

36Sub-topics

50Flashcards

English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension syllabus: all 4 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

Reading Literature
4 topics
- Key Ideas and Details in Literary Texts
  - Citing textual evidence to support inferences
  - Determining theme and central ideas across a text
  - Analyzing character development, motivation, and interaction
  - Summarizing plot objectively
- Craft and Structure
  - Figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings
  - Analyzing text structure and its effect on meaning
  - Point of view and narrator/speaker perspective
  - Author's stylistic choices
- Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  - Comparing text to audio, film, or staged versions
  - Analyzing how multiple texts treat similar themes
  - Drawing on source material adaptations
- Range of Reading Complexity
  - Grade-band text complexity expectations
  - Stories, drama, and poetry across genres
Reading Informational Text
4 topics
- Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts
  - Explicit evidence and supported inference
  - Central idea and its development
  - Analysis of events, individuals, and ideas
- Craft and Structure in Nonfiction
  - Domain-specific and academic vocabulary
  - Paragraph and section structure
  - Author's purpose and point of view
- Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  - Evaluating arguments and claims for validity
  - Interpreting visual, quantitative, and print information
  - Comparing multiple authors' presentations of evidence
- Reading Across Content Areas
  - History/social studies texts
  - Science and technical texts
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
3 topics
- Context Clues and Word Solving
  - Sentence and paragraph-level context
  - Multiple-meaning words in passages
- Word Relationships and Nuance
  - Connotation versus denotation
  - Figures of speech and idioms
- Morphology and Word Parts
  - Roots, prefixes, and suffixes
  - Greek and Latin origins
Evidence-Based Reading Tasks
3 topics
- Two-Part Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR)
  - Answering an analysis question
  - Selecting the supporting evidence
- Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR)
  - Drag-and-drop and selection-based items
  - Highlighting and hot-text evidence selection
- Paired and Multi-Text Reading Sets
  - Synthesizing across two or more sources
  - Comparing perspectives and claims

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension flashcards — 50 questions with answers

In reading comprehension, what is a "central idea" (or main idea) of a text?
The most important point or unifying thought the author develops; what the text is mostly about, supported by details throughout.
What is a "theme" in a literary text?
The underlying message, lesson, or insight about life or human nature that the author conveys, usually implied rather than stated.
How does a theme differ from a topic?
A topic is the subject (a single word or phrase, e.g., "courage"), while a theme is a full statement of the author's message about that subject (e.g., "true courage means acting despite fear").
What is a textual inference?
A logical conclusion the reader draws by combining explicit textual evidence with prior knowledge; reading "between the lines" to determine what the text implies.
What does it mean to "cite textual evidence"?
To support an analysis or claim by quoting or paraphrasing specific words, phrases, or details directly from the text.
What is a character trait, and how is it shown through characterization?
A trait is a quality describing a character's personality; characterization reveals it directly (stated) or indirectly through actions, speech, thoughts, appearance, and others' reactions.
How do you objectively summarize a literary text?
Restate the key plot events, characters, conflict, and theme briefly and accurately, in your own words, without adding personal opinions or judgments.
In the domain Craft and Structure, what does "author's craft" refer to?
The deliberate choices an author makes about word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and form to create meaning, tone, and effect.
What is the difference between denotation and connotation?
Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or cultural association the word carries (e.g., "childish" vs. "youthful").
What is the difference between an author's tone and the mood of a text?
Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject or audience; mood is the feeling or atmosphere the text creates in the reader.
What is point of view, and name the three main narrative perspectives.
Point of view is the vantage from which a story is told: first person ("I/we"), second person ("you"), and third person (limited or omniscient).
How does third-person limited differ from third-person omniscient point of view?
Limited reveals the thoughts/feelings of only one character; omniscient reveals the inner lives of multiple or all characters.
What is text structure, and name common structural patterns.
Text structure is how an author organizes ideas: chronological/sequence, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, and description.
How does the structure of a stanza or scene contribute to meaning?
Divisions like stanzas (poetry) or scenes/chapters (drama/prose) group ideas, control pacing, build tension, and signal shifts in time, focus, or emotion.
What is dramatic irony?
When the audience or reader knows something important that a character does not, creating tension or suspense.
In Integration of Knowledge and Ideas for literature, what does it mean to compare a text to its media adaptation?
To analyze how a film, audio, or staged version interprets the written text, noting what is emphasized, added, omitted, or changed and the effect of those choices.
What does it mean to analyze how an author draws on source material (e.g., a myth or earlier work)?
To examine how a later text transforms, alludes to, or reshapes earlier material, and how that connection deepens meaning.
What is text complexity measured by in standards like PARCC's Range of Reading?
Three factors: quantitative measures (e.g., Lexile/word length), qualitative measures (meaning, structure, language, knowledge demands), and reader-and-task considerations.
What does "reading a range of complexity" require of a student?
Independently and proficiently comprehending texts across the grade-level complexity band, using strategies to work through challenging material.
What is a qualitative measure of text complexity?
A judgment of difficulty based on levels of meaning, text structure, language conventionality/clarity, and knowledge demands.

