Free printable STAAR practice test for Grade 4

Reading Language Arts

Circle the letter of the best answer, or two letters where a question asks for two, and one letter in each row of a table and for each numbered blank. No time limit.

1. Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom

   A folktale from the Ashanti people of West Africa

   Long ago, all the wisdom in the world was kept in one place. Nyame, the sky god, kept it in a clay pot. One day he gave the pot to Anansi the spider. "Look inside," Nyame said, "and share what you find with everyone."

   Anansi lifted the lid and peeked in. The pot was full of knowledge: how to plant yams, how to weave cloth, how to build a house that would stand through the rainy season, and how to settle an argument between friends. Anansi's eyes grew wide.

   "If I keep all this wisdom for myself," he thought, "everyone will have to come to me for answers. I will be the most important creature in the land."

   So Anansi did not share. Instead, he decided to hide the pot where no one could ever reach it: at the top of the tallest tree in the forest.

   He tied the pot to the front of his body with a vine and began to climb. But the pot was round and heavy, and it bumped against the trunk with every step. Anansi slipped and slid back down. He tried again. Bump, slip, slide. He tried a third time and got no higher than before.

   Anansi's young son, Ntikuma, had been watching from below. "Father," he called, "why don't you tie the pot on your back? Then you could hold on to the tree."

   Anansi stopped. His son was right. It was such a simple idea, and Anansi had not thought of it, even with all the wisdom in the world tied to his chest.

   He was so surprised, and so annoyed, that he let go of the pot. It tumbled down, struck a rock, and broke into a hundred pieces. A strong wind swept through the forest. It carried the bits of wisdom in every direction: into villages and fields, along rivers, and across the sea.

   That is why, the old tellers say, no one person has all the wisdom in the world. A little of it lives in everyone, and even a child can have an idea that a grown-up has missed.

   1.

   Which lesson does this folktale teach?

   1. ANo one has all the wisdom, and good ideas can come from anyone.
   2. BGifts from the sky god should never be opened.
   3. CHeavy things are easier to carry on your front.
   4. DChildren should always do what their parents say.
2. 2.

   What happens right after Ntikuma tells his father to tie the pot on his back?

   1. AAnansi lets go of the pot, and it breaks on a rock.
   2. BAnansi peeks inside the pot for the first time.
   3. CAnansi ties the pot to his back and hides it.
   4. DNyame gives Anansi the pot of wisdom.
3. 3.

   In the folktale, what does the word "settle" mean in "how to settle an argument between friends"?

   1. Ato begin or start
   2. Bto end or solve
   3. Cto sink slowly to the bottom
   4. Dto sit down and rest
4. 4.

   Which TWO things happened when Anansi tried to climb with the pot tied to his front? Choose two answers.

   1. AAnansi slipped and slid back down.
   2. BThe vine broke, and the pot fell open.
   3. CThe pot bumped against the tree trunk.
   4. DAnansi reached the top of the tallest tree.
   5. ENtikuma climbed up the tree to help him.

5. The Monarch's Long Journey

   Every fall, millions of orange-and-black butterflies do something amazing. Monarch butterflies fly south from the eastern United States and southern Canada. They are headed for the mountains of central Mexico. Some fly as far as 3,000 miles. That is a very long trip for a tiny insect that weighs about as much as a paper clip.

   A Special Generation

   Most adult monarchs live only two to six weeks. In one summer, several generations hatch, grow, and lay eggs. But the monarchs that hatch at the end of summer are different. They do not lay eggs right away. Instead, they store fat in their bodies and start the long flight south. These butterflies can live for up to eight months. That is far longer than their parents or grandparents lived.

   Finding the Way

   None of the butterflies in the fall flight has made the trip before. So how do they know where to go? Scientists have learned that monarchs use the sun to steer. Year after year, the butterflies find the same mountain forests. There is still a lot about the trip that scientists are trying to understand.

   Winter in the Mountains

   The monarchs spend the winter in forests of tall fir trees high in the mountains. Millions of them crowd together on the branches. So many butterflies cover the trees that the branches can bend under their weight. The cool air keeps the butterflies resting quietly. That way, they use very little energy until spring.

   The Trip North

   When spring comes, the monarchs leave the mountains and fly north. They lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. It has a bitter juice that makes the caterpillars, and later the butterflies, taste bad to birds. A monarch's bright orange color warns hungry birds to stay away.

   The butterflies that left Mexico do not make it all the way back to Canada. Their children and grandchildren carry on the trip, one generation after another. At last, monarchs fill the northern fields again. Then, at the end of summer, a new special generation hatches, and the journey begins once more.

   5.

   Under which heading would a reader find out how monarchs spend the coldest months?

   1. AA Special Generation
   2. BLife on the Milkweed
   3. CWinter in the Mountains
   4. DFinding the Way
6. 6.

   According to the passage, why do birds usually leave monarchs alone?

   1. AMilkweed juice makes monarchs taste bad.
   2. BMonarchs hide under fir branches all year.
   3. CTheir orange color helps them blend in with flowers.
   4. DMonarchs fly too high for birds to reach.
7. 7.

   Making pancakes is easy if you follow these steps. Whisk the flour, milk, and eggs together in a large bowl. With an adult's help, pour some batter onto a hot griddle. (1) ______, flip the pancake when bubbles appear on top. Soon you will have a stack of golden pancakes to enjoy.

   Which time-order word best fills the blank?

   (1)	AFinally	BInstead	CFirst	DFor example

8. 8.

   Safety is the ______ rule at the pool.

   Which word or words best complete the sentence?

   1. Amore important
   2. Bmost important
   3. Cmost importantest
   4. Dimportantest
9. 9.

   Which sentence uses commas correctly?

   1. AMy favorite seasons are spring, summer, and fall.
   2. BMy favorite seasons are spring summer, and fall.
   3. CMy favorite seasons are, spring, summer, and fall.
   4. DMy favorite seasons are, spring summer, and fall.
10. 10.

    Owen can run faster ______ his big brother.

    Which word best completes the sentence?

    1. Athen
    2. Bthat
    3. Cthan
    4. Dthem