Show the other 30 English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension flashcards

In informational texts, what is a "main idea" versus a "supporting detail"?
The main idea is the central point of a passage; supporting details are facts, examples, statistics, or explanations that develop and prove that point.
How do you trace how a central idea is developed over the course of an informational text?
Identify the idea, then track how it is introduced, refined with details/examples, and shaped by specific sentences and paragraphs from beginning to end.
What is an objective summary of an informational text?
A concise, fact-based restatement of the central idea and key supporting points, free of personal opinion or evaluation.
What does it mean to analyze the interactions among individuals, events, and ideas in nonfiction?
To explain how people, events, and concepts influence one another and are connected across the text (e.g., cause/effect, sequence, comparison).
In Craft and Structure for nonfiction, what is author's purpose?
The author's reason for writing: typically to inform, persuade, explain, or entertain (often remembered as PIE: persuade, inform, entertain).
What is author's point of view (perspective) in an argumentative or informational text?
The author's stance, bias, or position on the subject, revealed through word choice, evidence selection, and tone.
How do text features support comprehension of informational texts?
Features like headings, subheadings, bold terms, captions, diagrams, sidebars, and the table of contents help locate, organize, and clarify information.
What is the difference between a claim and evidence in an argument?
A claim is the arguable statement the author asserts; evidence is the facts, data, examples, or expert testimony used to support it.
What is reasoning in an argument, and why evaluate it?
Reasoning is the logic linking evidence to the claim; evaluating it checks whether the connection is valid, relevant, and sufficient, and free of fallacies.
What does it mean to delineate an argument in a text?
To identify and outline the author's specific claims, the reasons given, and the evidence, then judge whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence relevant.
In Integration of Knowledge and Ideas for nonfiction, what does it mean to analyze two authors' treatment of the same topic?
To compare how different authors interpret the same facts or topic, noting differences in emphasis, evidence selected, and conclusions drawn.
Why might two informational texts on one topic present conflicting information?
Authors may rely on different sources, emphasize different evidence, hold different perspectives or purposes, or write at different times.
What does "reading across content areas" require students to do with informational texts?
Apply reading-comprehension strategies to subject-specific texts (history, science, technical) and integrate information from words, charts, maps, and diagrams.
How do you integrate information presented in different formats (e.g., text plus a graph)?
Read each source, identify the information it provides, and combine them into a coherent understanding, resolving or noting any discrepancies.
What are context clues?
Hints within surrounding words or sentences that help a reader infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Name four common types of context clues.
Definition/restatement, synonym, antonym/contrast, and example/inference (general context).
What is the process for using context clues to solve an unknown word?
Reread the sentence, look for nearby clues (definitions, synonyms, contrasts, examples), substitute a guessed meaning, and check that it makes sense in context.
What are synonyms and antonyms?
Synonyms are words with similar meanings (happy/glad); antonyms are words with opposite meanings (happy/sad).
What is a word's nuance, and why does it matter?
Nuance is a subtle shade of meaning distinguishing similar words (e.g., "thrifty" vs. "stingy"); it affects tone and precise interpretation.
What are analogies, and how do they show word relationships?
Analogies compare pairs of words by a shared relationship (e.g., hot:cold :: up:down), testing understanding of how words relate (synonym, antonym, part/whole, etc.).
What is figurative language, and name three common types.
Language used non-literally for effect; examples include simile (comparison using "like/as"), metaphor (direct comparison), and personification (giving human traits to nonhuman things).
What is morphology in word study?
The study of word parts: roots/bases, prefixes, and suffixes, and how they combine to form and signal a word's meaning.
What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?
A prefix is added to the beginning of a base word to change meaning (un-, re-, pre-); a suffix is added to the end, often changing meaning or part of speech (-ful, -tion, -ly).
How can knowing Greek and Latin roots help with word solving? Give an example.
Roots carry core meaning, so recognizing them unlocks many words; e.g., "port" (carry) appears in transport, portable, export, import.
What is a Two-Part Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR) item?
A question type where Part A asks for an answer (e.g., an inference or main idea) and Part B asks for the textual evidence that best supports the Part A answer.
What is the recommended strategy for answering an EBSR item?
Answer Part A based on the text, then choose the Part B evidence that directly proves Part A; if the evidence doesn't fit, reconsider the Part A answer for consistency.
What is a Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR) item?
A digital task requiring interactive responses—such as drag-and-drop, highlighting/selecting text evidence, ordering, or matching—rather than typing or choosing one option.
What skills does a TECR item typically assess?
Selecting and organizing textual evidence, sequencing events, categorizing ideas, and showing relationships by manipulating on-screen elements.
What is a paired or multi-text reading set?
Two or more related texts presented together so the reader can compare, contrast, and synthesize ideas across the sources.
What does it mean to synthesize information across paired texts?
To combine ideas, evidence, and perspectives from multiple texts to form a new, integrated understanding or to answer a question neither text answers alone.

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension FAQ

What is in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension syllabus?

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension is split into 4 chapters: Reading Literature, Reading Informational Text, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use and Evidence-Based Reading Tasks. Together they contain 14 topics and 36 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension?

4 chapters, containing 14 topics and 36 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Reading Literature, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension?

Yes — a 50-card English Language Arts / Literacy: Reading Comprehension deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.